All very good ideas ... but the cats don't "play nice" together, so I'd have to 'walk' them separately, besides they don't respond well to being told what to do ... instead I've had a good night's sleep and a mile-long walk by myself
Well the last couple of hours of my life have been spent producing this: use and benefit I give devise and bequeath all the estates which at the time ~ of my decease[?] I order be [?I cannot get this line at all] interested in either in trust for any other person or by way of mortgage[?] my said Wife and the said Henry David Blyth and James Blyth [?][?] appointed administrators and [? can't get the rest] upon and for the [?] intents and purposes and [????] providors and [?] or [??????] be subsisting [????] several estates at my [?] and I [?] herein authorise and empower my own Executrix and Executors [??] [?] and survivor of them to settle an amount [?????] or maybe open or [?] between me and annother [?] powerful at the time of my decease and also if they [????] compromise[?] and compound any [?] amounts [?????] whatsoever which may be owed or owing to or from me and to give and take [?] [?] for the payment of the same and to [????] and also to give and take on the annuity[?] for the same as they[?????] think advisable and on the receipt of all debts and [?] to me or any [?] composition for the same as aforesaid to give [????] for the same as shall be proper and also to [?] an [?] any [?] accounts or [?] [??????] aforesaid [??????????] for or otherwise mediation to the same as the [????] shall award and honorably to manage and [????] personal estate and effects in such manner as my said Executrix & Executors or the survivor or survivors of them [?????] think most for the advantage of all parties [?] formally interested therein [?] [?] the bequests hereinbefore contained and lastly I thereby revoke all former and other Wills and testamentary dispositions by me at any time herebefore made and declare this to be my last Will and Testament In [?] [?] I hereunto set my hand and seal this [?] day of July one thousand [?] Hundred & forty [?] – Robert Harrison – Signed in pre sence of the under mentioned [?] in presence of each other – Christian [???????] I am going out for another walk [to buy chocolate] and will have another look later on, after I've lost the headache there is still a long Codicil etc. to do
I take my hat of to youI had a look, and could not read any of it and needed your transcription so far just to understand the first few lines. I hope you treat yourself to a large bar of chocolate - you have earned it
Well I had a nap (and lots of chocolate) and got rid of my headache and then found I couldn't face more ... some hours later I thought I'd tackle the codicil rather than go over the bit I did earlier -- it seemed to go better, I have adjusted a few words in the last couple of lines of my previous part Anyway I have this: [?] the bequests hereinbefore contained and lastly I hereby revoke all former and other Wills and testamentary dispositions by me at any time herebefore made and declare this to be my last Will and Testament In witness thereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this [?] day of July one thousand eight Hundred & forty [?] – Robert Harrison – Signed in pre sence of the under mentioned witnesses & in presence of each other – Christian [???????] This is a Codicil made at Breganz on the Lake of Constance to my last Will and Testament made in London some years [???] [?] & which will be found in the drawer [?] in my Iron Safe in Philpot ~ Lane the key of the same bound in a leather bag in the [???] ( ---- page 3) Dinner Room at Sussex Place I give & bequeath to John Haly a clear sum of one thousand pounds & discharge him form any debt that may be owing to me by him at my decease[?] & it is further my desire that he receive a clear sum of £500[?] for aiding my executors in closing my affairs & for stating the accounts monthly in the form of balance sheets for the information of the parties con- cerned I also give & bequeath to Louis John Woodrow £1000, one thousand pounds as a [?] & I desire that he receive from my Executors the sum of £500 pounds for [??] in winding up the concerns & stating the accounts I give & bequeath to John Thomas my Butler a legacy equal to one years wages also to Martha Wynn my housemaid a legacy equal to one years wages I give ~ & bequeath to Samuel [?] my Coachman a legacy of one years wages a [?] of [?] wages It is my desire that I [?] be laid with my wife ~ Charlotte & our little babe in [?] [?] Cemetery --- Robert Harrison [?] September[?] 1952 Translations from the French and German of the [?]scriptions to the ~~ signatures at foot of the Codicil herenunto annexed[?] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] Notary [?] by Royal authority [?] admitted and sworn dwelling in London [?] hereby testify and attest unto [???] that the translation of the [?]scriptions under ~ the signatures as above written is a true and correct translation from the French and German as sub[?] and written at the foot of the Codicil here- unto annexed[?] of which promises an [???] of [?] the said ~~ [??] granted these presents to serve and avail when and where [????] which I attest [??????] [????] one thousand eight hundred and fifty two In [??] [illegible] [illegible] [???] Robert Harrison Esquire died there is yet more to attempt ... still tomorrow is another day and all that, hopefully I shall find strength somewhere
Goodness me, you deserve a medal for battling on with this one, muggy. There are some almost invisible bits which I cannot make out at all. I have filled in some of your question marks but there are a lot left. use and benefit I give devise and bequeath all the estates which at the time ~ of my decease I shall be solely(?) seized or possessed of respectively or entitled to or ~ interested in either in trust for any other person or by way of mortgage unto ~ my said Wife and the said Henry David Blyth and James Blyth their heirs~ executors administrators and assigns according to the legal(??) qualities(?) thereof upon and for the tenets intents and purposes and under(?) and subject to the ~~ provisoes and conditions or equities of redemption respectively which shall ~ be subsisting in or concerning such several estates at my decease and I do ~ hereby authorise and empower my said(?) Executrix and Executors or the ~~ survivors and survivor of them to settle and adjust(?) all accounts which shall or may be open or depending(??) between me and any other person or persons ~~ at the time of my decease and also if they one(?) or two(?) may(?) think fit so to do ~~ compromise[?] and compound any debt or debts accounts claims or demands ~ whatsoever which may be due or owing to or from me and to give and take ~ [?] for the payment of the same and to accept and make(?) ?? composition and also to give and take such security for the same as they[?????] may think ???able and on the receipt of all debts and [?] to me or any such(?) composition for the same as aforesaid to give such [????] for the same as shall be proper and also to [?] any such accounts or ~ debts claims or demands as aforesaid to arbitration and ?? ??? ~~ for or otherwise act in relation to the same as the arbitrator or arbitrators ~~ shall award and generally to manage and get(?) in my said debts and all my ~ personal estate and effects in such manner as my said Executrix & Executors or the survivors or survivor of them shall in their(?) her(?) or his(?) sole discretion(?)~ think most for the advantage of all parties ???ally interested therein un(??) der(??) the bequests hereinbefore contained and lastly I hereby revoke all former and other Wills and testamentary dispositions by me at any time heretofore(?) made and declare this to be my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this eighth(?) day of July one thousand eight Hundred & forty eight – Robert Harrison – Signed in pre sence of the under mentioned witnesses & in presence of each other – Christian [???????] This is a Codicil made at Breganz on the Lake of Constance to my last Will and Testament made in London some years [???] hereby con firmed & which will be found in the drawer No. 3 in my Iron Safe in Philpot ~ Lane the key of the same being in a leather bag in the devenport in my ~~~ ( ---- page 3) dining Room at Sussex Place I give & bequeath to John Haly a clear sum of one thousand pounds & discharge him from any debt that may be owing to me by him at my decease[?] & it is further my desire that he receive a clear sum of £300[?] for aiding my executors in closing my affairs & for stating the accounts monthly in the form of balance sheets for the information of the parties con- cerned I also give & bequeath to Louis John Woodrow £1000, one thousand pounds as a legacy & I desire that he receive from my Executors the sum of £500 pounds for aiding(?) Mr Haly in winding up the concerns & stating the accounts I give & bequeath to John Thomas my Butler a legacy equal to one years wages also to Martha Wynn my housemaid a legacy equal to one years wages I give ~ & bequeath to Samuel Hazelton(?) my Coachman a legacy of one years wages ~ inclusive of board wages It is my desire that I should be laid with my wife ~ Charlotte & our little babe in Kensall Green Cemetery --- Robert Harrison [?] September[?] (18?)52 Translations from the French and German of the subscriptions to the ~~ signatures at foot of the Codicil herenunto annexed [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] William Nichols(??) Notary Public by Royal authority duly admitted and sworn dwelling in London do hereby certify and attest unto all whom it may concern that the translation of the descriptions(?) under ~ the signatures as above written is a true and correct translation from the French and German as subscribed and written at the foot of the Codicil here- unto annexed of which promises [or premises??] an Act being required of me the said ~~ Notary I have(?) granted these presents to serve and avail when and where it may be necessary which I attest under(?) my Notarial form(??) and Seal of ~~ Office this ninth(?) day of October one thousand eight hundred and fifty two In [??] [??] veritatis Willm Nichols(?) Not. Pub. [illegible] [???] Robert Harrison Esquire died It is such a convoluted and wordy document that even where it is legible it is hard to work out what it means! Phew, I think I need to lie down for a while now . . .
I started deciphering the codicil yesterday but gave up as my eyes were going round in circles......one of the worst PCC wills I have ever looked at It was really gratifying to come back here this morning and see that you had both had the same problems as me I love the directions for finding the original will - bit like a treasure hunt.....I think the Devonport (davenport - a sort of desk) was 'within' the dining room at Sussex Place, but other than that (very small) addition, I don't think I can add much more. Please find a better will next time muggy..... Ann
And you deserve a medal for looking at it long enough to have helped me so much with it It is convoluted and wordy, but I must admit I love the use of words such as "hereinbefore" Believe me, if I had thought I could get away with not reading any will I probably would But I think it was important to know exactly what was the legacy Robert left to Elizabeth But even more importantly I now know that Robert and Charlotte had a child ... albeit of unknown name and sex, and very short-lived
Yes, what a gem to find amongst all the dry-as-dust financial stuff that so so sad reference to 'our little babe'. The Kensal Green cemetery records are on Deceased Online. I can see from their free basic search results that they do have an entry for Charlotte S. Harrison in 1858. There are numerous other Harrisons buried there but without being able to see full details I cannot identify which might be Robert and Charlotte's 'little babe'. However it looks likely that they do have the information, as if you click on Charlotte's name, it says 'Grave details and 2 other burials' are available. (That's not a monumental inscription but 'shows the grave reference for the burial and any other burials that have taken place in the same grave'.)
From Ancestry’s London burials Burials in All Souls’ Cemetery Kensal Green Robert Harrison – died Bregens, Switzerland of 20 Sussex Place, Regents Park, buried 21st September 1852 aged 57 following entry Still born son of Mr and Mrs Robert Harrison – removed for reinterment from the Churchyard of St John Hackney 21st September 1852 Charlotte Scolastica Harrison of Camelford Cottages, Hampstead buried 18th May 1858 aged 50. Ann
You might be interested in an article I wrote on St Scholastica's Retreat which Elizabeth Harrison funded with her sister-in-law's legacy. If you can't access it, I am happy to send you a copy. http:// journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9445522
Hello That sounds fascinating, I am very interested. I would love it if you could send me a copy. I will send you a private message (conversation) with my email address. Thank you so much for your offer.
Hi, This may be of some interest to you (or not). I found a card under a floor of a solicitor's office about 20 years ago which was from 1835. It probably wasnt a solicitor's office all that time but the card which is slightly smaller than a standard postcard is titled To the Governors and Subscribers of the Merchant Seamen's Orphan Asylum. It goes on.... the favour of your vote and interest of behalf of Joseph William Rutter aged 7 whose father was the Master of the ship RESOLUTION of London which was totally lost and all hands perished on route from Quebec to Milford in December 1835.........and it goes on.......but basically I am guessing that it is asking a group of people to re-home this boy who is orphaned and it finishes with.... This Case is strongly recommended to your notice by.....and the first person on the list of 6 people is Robert Harrison Esq, 18 Philpot Lane?
