Will of John Stedman of Mayford in the Parish of Woking

TESTATOR:		John Stedman
WRITTEN:		24 March 1830
PROVED:		March 1837
REFERENCE:	DW/PA/8/1837/25

Ann Stedman, wife
John Stedman, son
James Stedman, son
Benjamin Stedman, son
Henry Stedman, son
Richard Stedman, son
Thomas Stedman, son
William Stedman, son
Rose, daughter, wife of John Turner
Sarah, daughter, wife of John Spong,
Hannah Stedman, daughter

Executors & Trustees:
William Wilcox , Woking, Carpenter, friend
John Wiblen, Guildford, Ironmonger, friend

I John Stedman of Mayford in the Parish of Wokeing in the County of Surrey Blacksmith 
Do hereby revoke all Wills Codicils and other Testamentary dispositions made by me at 
any time heretofore and declare this to be my last Will and Testament

I do hereby give to my dear Wife Ann Stedman all the provisions Wines and Liquors of 
which I shall die possessed for her absolute use and benefit  And I hereby give devise 
and bequeath unto my Friends William Wilcox of Wokeing in the said County of Surrey 
Carpenter and John Wiblen of Guildford in the said County of Surrey Ironmonger their 
heirs executors administrators and assigns respectively All that my copyhold messuage 
or Tenement Buildings Garden Hereditaments and premises situate lying and being 
within and holden of the Manor of Wokeing in the said County now in my own 
occupation  And also all that small piece or parcel of Leasehold Land and Ground 
adjoining or near the same also in my own occupation And also all my Household 
Goods and Furniture Plate Linen and China and all other my real and personal Estate 
and Effects of what nature or kind soever (not hereinbefore specifically disposed of 
whereof or whereunto I or any person or persons In trust for me am is or are or shall or 
may be seised possessed or entitled To hold the same unto the said William Wilcox and 
John Wiblen their heirs executors administrators and assigns according to the nature 
and quality thereof respectively And I declare my Will and mind to be that they my said 
Trustees their heirs executors administrators and assigns respectively do and shall 
stand and be seized and possess of all my said real and personal Estate so devised 
and bequeathed to them as aforesaid Upon Trust that they my said Trustees do and 
shall in the first place by with and out of my said personal Estate pay satisfy and 
discharge all my just Debts and the Legacies if any which I shall give by this my Will or 
any Codicil or Codicils hereto And also do and shall during the life of my said Wife (if 
they my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being shall be of opinion it will be most 
beneficial so to do conduct manage and carry on my Trade or business of a Blacksmith 
at Mayford aforesaid or wholly discontinue the same as to them shall see most 
advantageous and do and shall use and employ any part of my personal Estate in or 
about the carrying on of my said trade or business and pay and apply the nett gains 
profits and increase thereof unto and for the benefit of my said Wife Ann Stedman 
during her life And I declare that my said Trustees or Trustee shall not be answerable 
for any loss which may be incurred in or about the carrying on my said trade or business  
And I do hereby further declare that my said Trustees or Trustee do and shall stand and 
be seised of the said Messuage or Tenement Buildings Garden Land hereditaments 
and other my real and Leasehold Estate so devised to them as aforesaid Upon Trust 
during the life of my said Wife to permit and suffer her to reside in and occupy the same 
as if she shall think fit rent free or otherwise at her request to let the same at the best or 
most reasonable rent or rents that can or maybe obtained for the same  And pay the 
nett rents, issues and profit thereof unto my said wife or for her offspring during her life 
for her and their proper use and benefit  And shall during the life of my said wife permit 
and suffer her to use enjoy and possess all the household goods and furniture plate 
linen and china whereof I shall die possessed

And do and shall cause an inventory to be taken of the same and signed by my said 
trustees  And do and shall so far as respects the residue of my personal Estate 
immediately after my decease call in and sell or otherwise convert the same into money 
and so far as respects the said household goods plate linen and china do and shall after 
the decease of my said wife or in her lifetime if she shall so direct sell and dispose 
thereof

And also do and shall with all convenient speed after the decease of my said wife or in 
her lifetime if she shall so direct absolutely sell and dispose of the copyhold messuage 
or tenement buildings garden land and hereditaments  And real and leasehold estate so 
devised to them as aforesaid either by public sale or private contract to such price or 
prices or sum or sums of money as to my said Trustees and Trustee for the time being 
shall seem reasonable 	

And I do hereby declare my will and mind to be that my said Trustees, their executors 
administrators and assigns do and shall stand and be possess of all and singular the 
monies to arise from the sale or sales hereinbefore by me directed to be made of my 
said messuage or tenement Buildings garden land hereditaments and real and 
leasehold estates  And also of all my residuary personal Estates subject to the trust that 
they my said Trustees or the survivor of them or executors administrators or assigns of 
such survivor do and shall lay out and invest the same in their or his names or name in 
the purchase of a competent share or competent shares of the parliamentary stocks or 
public funds of Great Britain or at interest on Government or real securities in England

And do and shall from time to time alter vary and transpose the said stocks funds and 
securities as to them or him shall seem reasonable  And do and shall stand and be 
possessed of the said trust monies stocks funds and securities  And the interest 
dividends and annual produce thereof upon trust that they my said Trustees or Trustee 
for the time being do and shall pay the said interest dividends and annual produce unto 
or permit the same to be received by my said wife and her assigns during her life for her 
and their proper use and benefit

And from and after the decease of my said wife do and shall stand and be possess of all 
the said trust monies stocks funds and securities  And the interest and dividends and 
annual produce thereof upon trust for and for the benefit of my sons and daughters 
John Stedman James Stedman Benjamin Stedman Henry Stedman Richard Stedman 
Thomas Stedman William Stedman  Rose the wife of John Turner  Sarah the wife of 
John 
Spong and Hannah Stedman or such of them that shall be living at the time of the 
decease of my said wife (in case she happens to survive me) and the issue of such of 
them who shall be then dead leaving lawful issue living at the time of the decease of my 
wife or if she shall die in my lifetime then in trust for my said sons and daughters John 
Stedman James Stedman Benjamin Stedman Henry Stedman Richard Stedman 
Thomas Stedman William Stedman Rose Turner Sarah Spong and Hannah Stedman or 
such of them as shall be living at the time of my decease  And the issue of such of them 
that shall be then dead leaving lawful issue living at the time of my decease equally to 
be divided between them  But so that the issue of either of them, the said John 
Stedman James Stedman Benjamin Stedman Henry Stedman Richard Stedman 
Thomas Stedman William Stedman Rose Turner Sarah Spong and Hannah so dying 
shall not be entitled to any other or greater share of the said trust monies stocks, funds 
and securities than his her or their parents or respective parents would have been 
entitled to under the Trusts aforesaid if then living.  

And I do hereby nominate and appoint the said William Wilcox and John Wiblen 
executors of this my Will and I declare my will and mind to be that the receipt or receipts 
in writing of the said William Wilcox and John Wiblen or the survivor of them or the heirs 
executors administrators or assigns of such survivor or other the trustees or trustee for 
the time being acting in the execution of the trusts of this my will shall effectually 
discharge the person or persons to whom the same shall be given his her or their heirs 
executors administrators and assign from all liability on account of the misapplication or 
non application nor shall such person or persons be concerned to see to the application 
of the monies therein respectively mentioned and acknowledge to be received or to 
enquire into the propriety or expediency of any such sale or sales as aforesaid

And I do hereby authorize and empower my said executors to pay any debts owing by 
me or claimed from me upon any evidence they shall think proper and to accept any 
security real or personal for any debt or debts owing to me and also to compromise or 
compound any debtor or debts owing to me and to allow such time for payment thereof 
as to them as him shall appear reasonable

And I do hereby further declare that if either of my said Trustees or any other Trustee or 
Trustees to be appointed in their or either of their stead as hereinafter is mentioned or 
their respective heirs, executors administrators and assigns shall depart this life or 
decline to act for the trusts and purposes hereinbefore mentioned or any of them then 
and so often as it shall so happen it shall be lawful for my said wife during her life and 
after her decease for the surviving or continuing Trustee or Trustees for the time being 
or the executors or administrators of the last surviving Trustee for the time being by any 
dead deeds instrument instruments in writing legally executed to appoint one or more 
persons or persons to act in the … of the Trustee or Trustees so departing this life or 
declining to act as hereinbefore is mentioned  And further that upon the appointment of 
any such new Trustee or Trustees the said trust Estate monies and premises shall be 
vested in the new Trustee or Trustees jointly with the surviving or continuing Trustee or 
Trustees or solely as occasion may require

And that every such new Trustee shall have the same powers and authorities as the 
Trustee in whose ..room? he shall be so appointed  And that the Trustee or Trustees 
appointed or to be appointed    as hereinbefore is mentioned shall not be answerable 
the one for the other or others of them  Or for the signing of receipts for the sake of 
conformity as for any involuntary loss  And that it shall be lawful for them respectively 
out of the monies which shall come to their respective hands by virtue of this my will to 
reimburse themselves respectively and to allow to their respective co-trustees the costs 
and expenses in discharging the trust hereby reposed in them

In witness whereof I the said John Stedman the testator have to this my last will and 
testament set my hand and seal that is to say to each of the preceeding sheets my hand 
and to this last sheet my hand and seal  This twenty fourth day of March in the year of 
our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty
Signed   John Stedman

The goods chattels and credits of the deceased do not amount in value to the sum of 
One Hundred Pounds and that the deceased died on the 1st Day of August 1834