Transcription of the Will of William Balchen, 1765

In  the  Name  of  God  Amen
I, William Balchin, of Mile End in the Parish of St. Dunstan, Stepney and County of Middlesex, Gentlemen, being of Sound and Disposing Mind, Memory and Understanding, do make and declare this to be my last Will and Testament. ffirst, I Will and Order that all my just Debts and ffuneral Expenses shall be fully paid and Satisfied and I leave the direction of my ffuneral entirely to my Executors.  Item, I Give to my ffriends Richard Cross of Lincolns Inn ffields in the County of Middlesex,Esquire, and William Tapp of Broad Street, London, Linnen Draper, my Trustees, the Sum of ten pounds Each for Mourning.   …… to John Mann of Croyden and to Elizabeth ffrench of Stepney all such Debts and Sums of Money as they respectively now owe or may hereafter owe or Stand Indebted to me in at the time of my descease.  All my ffreehold and Copyhold Estates situate and being at Roydon, Thorley, Epping and Witham in the County of Essex, also Herts, and all other my ffreehold and Copyhold Estates whatsoever (which Copyhold Estates I have surrendered to the use of my wife) and also my £3000 four cent Consol. ^d Bank Annt.^y and £1000 Royal Exchange Assurance Stock and all other my Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever.  I Give, Devise and bequeath the same Real and Personal Estates, respectively, unto the said Richard Cross and William Tapp, my Trustees, to hold to them, their Heirs, Executors, Admons and Assigns forever according to the nature of such Estates, respectively. Upon the several Trust, nevertheless, and to and for the Uses, Intents and Purposes hereinafter written, expressed and declared of and Concerning the same, respectively, (that if to say) Upon Trust that they my said Trustees and the Survivor of them and the Executors or Administrators of such Survivor do and shall lay out or otherwise continue at Interest my said Personal Estate and receive and take the Interest, Dividends and Proceed of my said £3000 4PCent Bank Consolidated Annuitys and £1000 Royal Exchange Assurance and out of the interest of the said £1000 Royal Exchange Assurance pay unto my Mother, Martha Balchin, for and during her natural Life one Annuity or Yearly Sum of £30 at such days and times and in such manner as I have paid the same to her since the Granting thereof and which Annuity is hereby directed to be paid by my Trustees is to be in Lien and Discharge of my Engagement made by me to her for the payment thereof and from and after the death of my said Mother I direct that my said Trustees shall pay the Yearly Sum of £10 a Year at the like days and times unto my Sister Ann Balchin  for and during her natural life. And as to the Residue of the Interest and Dividends of the said £1000 Royal Exchange Assurances and as to the [  ] and Dividends of all other my Personal Estates & Effects.  I Trust that they my said Trustees do and shall pay the same unto my dear Wife Sarah to be Applied by her as she shall think Proper to and for the Maintenance and Duration of my Children Sarah, Susannah, Mary and John until they shall respectively attain their ages of 25 years or day or days of Marriage, if a Daughter, which shall first happen. And where and as my said Children shall respectively Attain such age or day or days of marriage, if a daughter, then I Will and Order that my said Trustees shall and do Sell and Dispose of or otherwise Transfer and Assign all my said Personal Estate or equal Part or Share thereof or the Securitys or ffunds Purchased, with or in which the same is now or shall be, may be invested unto and among all and every such Child or Children so attaining his, her, their age or ages of 25 Years ------

 -------   to my said dear Wife for her Life to and for her own Use and after her decease do and shall pay or otherwise Transfer and Assign my said Personal Estate or the Securitys for the same unto and among my three Sisters Sussanah Thompson, the Wife of James Thompson, Elizabeth Cumberland, the Wife of George Cumberland and Ann Balchin, Spinster, to be equally divided among them Share and Share alike  ------

  ------ and in that case I Give and Bequeath the produce of my said Real Estate unto the said Sussanah Thompson, Elizabeth Cumberland and Ann Balchin to be equally Divided among them Share and Share alike, but it is my Will that if the said Ann Balchen become intitled under this my Will either to a Share of the Residue of my Personal Estate or to a Share of the Produce of my Real Estate then and in Either of the said Cases the Annuity of £10  hereinbefore bequeathed to her shall cease.  And I do hereby appoint my Wife and Trustees Guardians of my Children during their minority ------

 ------  And I do hereby Constitute, Ordain and Appoint my dear Wife Sarah and the said Richard Cross, Esquire, and William Tapp Executors of this my Will and I do hereby revoke all other Wills by me at any time heretofor made and declare this to be my only Last Will and Testament.  In Witness of whereof I, the said William Balchin, to this my Will contained in four Sheets of Paper, wrote on both sides of said Sheets, have to the ffirst three Sheets set  my hand and the ffirst Side of the ffourth Sheet sett my hand and Seal this twenty ffourth day of June One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty ffive.

 @ Wm. Balchin (seal).  Signed, Sealed and Published and Declared by the said Testator William Balchin as and for his Last Will and Testament in the Presence of us who in his presence at his request have Subscribed our Names as Witnesses. Tthe words (sett my hand) between the ffirst and Second and being interlined above  ## G. Cumberland # Tho’s Orlin # Thomas Lamb. ##

This Will was proved at London on the twenty fifth day of September in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty ffive before the Worshipfull Andrew Cobtree Invarell, Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull George Isay, also Doctor of Laws, Master Keeper or Commissary of the Pregrogative Court of Canterbury.  Lawfully constituted by the Oath of William Tapp, one of the Executors named in the said Will to whom Adm’t’on was granted of all and Singular the Goods, Chattles and Credits of the said deceased, he having been first sworn duly to Administer. Power reserved of making the like grant to Sarah Balchin, Widow, the Relict of the deceased and Richard Cross, Esquire, the other Executors named in the said will when they Ù^{or either of them} shall apply for the same.&p;