Whitehaven Record Office Frame 54 of film MM2152 / MF.COP.67
In the Name of God Amen, This first Day of July in the Year of our Lord
God one thousand seven hundred & fifty four, I Anthony Gunson of
Harrowhead in Netherwasdale in the Parish of St Bees in the County
of Cumberland, Yeoman, Being Sick & weak in Body but of good &
perfect Mind & Memory thanks be to Almighty God & calling to Remem
brance the uncertain Estate of this transitory Life & that all Flesh
must yield unto Death whensoever it shall please God to call, Do
make & declare this my last Will & Testament in Manner & Form Fol=
lowing, First Being penitent for my Sins, I Commend my Soul unto
Almighty God hoping ye Forgiveness of my Sins & to Inherit the
Kingdom of Heaven thro’ ye Merits of Jesus Christ my Redeemer
and my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried at ye Discre=
tion of my Executor hereafter named, And for ye Settling of my
Temporal Estate Such Goods Chattels & Debts as it hath pleased God
to bestow upon me I Do order give & Dispose thereof in Manner &
Form following, that is to say, First, I Give & bequeath unto my Ne=
phew John Nicholson of Whitehaven, Saylor, ye Sum of Sixty Pounds
Sterling, Also, I give & bequeath unto Barbary Knipe of Harrowstead
aforesaid Widdow, the Sum of twenty Pounds, Sterling, Also I give &
bequeath unto John Knipe, Son of the said Barbary Knipe, ye Sum of
Forty Pounds, Sterling, Also I give & bequeath unto my Nephew Henry
Nicholson of Whitehaven, Carrman, ye Sum of Forty Pounds, Sterling,
Also, I give & bequeath unto Frances Daughter of ye aforesaid Henry
Nicholson, the Sum of twelve Pounds, Sterling, Also, I give & bequeath
unto Abraham Viccars of Knottend in Birkby, ye Sum of Forty Pounds
Sterling, Also I give & bequeath unto Thomas Lewthwaite & Christopher
Lewthwaite both of Kendall, Cordwainers, to each of them Five Pounds,
Sterling, Also I give & bequeath unto William Jackson of Cubbain in the
Parish of Irton, the Sum of Five Pounds, Sterling, Also I give & bequeath
unto Lancelot Porter of Eusthwaite in Melthwaite, ye Sum of Five Pounds
Sterling, , Also, I give & bequeath unto Mary, Daughter of Thomas Newton
of Littleground, the Sum of Seven Pounds, Sterling, Also, I give & bequeath
unto Edward Boyer in ye Parish of Ponsonby the sum of Ten Pounds, Ster.
Also I give & bequeath unto Anthony, son of Isaac Smith of Mightbank
in Carleton, the Sum of Six Pounds, Sterling; Also I give & bequeath unto
Margaret Porter, daughter of Nicholas Porter, deceased, the Sum of five
Pounds, Sterling,; Also I give & bequeath unto my Wife Margaret the
Sum of one Thousand Pounds, Sterling, & my Bay Horse & all my Goods at
Scale in Gosforth & at Harrowhead aforesaid, And also, I give & divise un=
to my said Wife Margaret all ye Rent & Benefits arising, growing & com=
ing due out of my Tenement of Scale in the Parish of Gosforth during ye
Time of two years next after my Decease, she paying of ye Dues & per=
forming the Services accustomed payable for the same during ye said
Time, Also I give & bequeath unto my Nephew Richard Gunson
of Saltcoats in Carleton, the Sum of one Shilling, Sterling, Also, I
give & bequeath unto Anne &Dorothy, Daughters of Richard Sherwen
of Egremond Inkeeper, the Sum of Five Pounds, Sterling [….] equally between
them; Also I give & bequeath unto William Tyson of Routon Gill in
Netherwasdale, the Sum of Three Pounds, Sterling; All the aforesaid
Legacies to be paid at Gards in Netherwasdale aforesaid; Lastly,
all ye Rest & Residue of my Money Goods & Personal Estate whatsoever
Together wth all my Right Estate T..trest Claim & Demand in & unto
ye Tenement of Scale in the Parish of Gosforth & ye Appurtenances
excepting wt is herein before bequeathed, I give bequeath & de=
vise unto John Gunson Elder of Gards in Netherwasdale aforesaid,
whom hereby I make full & whole Executor of this my last Will
& Testament, he paying my Just Debts, Funeral Expences & Legacies
herein bequeathed, revoking & making void all former Wills &
Bequests by me made & Declaring this only to be my last Will &
Testament, In Witness whereof the Said Anthony Gunson the Tes=
tator have here unto Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year first
abovewriten,
Signed & Sealed published &
the Mark of
Declared by the Said Anthony
Anthony A Gunson
Gunson to be his last Will &
Testament in the Sight & presence of us
Thomas Newton
The mark of
Abraham A Lewthwaite
Thos: Poole
September 5th 1754
John Gunson Sole Executor in this Will named
was Sworn well and truly to execute the same
and Soforth
Before me
Murthwaite Commissioner
Know all men by these Presents that
We John Gunson of Gards in Neitherwasdale
and John Nicholson of Eskdale both in the
Parish of St Bees and County of Cumberland
Yeomen
are holden and firmly bound unto the Right Reverend Father
in God Samuel by Divine Permission, Lord Bishop of Chester, in
two thousand Pounds of good and lawful Money of
Great Britain, to be paid unto the said Right Reverend Father or to
his certain Attorney, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns;
to which payment, well and truly to be made, We bind ourselves, and
each of Us our Heirs, Executors, and Administrators firmly by
these Presents, Sealed with our Seals, Dated the fifth
Day of Septmber in the Year of our Lord One Thousand
Seven Hundred and fifty four
The Condition of this Obligation is such, That if the above bounden
John Gunson
shall and do well and truly execute, and perform the last Will and
Testament of Anthony Gunson late of Harrowhead in
Netherwasdale in ye Parish of St Bees and county of
Cumberland Yeoman deceased
Deceased; and do pay all his Debts and Legacys, so far as his Goods
and Personal Estate will extend, and the Law shall bind him if also he
do exhibit into Court a true and perfect Inventory of the said
Deceased’s Goods and Personal Estate, and give a true and just Accompt of
her acting in the Premises when he shall be thereunto
lawfully called; That then this obligation to be void or else in Force.
Sealed and Delivered
John Gunson
in the presence of
Thomas Newton
Murthwaite
John Nicholson
Notes
Relationships to Anthony Gunson mentioned in will:-
Wife Margaret
Nephews John Nicholson of Whitehaven, Saylor
Henry Nicholson of Whitehaven, Carrman
and his daughter Frances
Richard Gunson of Saltcoats in Carleton
Executor John Gunson the Elder of Gards
Other legatees mentioned:
Barbary Knipe of Harrowhead and her son John Knipe
Abraham Viccars of Knottend in Birkby
Thomas and Christopher Lewthwaite of Kendall
William Jackson of Cubbain in Irton
Lancelot Porter of Eusthwaite in Melthwaite
Margaret Porter, daughter of Nicholas Porter, deceased
Mary, daughter of Thomas Newton of Littleground
Edward Boyer of Ponsoby
Anthony, son of Isaac Smith of Mightbank, Carleton
Anne and Dorothy, daughters of Richard Sherwen, Innkeeper of Egremont
William Tyson of Routon Gill, Netherwasdale