Whitehaven Record Office Frame 123 of Film MM2152 / MF.COP 67
In the Name of God Amen. I Sarah Gunson of Randalhow in ye
Chappelry of Eskdale in the
Parish of St Bees & County of Cumberland Widow, Do make & Ordain this my last
Will and
Testament in Manner following. First, it is my Will that my Executors herein
after named<
During the Minority of my youngest Child, Shall yearly & every year pay on the
eleventh day of
November after my Decease the Sum of one Pound lawful money, of England, to my
Mother Mary
Nicholson, during her natural Life. Also I give and bequeath all my Household
Goods at Crook & Crook-heads
unto my Son John Gunson. Also it is my Will, and I hereby impower my Saide
Executors to purchase the
Enfranchesment of those two customary Tenement callde Crook & Crook-head,
abovenamed, in Netherwas-
dale in ye parish of St Bees & County of Cumberland aforesaid, upon the Terms
offered to me by the
Earle of Egremont (to wit) ninety five Pounds for the Lands, and eighty for the
Wood, Bark, & Roots
the purchase Money to be raisd by my Executors, out of the Said Wood and Bark,
and out of my
said Son Johns Yearly Income, till he attains the Age of twenty one years, and
if any of
the Said Purchase Money Shall then remain unpaid, I charge it on my Estate at
Scale in ye
Parish of Gosforth and County of Cumberland aforesaid, to be paid by my Said Son
John Gunson
as soon as he attains ye Age of twenty one years. And I give and Devise all my
Said Freehold
Estate at Scale Messuage & Tenement, with every the Appurternances, and the
Reversions thereof
unto my Said Son John Guson , to Him, his Heirs and Assigns for ever, upon
Condition, that He my
Said Son John as soon as He attains the Said Age of twenty one Years Do pay what
remains of the
Said Money payd for ye Enfranchesment of the Said customary Tenements calld
Crook, & Crook-
head, already chargd by me on the Said Lands at Scale, and upon Condition, that
He, my Said
Son John Gunson Do pay farther out of the Said Estate at Scale, the Sum of two
Hundred Pounds of
lawful Money of England to my Daughter Mary Gunson, as soon as He attains the
Said Age of twenty one years
and if my Said Son John do not choose, or refuse to pay the Said Sum to my Said
Daughter, Mary Gunson, and
and the Said Purchace-Money in Manner as abovementioned, Then I give and Devise
all the abovementioned
Freehold Estate Messuage an Tenement at Scale with every the Appurtenances and
the Reversions thereof unto
my said Daughter Mary Gunson, to her, her Heirs and Assigns for ever, she paying
the Said purchase
money for ye Enfranchesment of the Said Estates Crook and Crook head, if any
remain unpaid. Also I
give and Devise all my Frehold Messuage, Lands & Tenements at Bengarth, together
with those other Parcels
of Land, call Kirkby Closes, Hawkbarrow, and Lowground all in the Saide Parish
of Gosforth, with every their
Appurtenances unto my Son Anthony to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever And it
is my Will that He my Said
Son Anthony Gunson as soon as he Shall attain the Age of twenty one Years Shall
pay in Consideration of and
out of the Said Devised Premisses the Sum of One hundred Pounds of lawfull Money
of England, and
the annuity of one Pound on the Day abovementioned for Payment to my Said Mother
Mary Nicholson during
her natural Life. And if my Said Son Anthony Do dye before he attains the Said
Age of twenty one years
then it is my Will that my Said Son John Gunson shall & do pay the Said Sum of
one hundred Pounds, to my Said
Daughter Mary, and the Annuity to my Said Mother in Manner as above mentioned
out of the Said Premisses at
Bengarth, Kirkby Closes, Hawkbarrow and Lowground. And if my Said Son John
Should dye before he attains the Said Age of twenty one years, then it is my will
that my Son Anthony pay the Said
at Scale as adoresaid. And my Intent & Meaning is, yt the Said Money that Shall
remain undischarged, upon the [Anount]
of the Enfranchesment of Crook & Crook-head, and ye said Sum of two hundred
pounds to my Daughter Mary, with
which I have charged my Said Estate at Scale, and also the Sum of one hundred
Pounds charged on my Messuage and
Tenements at Bengarth, Kirkby Closes Hawkbarrow & Lowground, be payd in manner
above mentioned And in
Default of Such Payments, or Sufficient Security for Such Payments made, of ye
Said Sums charged on ye Severall
Premisses abovementioned, Then I give & devise Such Estate or Estates, with
every the appurtenances, where Such [F]ault
of Payment Shall be made to my Said Daughter Mary, her Heirs or Assignes for
ever. Also I give unto my Said Daughter
Six Silver Tea Spoons and Tea Tonges. And it is my will, yt my Executors may pay
yearly out of my Said Estate at Bengarth
ye Sum of three Pounds on the eleventh Day of November to my Said Daughter,
Untill She receive her Said Legacy. And it is my
will yt my Executors make publick Sales of my Goods and Effects to discharge my
just Debts. Lastly I appoint Richard Thompson
of Thornflat Gentleman and my Brother Isaac Nicholson Joynt Executors in Trust
of this my last Will & Gardans
of my Children. In Witness whereof I have sett my Hand & seal this ninth day of
September one thousand seven
Witness John Nicholson
Hundred and Sixty
Sarah Gunsons Mark & Seal
Stephen Nicholson
Murthwaite
On reverse
October 17th 1760
Richard Thompson and Isaac Nichoson Executors in
the within will named were sworn well and truly to
execute the same and so forth
before me
Murthwaite Commissioner
Know all Men by these presents That We Richard Thompson
of Thornflat in the Parish of Drig Gentilman Isaac Nicholson of
Whitehaven in the Paris of St Bees Joyner and Joseph Herbert
in the Parish of Gosforth Inn=keeper all in the County of
Cumberland
are holden and firmly bound unto the Right Reverend Father in God Edmund
by Divine permission Lord Bishop of Chester in Six Hundred Pounds of good
and lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid unto the said Right Reverend Fa
=ther or to his certain Attorney his Executors Administrators Successors or
Assigns
to which payment well and truly to be made, We bind ourselves and each of
Us our and each or our Heirs Executors and Administrators firmly by
these Presents, Sealed with our Seals, Dated the Seventeenth Day of
October in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and
sixty
The Condition of this obligation is such That if the abovebounden Richard
Thompson and Isaac Nicholson, they, or either of them, their
Executors Administrators or any of them shall and do well and honestly educate
maintain and bring upp John Gunson, Anthony Gunson, & Mary Gunson
the natural and lawful Children of John and Sarah Gunson
late [
..] with Sufficient Meat Drink Washing Apparel and
aforesaid widow
Lodging agreeable to their Condition and State during their Minority and do make
a true and perfect Inventory of all and Singular the the Goods Cattles and
Chattles
belonging the said Children and the same so made do exhibit into the Regist[ry]
of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, when they shall be thereunto lawfully ca[lled]
and do also well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the said John Gunson
Anthony Gunson and Mary Gunson all such filial Childrens par[t]
and portions as shall be due to them by the last Will and Testament of
Sarah Gunson late of Eskdale in the Parish of St Bees & County of Cumberland
Deceased
and otherwise, when they shall attain twenty one years of age , [
.]
otherwise lawfully Demand the same, That then this obligation to be void or
else in force
Sealed and Delivered
Richard Thompson
In the presence of
Daniel Powel
Isaac Nicholson
Murthwaite
Joseph Herbert
Notes
1 Relationships to Sarah Gunson mentioned in the will &tc
| Sons | John Gunson |
| Anthony Gunson | |
| Daughter | Mary Gunson |
| (Husband) | (John - crossed out) |
| Mother | Mary Nicholson |
| Brother | Isaac Nicholson |
2 The other guardian for her children is Richard Thompson of Drigg. He is also mentioned in John Gunson's will.
3 There was considerable money in the Gunson family - Sarah's husband's uncle(?) Anthony Gunson left £1000 to his widow! Sarah seems to have inherited the property