Date of Will: 12 October 1793
Proved on 20 December 1849 at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

 










I JOHN GIBBARD of Sharnbrook in the County of Bedford Esquire do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner following (that is to say) I do hereby direct that my Close of pasture ground in Sharnbrook aforesaid in front of the messuage wherein my Sister resides called Sparricks which is now separated by an oak fence extending from the corner of the Shubbery to the coach house shall immediately after my decease be also separated from the upper corner of the garden wall now in my possession in a straight line to the church yard by a proper fence being its ancient boundaries and that so much of the said Close so separated and divided next to the said messuage and containing about four acres shall be held and enjoyed by my said Sister so long as she continues unmarried and resides in the said messuage without paying any rent or other satisfaction for the same and that my said Sister shall also hold and enjoy upon the like terms that part of the garden occupied by her which has for several years past been divided from the [           ] yard by a wall 

I do hereby ratify and confirm the Settlement made previous to and upon my marriage with my dear Wife MARY GIBBARD and pursuant to my covenant therein contained I do hereby give and devise unto my said Wife MARY GIBBARD and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life all that my messuage or mansion house wherein I now live and reside situate at Sharnbrook aforesaid together with the offices gardens and pleasure grounds thereto belonging except the farm yard near or adjoining thereto with the Barn Carpenters shop and other buildings in such yard but not excepting the poultry yards and hen houses as now separated from the said farm yard by a pale fence and not excepting the Cow hovel there with so much of the farm yard in a strait line from the south end of the said Cow hovel across the said yard and terminating at the pales which divide the poultry yard from the said farm yard which hath lately been separated therefrom by a Stone Wall and not excepting the sheep hovel and [chaff] barn thereon lately built all which buildings and yard so separated I intend to go and be held with the mansion house and also so much and such part of the paddocks or ground now held by me with the said mansion house as is contiguous thereto and lying on such side of the water and including such water and is bounded by the north east by a timber fence and so much and such part of the said close of pasture ground hereinbefore mentioned called Sparricks as is not devised to my said Sister and which lies in front of my said mansion house on the other side of the road and containing two acres three roods and seventeen perches or thereabouts and heretofore called the [      ]

And I give and bequeath to my said Wife absolutely for her own use and benefit all my household goods and furniture plate linen china books wine and other effects in and about my said messuage or mansion house and the offices thereto belonging except as aforesaid And from and immediately after the decease or marriage of my said Sister as to such part of the said Close called Sparricks hereinbefore devised to her and from and immediately after the decease of my said Wife as to the said messuage or mansion house with the offices gardens closes land and hereditaments hereinbefore devised to her for her life as aforesaid

And from and immediately after my decease as to all and every other my messuages cottages farms fields closes lands grounds wood grounds plantations and hereditaments whatsoever situate lying and being in Sharnbrook aforesaid or any adjoining parish or elsewhere in the Kingdom of Great Britain with their and every of their rights members and appurtenances I do hereby give and devise the same respectively and every part thereof unto my eldest Son JOHN GIBBARD his heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless and charged and chargeable with the payment thereout within twelve months next after the decease of my said Wife of the following legacies or sums of lawful British money (that is to say) to my Sons WILLIAM GIBBARD and LEONARD GIBBARD five hundred pounds each and the like sum of five hundred pounds to my daughter MARY GIBBARD  To my other daughters SARAH ELIZABETH GIBBARD  SUSANNA GIBBARD and FRANCES GIBBARD one thousand pounds each to be paid to them respectively at their respective ages of twenty one years with interest at the rate of five pounds per centum per annum towards their maintenance and support from the time of the decease of my said Wife until such legacies respectively shall become payable

And in thus omitting to make any provision for my Sons HENRY LEE GIBBARD and THOMAS BAYLY GIBBARD I earnestly intreat them not to consider this omission to proceed from any want of affection towards them but from my firm persuasion that their independence for life is secured by their situations in the East India Companys service

If my eldest Son JOHN GIBBARD should die in my lifetime without leaving lawful issue and my said real estate should in consequence thereof descend and come to my next eldest surviving Son I do hereby direct that my said real estate shall in all events be chargeable with the payment of the several legacies or sums of money hereinbefore bequeathed to my younger children as aforesaid and the same legacies shall not become lapse or void in consequence of the decease of my said eldest Son in my lifetime

And I confirm the mortgage of three thousand pounds and interest due on my said real estate to CAPTAIN MOORE and I do also confirm the mortgage securities and interest due thereon granted to my said Wifes trustees Sir JOHN FILMER Baronet and RICHARD GILPIN Esquire for Four thousand and sixty pounds And the mortgage or further security subsequently granted To RICHARD GILPIN Esquire as the surviving trustee for seven hundred and sixteen pounds

I give to my faithfull servant DANIEL BIRD Five pounds

And I do hereby give and bequeath all the residue and remainder of my personal estate and effects subject to the payment of all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses unto my said Son JOHN GIBBARD for his own use and benefit And I do hereby appoint and constitute my said Son JOHN GIBBARD sole Executor of this my Will and hereby revoking and annuling all former Wills by me made  I do declare this alone to be and contain my last Will and Testament

In witness whereof I the said JOHN GIBBARD the Testator have to the four preceding sheets of this my Will set my hand and to this fifth and last sheet thereof my hand and seal this fourth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty four – JOHN GIBBARD – Signed Sealed Published and declared by the said JOHN GIBBARD the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who hereunto subscribe our names as Witnesses thereto in his presence and at his request – SAMUEL FOUNTAIN of Sharnbrook Bedfordshire Saddler – GEORGE SCRIVINER of Sharnbrook Bedfordshire Mason

 

I JOHN GIBBARD of Sharnbrook in the County of Bedford Esquire do make publish and declare this as and for a Codicil to my last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say Whereas in my last Will and Testament bearing date the fourth day of July 1844 I have directed the sum of five hundred pounds to be paid to my daughter MARY GIBBARD after the decease of my dear Wife MARY GIBBARD to be charged on my real estate now I hereby direct that a further sum of five hundred pounds shall be paid to my daughter MARY aforesaid after the decease my said Wife MARY GIBBARD to be also charged on my real estate

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twelfth day of December 1845 – JOHN GIBBARD – Signed Sealed and delivered as and for a Codicil to his last Will and Testament by the within named Testator JOHN GIBBARD in the presence of us each being at the same time present and who at the request of the said Testator and in his presence hereto subscribe our names – WILLIAM POOL Victualler Sharnbrook Bedfordshire – GEORGE SCRIVINER Sharnbrook Bedfordshire Mason

Proved at London with a Codicil the 20th December 1849 before the Judge by the oath of JOHN GIBBARD Esq the Son the sole executor to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn duly by Commission to administer