Will of John Espinasses 14 July 1726

 

An example of an eighteenth century periwig

 

Extract from the Will of John Espinasse dated 14 July 1726 showing the comment referring to the French translation and the two Probatum or Probate certificates in Latin

National Archives PROB 11 611 171

In the Name of God Amen

I John Espinasse perruque maker living at present in the parish of Wivenhoe in the County of Essex being by the Grace of God in good health in Body and Mind Thanks be to God Almighty and considering the uncertainty of Human Affairs the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof do by this present act make my Testament and Disposition of my last Will in the manner following First I recommend my Soul to God the father Almighty my Creator in the Name and through the Meritts of Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer leaving my Body to the Earth in hopes of a happy Resurrection and as to my temporal Estate I dispose thereof in the manner following I will and ordain that my Debts and funeral Charges be discharged and paid Item I give to the poor of the parish where I dye five pounds sterling Item I give to Elizabeth Drabecour the sum of five and twenty pounds sterling Item I give to my two Nephews Sons of James Espinasse deceased App? of St John de Roquefeuil the sum of fifty pounds sterling that is to say five and twenty pounds to each of them Item I give to my cousin Peter La Pierre five and twenty pounds sterling and for my universal heir I name my Nephew L? Espinasse Physician Son of Stephen Espinasse deceased of St John de Roquefeuil to whom I give all and singular my Estate which shall be found to belong to me at the time of my death after all my Debts shall have been paid and that the Executors of my Will shall be well and sufficiently discharged of their Trust by remitting into the hands of the aforesaid Espinasse my Nephew all that shall be found to belong to me and for the Executors of my Will I appoint Mr Elias Lebrand Chirurgeon in Denmark Street St Giles and Mr James Roussy Merchant in London done at Wivenhoe this fourteenth July One thousand seven hundred and twenty six (John Espinasse) (L S) Signed sealed declared and pronounced to be my last Will and Testament in the presence of John Lardeau Anthony Nouvier Peter Scale

This is followed by a brief note indicating a faithful translation from the original French St Eloy. 27…? 

Followed by two Probatums in Latin certifying the authenticity of the probate.

[Transcribed by Pat Marsden and Sue Glasspool June 2020. Some of the details were difficult to read and we have not attempted to decipher the comment about the translation or the Latin Probate certificates but instead have shown them as images]