Wills are generally written without any punctuation or abbreviations. There is often alternative spelling of some words and using upper case letters which do not always mean the start of a new sentence.
In some instances two lower case letters at the start of a word can denote an upper case letter, such as ff for F
Neither are they divided into paragraphs but are continuous lines of writing This can make documents difficult to read or understand.
This post shows the Will exactly as it was written with no attempt to break it down into paragraphs. Done in this way it shows exactly how the original document is written. As the documents are sometimes very large each line of writing in the document sometimes takes up two lines when it is transcribed in to the web site.
The last part of this will shows a summary of the Names, Places, Properties and Vessels mentioned in the will.
Nicholas Corsellis IV died 1761.
He married Frances Child in 1741. Her father was Sir Caesar Child and children down the generations were given the christian name Caesar.
They had two children, Nicholas Corsellis and Nicholas Caesar Corsellis.
Nicholas owned the Manor of Wivenhoe and Layer Marney which he left to his sons Nicholas and Nicholas Caesar respectively.
He also owned a number of pubs in Wivenhoe including The Woolpack, The Baytree and The Black Horse.
- In the Name of God Amen
2 I Nicholas Corsellis of Wivenhoe Hall in the County of
3 Essex Esquire Do make my last Will and Testament in manner
4 following First I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty
5 God hoping through the merits of Jesus Christ to Inherit
6 Eternal life And I give and Devise my Estate and Effects
7 as follows Item I give and Devise to Nicholas Corsellis
8 my Eldest son All that my Manor of Wivenhoe in the
9 County of Essex with the Advowson Mansion house rights
10 Members and Appurte whatsoever thereto belonging or
11 Appendant and all my ffarms Lands Woods and real Estate
12 lying and being in the parish of Wivenhoe and Elmstead and
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13 other near adjacent parishs commonly called my Wivenhoe
14 Estate To hold to the said Nicholas Corsellis for and during the
15 Term of his natural life without Impeachment of Waste and
16 from after the Determination of that Estate To my Cousin John
17 Taylor of Sheene in the County of Surrey Esquire and Charles
18 Gray of Colchester in the said County of Essex Esquire and
19 their Heirs In Trust to preserve the continuent uses herein
20 after mentioned from being Defeated or Destroyed and Imediately
21 from and after the Decease of my Son Nicholas Corsellis then I
22 Give the same Estate and premises To the first Son of his
23 Body lawfully begotten and to the heirs of the Body of such first
24 Son lawfully Issuing and for want of such Issue To the second
25 Third fourth and all and every other Son and Sons of the body
26 of my said Eldest Son lawfully to be begotten and the heirs of
27 the Several and respective Body and Bodies of such Several
28 Sons lawfully Issuing the Elder of the same Sons and the
29 Heirs of his body being always preferred and first to take
30 before the younger and for the want of such Issue to the heirs
31 of the Body of such Eldest Son and for want of such Issue
32 to my youngest Son Nicholas Caesar Corsellis and his heirs
33 forever Item I Give and Devise to my youngest Son Nicholas
34 Caesar Corsellis all that my Mannor of Layer Marney with
35 Layer Tower and the Advowson of Layer Marney and all
36 Rights Members and Appurts whatsoever thereto belonging
37 or Appertaining together with the Lands ffarms Woods
38 and Appurts thereto near adjoynning in the parish of Layer
39 Marney aforesaid or some other parishes near Adjacent
40 thereto commonly called my Layer Estate now in my own
41 Occupation or in the Tenure of John Smith and William
42 Oddy And also all that my ffarm situate and being in the
43 Parishes of Totham and Goldhanger in the said County of
44 Essex or some near adjacent parish or parishes now or late
45 In the Occupation of Robert Jordan To hold to the said
46 Nicholas Caesar Corsellis and his heirs provided always
47 And I hereby charge my said Several Estates with the
48 payment of the sums of money for which they stand Mortgaged
49 respectively And also with the payment of all other my just
50 Debts which my personal Estate not herein after Specifically
51 Devised shall not be sufficient to pay each of my said Estates
52 bearing a proportional part thereof according to their
53 respective values of the same Provided likewise and it is
54 my Will that my said Sons and the heirs of their Bodies when
55 they shall respectively come into the possession of the Several
56 Estates hereby Devised to them respectively as aforesaid to
57 make Jointures of the said respective Estates on such
58 Wife or Wives as they shall Severally Marry in the
59 proportion of One hundred pounds a year for every ?
60 of Twelve hundred pounds such Wife or Wives shall
61 bring for their portion or portions And also that it shall
62 and may be lawful for my said Sons and the heirs of their
63 Bodys respectively as they shall come to or be in possession
64 Of their said several Estates by virtue of this my Will to make
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65 And Grant Leases thereof or any part thereof for any
66 Term or Terms of years not Exceeding twenty one years in
67 Possession upon which Leases there shall be reserved the
68 full Annual Rent without ffine or Income and that they
69 be not made dispunishable of Waste and that there shall
70 be counterparts of the same Leases Item all the rest
71 and residue of my personal Estate after my Debts and
72 ffuneral charges paid I Give and bequeath to my said two
73 Sons equally to be Divided between them Share and Share
74 alike Provided further it is my Will that if both my
75 said Sons shall happen to dye under the age of Twenty
76 one years and without lawful Issue then I give and
77 Devise the Residue and remainder of all my Real Estate
78 whatsoever and wheresoever to my said Cousin John
79 Taylor his Heirs and Assigns for ever And I make the
80 said John Taylor Guardian of my said two Sons and I
81 constitute and Appoint the said John Taylor Charles Gray
82 and my said Son Nicholas Corsellis Executors of this my
83 Will and in case of the death of my said Son Nicholas I
84 Constitute and Appoint my said Son Nicholas Caesar Corsellis
85 to be from thenceforth also an Executor of this my Will
86 which revoking all others I declare to be my last In Witness
87 whereof I have to this my Will contained in two Sheets of
88 paper set my hand to the first And my hand and Seal to
89 the last and have published and declared the same to be
90 my last Will and Testament this Seventh day of November
91 one thousand seven hundred and sixty Nichs Corsellis
92 Signed Sealed published and Declared by the said Testator
93 as and for his last Will and Testament in the Presence of
94 us whose names are hereunto Subscribed as Witnesses in
95 the presence of the said Testator and at his request and
96 in the presence of each other Danl Blyth John Bolter
97 Re Wenham
98 This Will was proved at London the fifteenth
99 Day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand seven
100 Hundred and sixty two before the Right Worshipful Sir
101 Edward Simpson Knight Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or
102 Commisary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully
103 constituted by the Oath of Nicholas Corsellis Esqr the Son of
104 the deceased and one of the Executors named ( John Taylor Esquire and Charles Gray Esquire renounced 10th of July 1762 ) in the said Will
105 to whom Administration was Granted of all and Singular the
106 Goods Chattles and Credits of the said deceased he having
107 been first Sworn by Commision duly to Administer power
108 reserved of making the like Grant to John Taylor Esqr
109 and Charles Gray Esqr the other Executors when they or either
110 of them shall apply for the same
A summary of names, relationships, places, properties and vessels mentioned in the will of Nicholas Caesar
Name Relationship Line
Nicholas Corsellis Eldest Son 7, 14, 21, 72, 82, 83
John Taylor Cousin 17, 79, 80, 81
Charles Gray 18, 81
Nicholas Caesar Corsellis Youngest Son 34, 46, 73, 84
John Smith Tenant 41
William Oddy Tenant 42
Robert Jordan Tenant 45
Daniel Blyth Witness 96
John Bolton Witness 96
Edward Simpson Knight Dr Of Law 101
Property/Place
Manor of Wivenhoe 8
Mansion House Wivenhoe (Wivenhoe Hall) 9
Manor of Layer Marney 34
Layer Marney Tower 35
Farm -Totham Essex 43
Farm – Goldhanger Essex 43
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