Monday 31 January 2011

Amanuensis Monday - the will of William Pattison 1905

John Newmark, who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog, has a weekly theme each Monday called Amanuensis Monday to encourage the posting of transcriptions of documents to preserve and publish their contents.



William Pattison was my great-great grandfather. His will is primarily concerned with providing for his daughter Mary - I'm not sure exactly what her condition was, but in the census she was described as an imbecile and judging by the will she was not capable of living independently.











BE IT KNOWN that William Pattison of Longframlington in the County of Northumberland Colliery Manager who at the time of his death had a fixed place of abode at Longframlington aforesaid within the District of the County of Northumberland died on the 15th day of December 1905 at Longframlington aforesaid.


AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament of the said deceased was proved and registered in the District Probate Registry of His Majesty's High Court of Justice at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and that administration of all the estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representatives of the said deceased was granted by the aforesaid Court to William Henry Coulthard of Blue Row Seghill in the said County, Miner, and Samuel Coulthard of Barrass Row, Seghill aforesaid, Miner, the Executors named in the Will.


Dated the 23rd day of January 1906.


Gross value of estate £1405 - 1 - 10
Net value of estate £1116 - 14 - 10


Extracted by Mather & Dickinson Solrs Newcastle-upon-Tyne




1. This is the last Will and Testament of me William Pattison of Longframlington in the County of Northumberland, Manager, made this twenty third day of September one thousand nine hunderd and five.


2. I appoint my friends William Henry Coulthard and Samuel Coulthard both of Seghill in the County of Northumberland Miners (who or the survivors of whom or other the Trustees or Trustee for the time being of this my Will are hereinafter referred to as "my Trustees") to be the Executors and Trustees of this my Will.


3. I give the following legacies free of duty namely: To my daughter Hannah Straughan the sum of One hundred pounds. To my daughter Martha Ann Lamb the sum of One hundred pounds. To my granddaughter Jane Ann Straughan the sum of Twenty pounds.


4. Whereas I intend to purchase a house at Longframlington for my own residence Now I hereby devise any such house unto my Trustees upon trust for to permit my said granddaughter Jane Ann Straughan and my daughter Mary Elizabeth Pattison to have the use and occupation thereof for their joint lives and for the life of the survivor of them it being my wish that my said daughter and granddaughter shall reside together if possible but if from any reason the said Mary Elizabeth Pattison shall cease to reside in the said house then I direct my Trustees in their sole discretion either to allow my said granddaughter to reside there if she shall so desire or to let the said premises and apply all or such part of the rent as they shall think fit in providing a residence for my said daughter and subject thereto upon trust for my said granddaughter for her life and from and after the death of the survivor of them my said daughter and granddaughter I direct my Trustees to sell the said house and to divide the net proceeds thereof among the children of the said Jane Ann Straughan who shall be living at her decease and in default of there being any such children I direct that the proceeds of such sale shall fall into the residue of my estate. And I declare that if I shall die before purchasing any such house my Trustees shall spend such a sum as they shall think fit (but not exceeding Three hundred pounds) on the purchase of a house to be held by them upon the trusts contained in this Will.


5. I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate not hereby otherwise disposed of unto my trustees upon trust to sell call in and convert into money the same of such part thereof as shall not consist of money and shall out of the moneys produced by such sale calling in and conversion and out of my ready money pay my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts and the legaices bequeathed by my will or any codicil thereto and the duties thereon and shall invest the residue of the said moneys with power from time to time to vary such investments. And shall stand possessed of the residue of the said moneys and the investments for the time being representing the same (hereinafter called "the residuary trust fund") upon trust out of the income arising therefrom to pay such sum as my Trustees shall think fit (but not exceeding seven shillings and six pence per week) for the maintenance of my said daughter Mary Elizabeth Pattison during her life and if such income shall be insufficient for the payment of such weekly sum I declare that my Trustees at their discretion use the capital of the residuary trust fund for the purpose of making up such weekly sum. And from and after the decease of my said daughter Mary Elizabeth Pattison to stand possessed of the residuary trust fund upon trust for my said daughters Martha Ann Lamb and Hannah Straughan in equal shares. I declare that my Trustees may postpone the sale and conversion of any part of my property (including leaseholds or other property of a terminable or wearing out nature) for so long as they think fit and I direct that the rents profits and income to accrue after my death from such part of my estate as shall for the time being remain unsold and unconverted shall after payment thereout of all incidental expenses and outgoings and howsoever invested be paid and applied in the manner in which the income of the proceeds of such sale and conversion would for the time being be payable or applicable under my will if such sale and conversion had been actually made. In additipon to investments authorised by law I empower my Trustees at their absolute discretion to invest any part of the residuary trust fund in or upon the preference or deposit shares of any duly incorporated Building Society at Newcastle upon Tyne without being answerable for any loss which may arise therefrom.


In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year first hereinbefore written.


William Pattison


Signed by the said Testator William Pattison as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other do hereunto subscribe our names as witnesses.


John Steel - Cardman - Framlington
Henry Clark - Seghill - Miner - Northumberland


On the 23rd day of January 1906 probate of this Will was granted at Newcastle upon Tyne to William Henry Coulthard and Samuel Couthard, the Executors.

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