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Will of William Dadds, of Wingham, Kent, Servant, 1814

The following Will has been jointly contributed by Carol Valantine Dugger and Beverley Chapman.  Please contact these ladies if you have any comments or questions concerning the Will and/or the family of Dadds and Dadds.
Source: Will, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace, London, England, (England, Kew: The National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office), Catalogue Reference Prob 11/1565, image reference 147.

THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me WILLIAM DADDS, of Wingham, in the County of Kent, Servant, made the third [3rd] day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen [1814],

First, I give and beqeuath unto the wife of my Brother JOHN DADDS the legacy or sum of five Guineas of lawful English money for a ring in Remembrance of me to be paid to her forthwith after my decease,

And whereas I am possessed of, interested in or entitled unto the principal sum of Fifteen pounds ten shillings and ten pence per annum Consolidated Long Annuities now standing in my own name at the Bank of England, now I do hereby give and bequeath the same sum of fifteen pounds ten shillings and ten pence Consolidated Long Annuities unto my Brother THOMAS DADDS, his Executors and Administrators until WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN my natural or reputed son by Elizabeth Morgan, single woman, shall attain his age of thirty years upon trust, nevertheless, in the mean time, to pay to or otherwise authorize and empower the said WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN to have, receive and take the proceeds of the said annuities or yearly sum when and as the same shall become due and payable half-yearly or at any other time or times in any porportion or proportions as to him the said THOMAS DADDS, his Executors or Administrators shall seem expedient and for the benefit and advantage of the said WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN and when and so soon as the said WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN shall attain his said age of Thirty years then upon trust to assign, transfer and pay or cause to be assigned, transferred and paid the same principal sum of fifteen pounds ten shillings and ten pence Consolidated Long Annuities and the proceeds thereof then due thereon unto him, the said WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN, for his own use and benefit,

But, if the said WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN shall depart this life before he shall attain his said age of Thirty years, then my will is that the said sum of fifteen pounds ten shillings and ten pence Consolidated Long Annuities shall sink into and become a part of the residue of my personal estate and effects hereinafter bequeathed.

Also, I give and bequeath to my said reputed son WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN the legacy or sum of two hundred and fifty pounds to be paid to him within three calendar months after my decease and it is my will and mind that the said legacy or sum of two hundred and fifty pounds shall be paid out of and I do hereby subject and charge my freehold messuage or tenement, lands and hereditaments hereinafter given and devised to my Brother JOHN DADDS with the payment of the same accordingly.

And I give unto the said WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN a complete suit of Mourning, including a new hat and shoes, to be given to him before my funeral,

Also I give and devise all that my freehold messuage or tenement, lands and hereditaments with their rights, members and appurtenances situate lying and being in the parish of Wingham, aforesaid, or elsewhere adjoining, in the said County of Kent and now or late in the term or occupation of [space left blank] Goodband or his assigns and all my estate, right, title and interest in and to the same unto and to the only proper use and behoof of my said Brother JOHN DADDS, his heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless and charged with the payment of the said legacy or sum of two hundred and fifty pounds hereinbefore given and bequeathed to my said reputed son WILLIAM DADDS MORGAN to be paid within three calendar months next after my decease.

Also I give and bequeath to ANN PALMER, MARY LADD and JANE LAWRENCE the legacy or sum of ten Guineas a piece as a mark of my respect to be paid to them, respectively, within one calendar month next after my decease.

And after and subject to the payment of all my just debts and funeral exepnces [sic], the charges of proving and executing of this my Will, and all other incident expences [sic] touching the same and the several legacies by me hereinbefore given and beqeuathed, (except the said legacy of two hundred and fifty pounds hereinbefore directed to be paid out of the messuage or tenement and hereditaments hereinbefore given and devised to my said Brother JOHN DADDS), I give and bequeath all my capital stock in the public funds and all other the rest and residue of my personal estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever not hereinbefore by me disposed of, including any undivided third part or share of such principal sum or sums of Consolidated Long Annuities as shall be standing in the joint names of myself and my said two Brothers at the Bank of England, unto my said Brother THOMAS DADDS, his Executors, Administrators and assigns absolutely and to and for his and their own use and benefit,

And I do hereby nominate, constitute and apoint my said Brothers THOMAS DADDS and JOHN DADDS the joint Executors of this my Will,

And, lastly, I do hereby revoke and make void all former Wills and Testaments whatsoever by me at any time heretofore made and do publish and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament [one to three words interlineated, so faint and poorly written that it is effectually illegible].

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, the said Testator WILLIAM DADDS have to the first sheet of this my last Will and Testament contained in two sheets of paper set my hand and to the second or last sheet thereof my hand and seal the day and year first above written.

"Wm. Dadds (L.S.)"1

Signed, Sealed, Published and declared by the said
Testator, WILLIAM DADDS, as and for his last Will
and Testament in the presence of us who, in his
presence at his request and in the presence of each
other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.
Henry Kingsford
John Goulder
Patty Beal


PROVED at London 22nd February 1815 before the Worshipful Samuel Pearce Parson, doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the oath of THOMAS DADDS and JOHN DADDS the Brothers and Executors to whom administration was granted they having been first sworn duly to administer. Exd. [Examined]2


1  Legal device used to indicate that the Will had been a "legal true copy" of the transcribed version of the original document and that the original document had been signed by the person whose signature appears, in this time period, as in a distinctly different format from the remainder of the writing in the document. The letters L.S. enclosed within a circle is an extension of the "true legal copy" system and denotes that the seal had been affixed to the original document.

2  Examined, indicating examination and comparison of this transcript with the original document and found to be in conformance with that original document.