The Will of
William Comber (1703-1778)
NOTE: I have embolden names. Anything I am unsure of is in [ ] after
the word or phrase. Original spelling has be kept.
I
William Comber of Crowhurst in the County of Surry Yeoman being of
sound disposing Mind Memory and Understanding do make this my last Will and
Testament in manner and form following ffirst I resign my soul to God and my
Body to the Earth to be therein decently buried in Crowhurst Church Yard at the
discretion of my Executors herein after named And I do direct my said Executors
to cause a Grave to be deemed [?] large enough for the Interment of me and my
Wife and a Tombstone to be erected thereon And I give to the Minister who shall
Officiate at my ffuneral the Sum of One Guinea for a Sermon to be preached on
that Occasion And as to all my Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to
blefs me I give and dispose of the same as follows that is to say I give and
devise all those my Mefsuages or Tenements ffarms Lands Hereditaments and
Appartments situate lying and being in the parish of Lingfield aforesaid in the
County of Surry in the several Occupations of Robert Care [or Robert
Cane] Robert Hoad [or Robert Head] and my son John Comber
and elsewhere in the kingdom of Great Britain unto John Comber of
Stoneland in the parish of Westhothly in the County of Sufsex Yeoman and to
John Newnham of Horley in the said County of Surry Yeoman and to their heirs
and afsigns forever to take as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants But
Subject nevertheless to and chargeable with the payment of One Annuity or yearly
Rent Charge of Thirty Pounds of lawful money of Great Britain clear of all
payments and deductions whatever unto my loving wife Ruth during her
naturaal life to be paid to her at the place of her abode for the time being by
equal Quarterly payments that is to say Lady Day Midsummer Day Michaelmas Day
and Christmas Day the first payment thereof to be made on such of the said days
as shall first happen next after my decease with power of Entry and Distrefs for
my said Wife In Case of nonpayment of the said Annuity or any part thereof for
the space of Ten days next after any of the said days on which the same ought to
be paid as aforesaid and with full power to keep and sell the said Distrefs or
Distrefses until and for payment of the said Annuity or any part thereof
together with all charges attending the same and if said Real Estate should be
insufficient to pay the said Annuity of thirty pounds then it is my Will that
deficiency shall be made up from time to time out of my personal Estate by my
Executors hereafter named Also I give and bequeath all my personal Estate of
what nature or kind soever and wheresoever Except as herein after mentioned unto
the said John Comber of Westhothly aforesaid and the said John Newnham
of Horley aforesaid their Executors Administrations and afsigns In Trust
nevertheless to sell and dispose thereof to pay the Legacies and for other
purposes herein after mentioned that is to say I give and bequeath unto my
Brother Stephen if living at the time of my decease the Sum of Ten pounds
of like lawful Money but if he should be dead then I give the said Sum of Ten
pounds to and equally among the Child or Children of my said Brother Stephen
share and share alike Also I give unto my nephews Thomas and William
sons of my Brother John and to my nephews Thomas and John
sons of my Brother Thomas the sum of Ten pounds a piece of like lawful
Money Also I give and bequeath unto my niece Mary daughter of my Sister
Ann and to my niece Mary daughter of my sister Mary the sum
of ffive pounds a piece of like lawful Money Also I give to my nephew James
Smart son of my sister Elizabeth the Sum of fforty pounds of like
lawful Money Also I give and bequeath unto William Dunmore my Servant the
Sum of ffive pounds and ffive Shillings of like lawful Money All which said
Legacies I do direct shall be paid by my Executors herein after named in twelve
months after my decease Also I give and bequeath to the poor people of the
parish of Crowhurst aforesaid the Sum of ffifty Shillings of like lawful Money
to be laid out in Bread and distributed to them by my said Executors in One
Month after my decease And from and after payment of the said Legacies I do
hereby direct that the surplus of the Money arising by sale of my Quick and Dead
Stock and also all Monies or Securities together with the Monies arising by Sale
of the Remainder of the Term of the Lease of my ffarm shall be by the said
John Comber of Westhothly and John Newnham of Horley placed out in
Government or some other good Securites and pay and apply the Interest and
Dividends thereof as follows that is to say I give and bequeath one Annuity of
ffifteen pounds part thereof clear of all Deductions and payable half yearly
unto my Son John during the life of my said Wife Ruth and from and
after her decease my Will is that the said Annuity of ffifteen pounds shall
cease And then I give to my said Son John the clear yearly Annuity of
Thirty pounds payable in like manner during the term of his natural life And in
Case my said Son John Comber should die and leave Ifsue of his Body of
lawfully begotten hiers Then I give and bequeath unto such Child or Children the
Sum of One hundred pounds of like lawfull Money to be paid to him her or them at
his her or their Age or Ages of twenty One years Also I give and bequeath unto
my wife Ruth All my plate with our Bed Bedstead and Hangings all my
Linnen and such other Goods and ffurniture she shall think proper to take during
her life And from and after her decease I give and bequeath the same to my niece
Elizabeth Newnham Also I give to my said Son John my best suit of
Cloaths Also I give to the said William Dunmore my Silver Watch my Silver
Buckles and a pair of Buckskin Gloves to be delievered to them by my Executors
immediately after my decease All the Rest Residue and Remainder of my Estate
whether Real or Personal after payment of my Debts Legacies Annuities ffuneral
Expenses and Probate of this my Will I give devise and bequeath the same unto
the said John Comber of Westhothly and John Newnham of Horley
their heirs Executors Administrators and Afsigns for ever as Tenants in Common
And I do hereby nominate ordain constitute and appoint the said John Comber
of Westhothly and the said John Newnham Joint Executors of this my last
Will and Testament And I do also appoint Mr William Turner and Mr Henry
Austen [or Henry Auston] both of Crowhurst aforesaid Trustees of this
my last Will and Testament to each of whom I give the Sum of Three Guineas And
it is my Will that my Trustees shall be reimbursed by my said Executors all such
Charges that they shall be put unto in the Execution of their Trust and that
they shall not be answerable for any lofs or lofses not occasioned by their
Willful Art or Arts by only for their Separate Arts Deeds and Receipts Lastly I
do hereby revoke all former Wills and declare this to be my last Will and
Testament In Witnefs whereof I the said William Comber have to this my
Will contained in two sheets of paper to each sheet hereof set my hand and seal
this seventeen day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred
and Seventy Eight William Comber
signed sealed published and declared by the said William Comber the
Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his
presence and at this request have subscribed our names as Witnefses hereto
Thomas Bokey George Rose J Wakeham
This Will was proved at London the fourth day of December
in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight before the
Worshipful Thomas Bover Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Worshipful
Peter Calvert also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commifsary of the
Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of John
Comber the Nephew of the deceased and John Newnham the Executors
named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular
the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceased having been first sworn duly
to administor
The above Will was transcribed from the original document - PRO Catalogue
Reference: Prob 11/1048; Image Reference: 55 - by
Steve
Sunderland and Mandy Willard on 20/21 January 2004.
The Testator,
William Comber, was born on 29 January 1702/3 and baptised on 2 February
1702/3 in Ardingly, Sussex. He was the son of
John Comber
(1660-1729) and Judith
White (?-1726). William was the brother of my 6x Great Grandmother
Anne Comber (1697-1753), and the brother of Stephen Comber
(1705-1786) who may have been Steve Sunderland's ancestor.
Many thanks to Chris Austin for passing on the following:
The Henry Austen mentioned above was most probably born in 1730 and died
in 1802. He was a farmer at Crowhurst and married Martha Baker on
25 April 1764 at St. Georges Church in Crowhurst. They had 5 children born
between then and 1776. Martha was born about 1740. Their son
William Austen (1765-1838) like his father farmed at Crowhurst, but his son
James Austen (1799-1876) moved into the retail grocery business - a
business that was to prove lucrative. By the 1890's the family owned 3
grocery shops around Lewisham and Catford. The business continued until
Chris's father, Frederick James Austin (1913-1989), who was a veterinary
surgeon. When Frederick retired he bought a small village store in Devon.
Chris now lives in NSW, Australia.
COMBER
