Ancestors of Mandy Willard

The Will of

Charles DOWLEN (1754-1822)

This is the last Will and Testament of me Charles Dowlen of Cowfold in the County of Sussex Yeoman touching the disposition of the Temporal Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me First I will order and direct that all my just Debts Funeral Expences and the Expences of proving this my Will be fully paid and satisfied by my Executors in Trust and Trustees hereafter named Next I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Ann such parts and so much of my Household Goods Plate Linen and China as she shall make choise of not exceeding Forty pounds in Value All the rest residue and remainder of my Estate and Effects in whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind soever both real and personal which I may be possessed of interested in or intilled unto I give devise and bequeath the same and every part and parcel thereof unto my Sons Charles Dowlen and Edward Dowlen and to my good Friend William Renvill of Bolney in the said County Farmer their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for ever Upon this special Trust and Confidence nevertheless for them my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Heirs Executors or Adminstrators of such or survivor to manage and carry on the Business I now do and to collect in and receive all such Sum and Sums of Money as shall be due and owing to me at the time of my death and from and out of the profits Interest Dividends and proceeds thereof and the rents Issues and profits of my real Estate In Trust in the first place to pay unto my said wife One Annuity or yearly Sum of Fifty pounds clear of all Deductions whatsoever by equal half yearly payments for and during the Term of her natural Life if she remains my widow but not otherwise and to pay and apply the remainder of the Rents Issues Profits Dividends and proceeds of my said Estate and Effects or such part or parts as shall be necessary for and towards the support maintenance education and bringing up such of my Children as shall want Assistance until the (Charles Dowlen) youngest of them shall attain his or her age of twenty one years and the surplus monies if any to pay and Divide amongst my Children as hereinafter mentioned And from and Immediately after my said Wife’s death or second marriage which shall first happen or any time before if my said Trustees shall think it more advantageous to my Family Then in Trust for my said Trustees or the Survivor of their or the Heirs Executors or Administrators of such Survivior to sell and dispose of all and singular the then saleable part of my said real and personal Estate and Effects either by public Auction or private Contract for the best price or prices which can or may be had or gotten for the same and the Monies thereby arising together with all other my said personal Estate and Effects subject to my said Wife’s Annuity if living and unmarried to pay to and equally divide between and amongst all and every my Children share and share alike except to my Daughter Ann Heasman whose Share shall be One hundred pounds less than the rest which Sum I give to her three Children by her former Husband in the following proportions namely To John Hues Forty pounds and to Sarah Hues and Mary Hues Thirty pounds each And I do hereby declare that the monies I have already advanced to my Daughters Ann Heasman and Sarah Peacock and to my son Charles Dowlen shall be outset in their Shares of my property and if any or either of my said Children shall happen to die before his her or their part or share shall become due and payable leaving Issue of his her or their Body or Bodies lawfully begotten Then and in that Case I do hereby give and bequeath the part or share of him her or them so dying unto and amongst his her or their Issue share and share alike if more than one and if but one then to such only Child And I do hereby declare that the receipt or receipts of my said Trustees or the Survivor of them or the Heirs Executors and Administrators of such Survivor shall be a good and sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers of all or any part of my said real Estate or Estates for the Consideration or purchase Money expressed to be given (Charles Dowlen) for the same and that such purchaser or purchasers shall not be afterwards answerable or accountable for the misapplicaton or nonapplication of such purchase money or any part thereof Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said Sons Charles Dowlen and Edward Dowlen and the said William Renvill joint Executors in Trust and Trustees of this my Will and direct that they shall be paid their reasonable Expences and for their time and trouble in executing the same hereby revoking and making void all former and other Will and Wills by me at any time heretofore made and declare this only to be an contain my last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have to this Will written and contained in three sheets of paper set my hand and seal at this top of the first sheet where the same is affixed together my hand at the bottom thereof my hand at the bottom of the second sheet and my hand and seal to this third sheet the [blank] day of January One thousand and eight hundred and twenty one Charles Dowlen Signed sealed published and declared by the said Charles Dowlen the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at this request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses  Joseph Terrell   John Greenfield   Thomas Terrell The above mentioned Sum of One hundred pounds that I gave ? Will to my Grand Children namely John Hues   Sarah Hues and Mary Hues I now give to their Mother Ann the wife of Joseph Heasman during the term of her natural Life and after her decease for her Children that is to say John Hues   Sarah Hues and Mary Hues to have the above hundred pounds to be equally shared between them three Dated this 19 day of December 1821 Chas Dowlen In the presence of us Witness Charles Dowlen Junior Edwd Dowlen and Thomas Terrell 

The Will and Codicil of Charles Dowlen late of Cowfold within the Archdeaconry of Lewes Yeoman deceased was proved the eighteenth day of September in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty two Before The Reverend Richard Constable Clerk Surrogate and so forth Upon the Oaths of Charles Dowlen   Edward Dowlen and William Renvill the joint Executors in the said Will named To whom was committed the Aministration of the Goods They being first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same and so forth Sworn also that the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said deceaseddo not amount in Value unto Two thousand pounds 

Reference:  East Sussex Record Office A74 pages 523-527 

Notes

The witnesses to the Will:

Joseph Terrell - might he have married Jane Caffyn by Licence on 28 May 1799 in West Grinstead?  Their marriage licence stated that he was a 24 year old Miller of Cowfold and she a 21 year old Spinster of West Grinstead.

John Greenfield - might he have married Elizabeth Roberts by Banns on 29 July 1781 in Cowfold?  They were both then of Cowfold and the witnesses were Walter Hills and Henry Stoner.  Or did he marry Elizabeth Wickerson by Banns on 10 April 1806 in Cowfold?  The witnesses being Ann Brown and John Brown, and thye may have married by Banns on 28 February 1804 in West Grinstead, as John Browne and Ann Penfold.

Thomas Terrell - did he marry Katherine Goble by Banns on 2 August 1811 in Cowfold?  At the time they were both of Cowfold.  The witnesses to their marriage were John Stone and Sarah Marchant.  And then did John Stone marry Sarah Marchant on 26 August 1811 in Brighton?

DOWLEN