John Nicoll, Esquire, JP, son of Paul Nicoll, JP, and Anne Kendrick, was born at Hendon Place, Middlesex in c. 1647. He was educated at Trinity College Cambridge and by 1674 was a Barrister at Law at Gray's Inn, London. He married Sarah Baker on 17 March 1665 at St Andrew, Holborn, and they had a family of four sons and three daughters. By 1700 he was owner of the family home at Hendon Place, where he wrote his will on 21 August 1711. He was buried at St Mary, Hendon on 20 October 1711.
The probate details were written in Latin in the original and any mis-spellings are my own.
As with the other wills on this site, I have broken it into paragraphs for ease of reading.
In the Name of God Amen
I John Nicoll the Elder of Hendon place in the County of Middlesex Esqr being (God be praised) in present health both of Body and Mind but considering the frailty and uncertainty of human Life doe make my last Will and Testament as followeth (vizt:)
Imprimus I bequeath my Soul to Almighty God its Creator whom I most earnestly beseech to pardon all my Sins and accept thereof for the Sake of Jesus Christ my blessed Saviour and Redeemer
my Body I desire may be decently (but privately and without that vain pomp now too much used) buried either in Hendon Church amongst my near Relations who lye there buried or else at Montfield in Sussex at the discretion of my dear and loving Wife and of my Executors herein after named
Item as to such worldly Estate as God hath blessed me with and which is in my power to dispose of I give devise and bequeath the same as followeth (vizt:)
I will that my said Wife shall quietly freely and fully enjoy during her life her jointure as setled on the Marriage of our eldest Son (vizt:)
All that my Capitall Messuage or Mansion House called Hendon place with all its appurtenances and all the Lands and Tenements thereunto belonging now in my own possession and occupation and in the severall tenures and Occupations of William Ingram Junior and Ann Capor Widow with the Copyhold field or Close called Corbetts my three Houses or Tenements and Barn in Parson street in Hendon with their appurtenances my Ground Rent and Houses or Tenements with their appurtenances in or near Nicoll street and Cock lane within the parish of Stepney and my House in Newgate street in London in the tenure of Thomas ffulke Druggist with its appurtenances and also all that Brick house or Tenement with its appurtenances situate in Kings street in the parish of St James Westminster in the tenure of Margaret London Spinster or her Assigns also I give and bequeath unto my said Wife one hundred pounds Sterling and all her Jewells and personall Ornaments and all my Stock in the Bank of England my Coach and Chariot with the Harness belonging to them and my 2 Coach Mares or Horses and all my Plate ffurniture and Houshold Goods of in and belonging to my dwelling House called Hendon place and also the Chest and little Dutch Iron Caskett in the Vault under my Inner Study or Closett in the Inner Temple with all that is or shall be in them at my Death
Item whereas I have married my two eldest Daughters and given them Portions of Three thousand pounds each but not having money to give my youngest Daughter Sarah for her portion who is now arrived to the Age of four and twenty years although I designed her a portion equall to her Sisters I hereby give and bequeath unto her my said Daughter Sarah her Heirs Executors and Administrators for her Portion all my Ground Rents and Houses or Tenements with their appurtenances in King street Silver street and Carnaby street near Golden square in the parish of St. James Westminster which I value at eleven hundred pounds Sterling
And also all my Houses and Tenements with their appurtenances situate and being within the parish of St. Clement Danes in the County of Middlesex which I value at four and Twenty hundred pounds Sterling To have hold and enjoy all and every the said Ground Rents Houses and Tenements with their appurtenances (Except the Brick house or Tenement in Kingstreet in the Tenure of Margaret London or her Assigns) from and immediately after my Death and the same Brick house or Tenement with its appurtenances immediately from and after the decease of her Mother my said Wife unto her my said Daughter Sarah her Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for and during all such Estates Terms and Interest as I have or shall have in the said Ground Rents Houses and Tenements respectively at the time of my Decease she my said Daughter Sarah paying unto my Executors the Sum of five hundred pounds Sterling towards payment of my Debts.
Item I give and bequeath unto my youngest Son William for his Portion the Sum of Two thousand pounds Sterling
And I hereby forgive and remit unto him his Sum of One hundred pounds by him owing to me upon Account Item I give and bequeath unto my Grandson and Godson James Herriott a five pounds piece of Gold,
And to my other three Grandchildren John Mary and Elizabeth every of them one Twenty Shilling piece of bread Gold
unto the poor of the parish of Hendon the Sum of five pounds to be distributed at the discretion of my Wife and eldest Son requesting their particular regard unto my Alms folkes and Charity Schools there lately erected and set up and unto the poor of the parish of Montfeild the like Sum of five pounds to be distributed by and at the discretion of my second son James
Item whereas I have formerly (by Suites in Chancery for the Defence of the Title to some part and for the recovery of other part of my Estates in Sussex and within the parishes of St. James Westminster and St. Clement Danes and also for and in providing Portions for my two married Daughters and likewise in the building of my Iron works and providing Stocks for the carrying on and managery thereof and for other improvements of my Estate) contracted sundry Debts to the value of five thousand and two hundred pounds and upwards I according to my promise to those friends who furnished me with money for my Occasions Doe hereby will and appoint that all my just Debts shall (with what convenient speed maybe) be fully paid and satisfied and to that End and purpose I doe make and constitute my two elder Sons John Nicoll and James Nicoll Joint Executors of this my Will hereby strictly charging and requiring them to make full and just payment of all such Debts as I shall owe to any person or persons whatsoever and also of the severall Legacies and bequests by me given and made in and by this my Will and for the better enabling of my said Executors to perform the same by making such payment as aforesaid I give and bequeath unto my eldest Son the said John Nicoll my Chambers in the Inner Temple and all my Estate and Interest therein being for the life of his Brother James Nicoll and an Assignment of another Life after his Death and all my Books and ffurniture there
And whereas upon the Marriage of my said Son John I have given to and settled upon him and his Wife and the Children of that Marriage with remainder to the Heirs male of his Body Remainder to his right Heirs divers ffarms Lands Tenements and Hereditaments within the severall parishes of Southmins Totteridge and Hendon of the yearly value of two hundred and fifty pounds and upwards besides two hundred pounds of his Wifes portion (the remaining Eighteen hundred pounds of what paid down in hand being paid to my son in Law Doctor Charles Herriott in satisfaction and discharge of so much remaining due to him of my Daughter Mary his Wifes portion of three thousand Pounds)
I further give and Devise unto my said Son John from and after the Decease of my said Wife his Mother All that my said capitall Messuage or Mansion House called Hendon place with the ffarms Lands and Tenements thereunto belonging now in my own possession and occupation and in the tenure and occupation of the said William Ingram and Ann Caper and the Copyhold field or Close called Corbetts the three Houses and Barn in Parson street The ground Rent and Houses or Tenements in or near Nicoll street and Cocklane and the House in Newgate street with their and every of their appurtenances To have and to hold the said Capitall Messuage ffarms Lands Ground Rent Houses Barns Tenements and other Hereditaments (thereby Demised unto him) with their appurtenances from and after the Decease of my said Wife unto the said John Nicoll my eldest Son and the Heirs male of his Body
And in Default of such Issue I give and devise the same unto my second Son James Nicoll and the Heirs Males of his Body
And in Default of such Issue unto my youngest Son William Nicoll and the Heirs males of his Body
and in Default of such Issue unto my own right Heirs for ever
Item I give and devise unto my second Son James Nicoll and his Heirs for ever All that my Mannor or Lordship of Montfield with its Rights Members and appurtenances and my Iron ffurnace and fforge fframes[?] Lands Tenements and Hereditaments within the severall parishes of Montfield Battell and Brightling in the said County of Sussex And also all the Stock of Mines Coales and Mensills which at the time of my Decease shall be at or belonging to the said ffurnace and fforge or either of them And all the Timber and Wood which shall be then standing and growing in or upon the said Mannor or Lordship or any of the Lands thereunto belonging charged nevertheless with the payment of the said Sum or portion of Two thousand pounds Sterling unto his Brother William Nicoll at and from his Age of four and twenty years
And if it shall happen that the personall Estate whereof I shall dye possest or into [inkblot] …me in Sussex London and Middlesex of elsewhere shall fall short and not be sufficient to pay and discharge all such Debts as I shall owe at the time of my Decease over and above the severall Legacies and Bequests by me herein before given and made and the charge of my ffunerall then and in such case I doe hereby charge the severall Estates by me hereby given and Devised unto my two elder Sons John and James with the payment of such and so much of my Debts as my personall Estate not hereby otherwise bequeathed or disposed of shall fall short and not be sufficient to satisfye and discharge the same charge to be born and discharged by my said two elder Sons and Executors in equall Moieties and proportions and I pray God bless and assist them therein
And I hereby strictly charge and injoin all my Children as they tender the Blessing of a loving ffather and hope to prosper in this World and be happy in the next that they continue dutifull and obedient to their Mother and live in mutuall Love and concord with one another
And lastly I hereby revoke and annull all former Wills by me made and declare this only to be my last Will and Testament being all written with mine own hand in four Sheets or Leaves of Paper In Witness whereof I have to this last Sheet or Leafe thereof subscribed my Name and Set my Seal this one and twentieth day of August Anno Domini 1711 ./. Jo: Nicoll ./.
Signed Sealed and published by the Testator in the presence of us who at the same time as Witnesses thereof subscribed our Names in his presence Mary Andrews Anne Shorthose Robert Caper./.
Probatum fuit hujus modi Testamentum apud London coram venerabili viro Roberto Wood Legum Doctore Surro: Præbonorandi viri Domini Caroli Hodges Militis Legum etiam Doctoris Curiæ Prærogative Cantuar Magistri Custodis sive Commissarij legitime constituti Trivesimo primo die Mensis Octobris Anno Domini Millesimo Septiagentestimo Undesimo Juramentis Johannis Nicoll Armigeri et Jacobi Nicoll Executorum in dicto Testamento nominat Quibus commissa fuit Administratio omnium et singulorum bonorum jurium et creditorum dicti Defuncti de bene et fedeliter Administrando eadem ad Santo Dei Evangelia Jurat. Exd.
This page last updated 22/04/2007 12:58:31