Will of Sir Charles Meredith of Saint AnnSoho, Middlesex 18 Nov 1700
National Archives (UK), Catalogue Reference: PROB 11/458, Image Reference:75
(Transcribed by Keith Winters, 2005)
This is the last Will and
Testament of me Sir Charles Meredith heretofore of the City of Dublin
and now of the parish of St Anns on Sooehoe in the County of Middx
Knight ffirst I give and devise unto my beloved Nephew Charles Earle
of Montrath and his heires for ever my dwelling house situate and
being in Pill Lane Oxmantowne in or near Dublin with the yards gardens
outhouses and appurtenances theirunto belonging and all my Estate
and Interest in the same Item I give untomy said Nephew the Earle
of Montrath All my houses rents and Estate whatsoever situate lyeing
and being between the Kings Inns and the great Shoare of the Marbett[?]
in Oxmantowne aforesaid and the grants and leases of the said premisses[?]
made unto me by the Lord Baron of Santry Item I give and devise
to my Neece Mrs Penelope Leister the summe of one hundred pounds
to be payd her within one year after my death Item I give and devise
to my Sister the Countess of Mountrath two pairs of my best silver
Candlesticks and my largest silver snuff disse[?] and snuffers Item I
give and bequeath to my Sister E[?] Williams my largest silver Tankard Item
I give my cozen Richard Alworth ten pounds to buy him a Ring Item I
give unto my blind cozen Jane Mollenenx one Annuity of six pounds
per Annum for her life Item I give unto my servant William Goreing one
other Annuity of tenn pounds per Annum for his life And I order and
direct both the said Annuities to be payd quarterly And I doe
hereby charge my said Leases Houses rents and state lyeing between
the Kings Inns and the great shoare aforesaid with the payment of the
said Annuities and with distresses[?] respectively for the same And
accordingly doe hereby give them the said Jane Mollenex and Wm Goreing
respectively from time to time power to Distregne[?] for her and his
Arrears of the same Item in case I shall think fitt by any Codicill or
Note at any time hereafter to add or give my said servant tenn pounds
per Annum more for his life then I will the same shall be charged upon
the said Estate and payable at the same time as and with the said Annuity
hereby to him given Item I give to the poor of the parish where I shall dye
tenn pounds All the rest of my personall Estate I hereby give unto my said
Nephew the Earle of Montrath whom I doe make sole Executor of this my
last Will and Testament And I hereby revoke all former Wills Devises and
bequests I desire my Body may be buryed by night privately In Witness
whereof I the said Sir Charles Meredith have hereunto and also for
one other paper of the like date and contents with these presents and
being a duplicate hereof set my hand and seale the ffive and twentieth
day of March Anno dmi[domini] one thousand six hundred ninety ffive And in
the seventh year of the raigne of King William the third [seal and signature here]
Signed sealed and published by the said Sir Charles Meredith to be his
last Will and Testament in the presence of [xxx] and [xxx] in his presences
and at his request did subscribe our Names as Witnesses to the same
after the obliteration in the sixteenth and [xxxx] Lynes [various signatures]
February 26 1696/7 this day I have annexed this
following Codicill to this my last Will and Testament
Forasmuch as in the Body of my Will I have given my
faithfull servant William Goreing an Annuity of ten pounds during
his life and made mention of giving him by a Codicill annex’d thereunto
another Annuity of tenn pounds during his life charg’d and payable as
the first Now I declare that I give the said William Goreing as a
further reward for his diligence and ffidelity another Annuity of tenn
pounds during his life charg’d and payable as the former Also
whereas I have thirteen pounds per Annum payable to me out of his
Maties [Majesties] Exchequer for ffourteen yeares to come according to the Actof
Parliament for the Million Lottery I doe hereby give and bequeath All
my right and title in the said yearly payment of 13l per Annum and all
the Arreares thereof to the said William Goreing for his sole and
proper use Moreover my Will is that what debts shall be oweing by
me at my Death they shall be paid out of such moneys as are or
shall be oweing to me at that time out of his Maties Exchequer
Lastly I doe give to my good ffriend Gilbert Havers as a
token of kindness twenty pounds to be payd out of such money
of mine as remains in the hands of Edward Haistnell[?] Cha Meredith
sign’d seal’d and publish’d as a codicil in the presence of Char Coote
[x] [xx][xxxx]
[Transcriber’s note:
Sir Charles Meredith was a son of Sir Robert Meredith and Anne Ussher, and a grandson of Bishop Richard Meredith and Sarah Batho.
This Will was subsequently contested. See UK National Archives document “Sentence of Charles Meredith of Saint Ann Westminster , Middlesex 19 May 1705 PROB 11-485 Image Ref 459-412”]