John Bygrave Esq 1756 - 1843

John Bygrave Esq (1756 - 1843)

John Bygrave was born in Hertfordshire in 1756. He was christened on 16 January 1757. He is believed to be the second son and one of six children of Robert Bygrave and Esther Tomlinson. 

Most of the information we have on John has been gathered through his will. 

In 1825 John inherited the remnants of his brother Robert's estate after the death of his sister-in-law Margaret Trumper - Margaret had left £80 and her "furniture, plate, books and china" to her brothers and sisters

Will of John Bygrave of Elstree

I John Bygrave of Elstree in the county of Hertsford do hereby revoke all wills Codicils and other testamentary position made by me at anytime heretofore and do declare this to to be my last will and testament. I give and devise unto my sister Ann Bygrave my house and premises at Elstree in which I reside to hold the same for and during the term of her natural life. I give and bequeath to my said sister Ann Bygrave the possession and use during her life of all my household furniture, books, plate, linen and wine. I also give a ?? annuity of three hundred pounds to my said sister Ann Bygrave during her life. I also give an annuity of twenty pounds to Ann Addy and an annuity of twenty pounds to Mary Tomlinson the daughters of my late uncle Robert Tomlinson during their lives. I will that the annuities aforesaid be paid in a equal half yearly payments without any deductions whatever and the first half yearly payment there of respectively to be made upon the expiration of six calendar months after my decease. I also give unto Elizabeth Sill and Mary Sill the illegitimate daughters of Jane Sill the sum of seven hundred and fifty pounds each being the amount of monies I have received as a Legatee under the will of Charles Tomlinson ^dec'd the same to be paid to each of them respectively on her attaining the age of twenty one years or on the day of her marriage which shall first happen. I will that my houses and land property at Elstree (save the house and premises devised to my sister) may be sold as soon after my decease as ???, and also those with the furniture and linen books ? as soon after her decease as ?. I give and bequeath the same unto and to the use of my nephews Joseph Bygrave, Robert Bygrave, John Bygrave and their heirs executors administrators and assessors upon trust that they the said trustees and the survivors and survivors of them and also the whole of my Personal property in the funds or elsewhere upon the trust that they my trustees do and shall with and ? of that said monies pay and discharge all my just debts and funeral expenses and all the legacies herein mentioned and bequeathed and also to make sufficient investments in the public stocks or funds to answer and satisfy the said several annuities herein bequeathed and subject and without prejudice to that trusts and purposes aforesaid the same trust monies in stocks and funds and that annual product thereof shall remain and be in trust for that said Joseph Bygrave, Robert Bygrave, John A Bygrave and also Thomas Bygrave son of my brother Joseph Bygrave ^dec’d, Richard Bygrave, Ann Bygrave, Mary Williams, Jane Page, Thomas Bygrave (son of my brother Thomas Bygrave ^dec’d) and Ann Trew in equal shares and proportion and their respective executors administrators and assignees and to be paid transferred and assigned to them respectively accordingly I give and bequeath to Elizabeth Fiminore a ? annuity of fifty pounds and also the sum of two hundred pounds I give and bequeath to Jane Burton the sum of two hundred pounds. I give to my old servant Sarah ? the annuity of 10 pounds in the hope of preventing any misapprehension or ??? in the execution of this my will. I will that the payment of my residuary legatees be made in the following manner. It is probably on the re?ation of the annuities my whole property may give to each legatee the sum of two thousand five hundred pounds each to be paid as follows:

The full amount of their legacies to be received by Joseph Bygrave, Thomas Bygrave, Richard Bygrave, Ann Bygrave and Mary Williams. I hereby appoint my nephews Joseph Bygrave, Robert Bygrave and John A Bygrave to be the executor of this my last will

In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal in this eighteenth day of February in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty one

John Bygrave

Signed seal’d publish’d and deliver’d by the said John Bygrave the testator and and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the prescens of each other have ?? subscriber our names as witnesses

Thomas England of Surrey Square – Merchant

Jose Spencer Lloyds Coffee House

Henry Mackenzie Claremont Row Islington Gentm

CODICIL

This 30 March 1831 I hereby give and bequeath to my nephew Thomas Bygrave the son of my late brother Joseph Bygrave my gold watch and also my Encyclopedia forty volumes

CODICIL

This 5 February 1834 my executor Robert Bygrave being decease I hereby appoint his brother Thomas Bygrave Executor and Trustee in his ? I also will that the annuity given in this will to the daughters of Robert Coulinson of twenty pounts per annum each be increased to thirty pounds per annum each

CODICIL

This 20^th day of march 1834 my nephew as in Robert Bygrave being deceased I hereby cancel and annul the legacy stated in this will to him and his brother John and in lieu thereof I hereby give and bequeath to my aforesaid nephew John one thousand five hundred pounds the sum by him to me and also one thousand pounds part of the sum of £2300 due to me from the estate of his father ^dec’d and the remaining of £1300 I give and bequeath for the benefit of the estate of the my deceased brother Joseph Bygrave I give and bequeath to my relation Robert Bygrave of Watford on one hundred pounds

CODICIL

This 31^st May 1834 I hereby give and bequeath to my housekeeper Ann Bromley the sum of two hundred pounds to be paid to her within two month after my decease provided she continues in my service until my death

CODICIL

This 19^th October 1836 I here by give and bequeath my housekeeper Ann Bromley a further sum of three hundred pounds in addition to the above to be paid to her within two months of my decease provided she continues in my service until my death

CODICIL

This 28ths August 1837 My wil is that the duty on the above legacies to Ann Bromley of £500 be paid from my estate. I give to the witnesses of this my will twenty pounds each

CODICIL

This 6 October 1837 I hereby cancel of that part of a codicil in this will that appoints my nephew Thomas Bygrave an Ecxecutor and Trustee to this my will

CODICIL

This 10^th day of August 1838 I give and bequeath to my nephew and executor John A Bygrave the sum of one thousand pounds in addition to the legacy is entitled to in this my will I will that the annuity bequeathed to Ann Abby be increased from thirty pounds to sixty pounds during her life

CODICIL

This 23 day of February 1839 I give and bequeath to my housekeeper Ann Bromley a further sum of three hundred pounds subject to the same terms and conditions of the ? a former legacies given by this my will

CODICIL

This 7 day of September 1839 I give and bequeath to my housekeeper Ann Bromley the whole of my plate linen and china and also one my beds and furniture to be at her house. I give and bequest to my niece Ann Bygrave the whole of my books and also the ?

CODICIL

This 30^th day of November 1839 I hereby appoint my nephew Richard Bygrave an executor and trustee of this my will and I also cancel and annul the appointment of my nephew Joseph Bygrave as Executor and Trustee my will is four thousand pounds of my ? ? annuities be reserved for the payment of the dividends of the annuities bequeathed in this my will I give to my Gardiner  ? Dawes twenty pounds and to my Servant in Sarah Cartwright twenty pounds

CODICIL

This 28 January 1840 I revoke so much my aforesaid will ? in the hope of preventing any misapprehension and ? Mary Williams immediately ? the appointment of my executors and in lieu I desire that one thousand pounds due to me from Ann Payes late husband be deducted from Ann Payes share under my said will of ? hundred pounds ? to ? from Ann Trew’s husband be deducted from Ann Tres share and whatever sum may be due to me from Thomas Bygrave of Jamaica at my decease may be ? from his share that is to that each of them the said Ann Paye Ann Trew and Thomas Bygrave so that their shares less the ? several ? and debt respectively and I confirm in all other respects my said will and the several codicils herin before written on this sheet of paper and ? the same to be ? ? my last will and testament ? whereof I hereto sign my name the day and year above ?

Signed by the testator in the prescence of us > > the same time in his presences and in the prescense of each other subscribe our names as witnesses

APPEARED PERSONNALLY

Horatio Nelson ? of ? ? in the city of London Solicitor and ? oath that ? and wrote the twelth codicil as his last will and testament of John Bygrave late of Elstree in the county of Hertford deceased the said codicil being ?? here unto annexed as a ? on the same sheet of paper as the said will and ? ? codicils thereto and the said twelfth codicil bearing date the 28^th January 1840 and the ? having now carefull ??? twelth and last codicil ??? the following clause therein viz and ? in all of the ??? my said will and the several codicil herein before written on this sheet of paper and same to be and ? my last will and testament and having also with ? in ? of the aforesaid ?? codicils the first codicil bearing the date the “30 March 1831” the second Codicil the 5^th February 1834” the third Codicil the “20^th day of March 1834” the fourth codicil the “31^st May 1831” the fifth codicil “12^th October 1836” the sixth  codicil the “28^th August 1837” the seventh codicil the “6^th October 1837” the eight codicil the ”10^th day of August 1838” the ninth codicil the “23td day of February 1839” the tenth codicil the “7^th day of September 1839” and the eleventh codicil the “30^th day of November 1839” the ? ? ? ? that he is ? ? ? from ? ? by him in his day books ? about the time he prepared the said twelth codicil as aforesaid and ? ? that the said ? preceding codicils were respectively therein before written upon the same sheet of paper and executed by the said deceased and they were severally intended to be referred to and ? ? by the said deceased …. In and by the said twelfth codicil

On the 22^nd day of September 1843 the said Horatio Nelson Fisher was ? sworn to the the ? of this affidavit before me

PROVED

At London with twelve Codicils 25^th September 1843 before the worshipful John ? ? of Lawsons Surreygate by ? of John Augustin Bygrave the nephew the executor names n the will and Richard Bygrave the nephew also the executor named in the eleventh codicil to whom ? was ? ? having been first ? only to administer