| Description | Copy of a Will of this date; date of copy unknown
Last Will & Testament of the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater, containing detailed directions for erection of a Trust to manage the Bridgewater Canal. He provides for the disposition of the following property.
Tow sixth parts in manors messuages etc., in Chertsey, county of Surrey to the Rt. Hon.George Granville Eveson Gower Sutherland commonly called Earl Gower or Earl Gower Sutherland; the lordship of Ellesmere, county of Salop, and other manors in that county, a messuage occupied by John Nevitt, another by Joseph Money, a mill and the mill pool thereof by Richard Bale, in Marbury cum Quoisley, hundred of Nantwich, county of Chester, a park called Ashridge Park and manors etc., in the counties of Hertford & Buckingham, manors etc., in the counties of York & Durham, to Lt. General John William Egerton; manors collieries, messuages, etc., at or in Workesley otherwise Worsley, Hulton, Stainstreet, Bedford, Salford, Hersley, Farnworth, Eccles, and Dean, county of Lancaster (comprised in Indentures of Lease and Release 23 & 24 June 1738 between 1. The Most Noble Scroop Duke of Bridgewater (testator's father), 2. Charles Gibson Gent., 3. Sir Paul Methuen, K. B., & William Lee, LL. D.), a canal in the counties of Lancaster and Chester with all its appurtenances and stock in trade (put into a Trust for which he gives full directions, appointing the superintendant, Robert Haldane Bradshaw, who is to have a House and Offices at Worsley Lancs., and at Runcorn Ches.), a farm called Worsley Hall Farm and a mill at Worsley Mills, county of Lancaster, leased to John Gibbert Esq., a capital mansion house at or in Cleveland Court, parish of Saint James, West-minster, county of Middlesex, called sometimes Cleveland, sometimes Bridgewater, House, with all its contents, furniture, plate, & library of books & MSS, manors, messuages etc., in or near the Borough of Brackly, county of Northampton*, all to use of Rt. Hon. Sir Archibald Macdonald Kt., Chief Baron of the Exchequer, the Rt. Rev. & Hon. Edward Venables Vernon, lord bishop of Carlisle, Robert Haldane Bradshaw of Berners St., county of Middlesex Esq., & thier heirs.
Signed and sealed (transcript): Bridgewater.
Witnesses: Robt. Parnther Junior, Inner Temple, Richard Preston, Inner Temple, Ja. Hall, Poultry.
English
Mark: None, but v. notes infra.
* Addenda;- inset in previous page after "Brackly, county of Northampton", the words "messuages, lands, etc., in Woolmers, county of Hertford". |
| Physical Description | Paper: In a roll of brown paper inscribed "Duke of Bridgewaters Will/Rev.F.D.Panter---Rushford Lodge". Tied up with brown string. 24 sheets folded, 96 pp 9" wide by 14", written one side only, numbered 1-44, 49-52, and 4 sheets 9" wide by 14" written one side only, numbered 45-48; watermark; in four gatherings, 1. pp. 1-16, stapled with a pin, front leaf of a brown paper binding marked "No. 1/Duke of Bridgewaters Will/Drawn by Mr Preston", rubber-stamped "Rev. F. D.Panter" twice; 2. pp. 17-30, bound with green tape, no binding cover; 3. pp. 31-44, stapled with a pin; 4. pp. 45-52 (text incomplete on p. 52), stapled with a pin, bound in brown paper, marked "Part 4" on the front, "Votes and Appendix 1820 imperfect" on the fold, rubber-stamped "Rev. F. D. Panter" once, on back. |