R6/1/5/1

Copy probate (5 Dec 1685) of will of 21 Dec 1684 of Robert, Earl of Ailesbury:

21 Dec 1684, 5 Dec 1685

From: 1684 To: 1685

- his body to be buried in Maulden church; - rooms in his houses at Ampthill and St.Johns to be hung with black and achievements placed on outside of the houses; - annuity of 5 to Rector of Ampthill to preach a sermon each year on anniversary of death of his wife Diana, Countess of Ailesbury, prayers to be read on Wednesdays and Fridays each week; arising from lands bought from Lee Sadlier in Ampthill - yearly rent charge of 50/- to Rector of Ampthill and similar to Rector of Maulden to be distributed to parish poor, excluding those who sold alcohol; arising from lands bought from Lee Sadlier in Ampthill; - 10 to parson and churchwardens of Clophill to be distributed to poor of Clophill; - 10 to parson and churchwardens of St.James', Clerkenwell [Middlesex] to be distributed to poor of Clerkenwell; - piece of plate of value of 10 to churchwardens of St.Bartholemew the Less, London (where he and his wife were born); - 10 to parson and churchwardens of East Witton and Whorlton [Yorkshire] to be distributed to poor of East Witton and Whorlton; - 10 to parson and churchwardens of parish in which he died, if not mentioned above, to be distributed to poor of that parish; - piece of plate of value of 10 to churchwardens of St.Alphege, London (where he and his wife were married); - desire for family to be kept together for three months after his death; - the Manor of Oveston [Leicestershire] to his second son, Robert Bruce when he came of age [with clauses as to disbursements of rents and profits]; - Manor and lands at Carleton Dothersye Grange and rectory tithes and lands at North Alveston, Prompton, Romanby and Deighton [North Yorkshire] to his third son James Bruce; - 4,000 each to his unmarried daughters Isabella, Anne-Charlotte and Henrietta when they became 21 with an annuity of 160 per annum until then; - provisos for death of children before inheritance at 21; - advowsan of Maulden church to his son Thomas Bruce, remainder to Charles' son Robert; - his wife to be sole executrix and to receive all his personal estate and residue of his real estates in trust for sale; - his lands in Deeping Fen [Lincolnshire] to his wife for her own use not subject to trusts for sale; - 30 annuity to his steward Rowland Carelton and his wife Mary; - 15 annuity to his servant Arthur Witchalsse; - diamond ring given him by his aunt Christian, Countess of Devonshire to his daughter-in-law Elizabeth Bruce; - 10 for mourning to his household chaplain [at that time Mr.Pomfrett]; - 35 to his chief groom Thomas Haw to buy an annuity; - 35 to his gardener John Allen to buy an annuity; - 20 to his chief cook John Chaffin; - 10 to Mrs.Catherine Child to buy mourning; - 10 to his foster sister Mrs.Launder to buy morning; - 40/- annuity to his under keeper Robert Huett; - 15 annuity to John Whatton and Mary, his wife; - 300 to his wife to dispose among domestic servants; - mourning to his domestic servants, his children, their spouses and children

item

Ailesbury, Diana, Countess of,
Sadlier, Lee,
Bruce, Robert,
Bruce, James,
Bruce, Isabella,
Bruce, Anne Charlotte,
Bruce, Henrietta,
Ailesbury, Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of,
Bruce, Charles (Lord),
Carleton, Rowland,
Carleton, Mary,
Witchalsse, Arthur,
Devonshire, Christian, Countess of,
Bruce, Elizabeth,
Pomfrett,
Haw, Thomas,
Allen, John,
Chaffin, John,
Child, Catherine,
Launder,
Huett, Robert,
Whatton, John,
Whatton, Mary

Robert (1st Earl of Ailesbury) will: Bruce, burial, mourning, annuities, Clophill charities, Ampthill charities, Maulden charities, out-county charities, sermons, prayers, church plate, Leicestershire Oveston Manor, Yorkshire Carleton Dothersye Grange Manor, parsonages, servants, steward, JEWELLERY, clergy names index, household personnel, chief groom, gardener, chief cook, fostering, under keeper, MAULDEN, CLOPHILL, Clerkenwell, Middlesex, East Witton, Whorlton, Leicestershire, Carleton [North Yorkshire], Brompton [North Yorkshire], Yorkshire Romanby, Deighton, Deeping Fen