Description

1. Will dated 13 July 1744 .
[This is a very complex will it seems to be a trust set up within a trust. So far as can be ascertained it seems that the principle Trustees hold the estate in trust whilst the secondary trustees operate it for a period of 500 years]
Thus
Beneficiaries
All his freehold estate together with copyhold and leasehold lands are to be held by Thomas Penoyre of The Moor, Clifford, Esq. and Richard Smith of St Martin parish in the city of Hereford, gentleman, in trust to the use and behoof of:

Arnold Russell of 'St Martin in the suburbs of the city of Hereford', gent and William Prosser of St Margarets, tanner who are to administer the estate in favour of the wife [unnamed in the will but from the probate named as Elizabeth] and eldest nephew Edmund Lewis and his male heirs.
There is to be a £10 annuity to sister, Anne Lewis, payable on 25 December and 24 june each year.
Edmund is to be provided with and as much as is necessary for him to become either a clerk to an attorney or to attend university as Russell and Prosser decide. He is to have
£ 20 a year for his education until he is 18 or starts as a clerk to an attorney. If he becomes a clerk he is to get £10 per year or if he attends university he is to have £30 a year until he gets his bachelor degree.
Wife, Elizabeth, to have the use of all plate, furniture and household goods in the dwelling house for her lifetime and the right to dispose of half the furniture and household goods to whom she please, but the plate and the other half of the furniture and goods are to remain with the house.
The residue of his personal estate to be disposed of and used for clearance of debts, funeral expenses and the costs of proving the will. The remainder to be put toward the 'better education of my 3 nephews' [i.e. Edmund, John and Herbert]


Executrix: wife, Elizabeth

Signed by testator.
.
Witnesses: Arnd:[ Arnold ] Jennings , Benj: [Benjamin] Bird and John Taylor

Date of Probate: 17 October 1758 .

Observations

As this is taken from a copy of the will deposited at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury there are no supporting documents.
This will is very long, 5 pages, most of which is convoluted legal attempts to control his estate from the grave. There is a long marginal note on page 5 dated 5 May 1825 concerning later disposal of the state and problems over the will of Elizabeth as both executors seem to have died before proving it. .