John Prise Gwinnett, 1777

I, John Prise Gwinnett, Gent, being of sound and disposing mind and memory do hereby make this my last will and testament.

First and principally, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping for remission of all my sins through the merits of Jesus Christ, my blessed saviour and redeemer, and my body to the earth or sea as it shall please God.

And as for such worldly estate and effects which I shall be possessed of or entitled unto at the time of my decease, I give and bequeath the … as followeth:

That is to say, unto my much esteemed friend William Wollaston of Charing Cross in the parish of St Martins in the Fields within the Liberty of the City of Westminster in the county of Middlesex, surgeon, his heirs and assigns for ever.

And I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint the said William Wollaston, executor of this my last will and testament and I do give and bequeath unto my said executor all the rest and residue of my estate whatsoever both real and personal hereby revoking and making void all other and former wills by me heretofore made and do declare this to be my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this first day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty five and in the fifth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith.

John Prise Gwinnett, (Lt.?)

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said John Prise Gwinnett as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the said testator:  James Cullum, Charles Wigan, Richard Wollaston.

This will was proved at London on the twenty second day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven before the Worshipfull Francis Simpson, Doctor of Laws, Surrogate of the Right Worshipfull Sir George Hay, Knight, Doctor of Laws, Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, lawfully constituted by the oath of William Wollaston, the sole executor named in the said will  to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of the deceased having been first sworn duly to administer.

Additional comment:  On the twentieth day of February one thousand seven hundred and eighty one, administration with the will annexed of the goods, chattels and credits of John Prise Gwinnett, late a lieutenant in Her Majesties Service and a Captain in the service of the Honourable the East India Company at Bengal in the East Indies, Esquire, deceased, left unadministered by William Wollaston, deceased, whilst living, the sole executor and residuary legatee named in the said will, was granted to the Reverend Edward Wollaston, clerk, the administrator of the goods unadministered of the said William Wollaston, he having first sworn duly to administer.