George Gwinnett of Gloucester, 1740

In the name of God, Amen, I George Gwinnett of the City of Gloucester, maltster, being in health of body and of sound mind and memory but considering the uncertainty of life do make this my will.

First I recommend my soul to God that gave, hoping for the forgiveness of all my sins and my body I commit to the earth to be buried in a private but decent manner at the discretion of my Executrices herein after named and as for my worldly estate, I dispose thereof as followeth:

Impris: I give and bequeath to my son William Gwinnett and his heirs and assigns forever all that the front or forepart of my great messuage or Inn called the Bolt Inn lying in the Eastgate Street in the said city of Gloucester containing two rooms on each floor from the bottom to the topp with the appurtenances and also power or livery for him my said son William and his heirs to sink, digg, and make use and enjoy an arch cellar under the brewhouse  adjoining and to have the joint use and benefit of the same brewhouse and the brewing vessels there with free liberty of ingress, egress and regress to and for my said son and heirs to draw, have and take water out of and from the pump belonging to the said Inn saveing and reserving out of this devise such and the like gateway and passage to and from the said Inn forestreet as now is and saveing a liberty to fix and sett up a sign for the same Inn in like manner as the same now is fixt and sett up.

Item: I give and devise unto my said son William and his heirs the joint use and benefit of the upper garden and the necessary house or house of ease therein together with a freeway and passage into and from the same.

Item: I give unto my said son William one hundred pounds and also thirty pounds more to bind him an apprentice if I die before he is bound an apprentice.

Item: I give to my two daughters Mary and Elizabeth two hundred pounds apiece and their mother’s cloths that shall remain at my death.

Item: All other lands, tenements and heraditaments in the City of Gloucester and in the County of Gloucester and all my goods and chattels whatsoever not herein before disposed of, I give, devise and bequeath unto my son George Gwinnett, his heirs and assigns for ever charge with and lyable to all my debts, legacies and funeral expenses and I make and constitute my friend William Still in trust for my said son George Gwinnett until he comes to the age of one and twenty years and then I constitute and appoint my said son George Gwinnett sole executor of this my will hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal the one and twentieth day of May anno domini 1734.

George Gwinnett

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the testator for his last will and testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses hereto in his presence: Edward James, Edmund Phillips, Nathaniel Pyrke.

I, the within named George Gwinnett, do nominate and appoint my brother in law William Gibbs of Cheltenham, joyner, to be joint executor of this my will with the within named William Still, in trust for my said son George Gwinnett whom my will is shall not be of age nor my said executors shall not deliver up their executorship until my said son shall attain the age of three and twenty years.  And I do hereby desire that this may be deemed and taken to be a codicil and a part of my will and witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this one and twentieth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty four.

George Gwinnett

Sealed and delivered in the presence of us and declared by him to be part of his will. Edward James, Edmund Phillips, Nathaniel Pyrke.

This will was proved at London with a codicil annexed before the right Worshipfull John Bettesworth, Doctor of Laws, Master keeper of Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted on the twenty seventh day of November in the year of our Lord on the thousand seven hundred and forty by the oath of George Gwinnett the son of the deceased and sole executor named in the said will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the gods, chattels and credits of the said deceased he being first sworn by Commission well and duly to administer the same.