Dunford

Dunford

Dated 29th July 1873

Copy

Probate of the will of John

Dunford deceased

�Testator died 23rd September 1873�

�Will proved 7th November 1873�

�By James Pike and Charles Pike

Moore two of the executors�

�Power reserved of making the like

Grant to John Thomas Dunford

the Grandson of the said deceased

the other executor named in the

said Will� in the District Registry

at Wells

Geo B Rodway

Solr

Trowbridge

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Dunford of Road in the county of Somerset Brick and Tile manufacturer I direct all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses to be paid as soon as conveniently can be after my decease and subject thereto I Give to my daughter Mercy Hawkins Five hundred pounds Two hundred and fifty pounds being money lent by me to her and her husband and Two hundred and fifty pounds to be paid to her six months after my decease for her own absolute use I Give to the children of my said daughter Mercy Hawkins Five hundred pounds to be paid to them on their respectively attaining the age twenty one years in equal shares including as well those living at my death as any that may be born after my death And I hereby direct my trustees hereinafter named to pay the respective shares or legacies given by me to the children of my said daughter Mercy Hawkins without interest as and when the same shall become payable I direct my Trustees to pay to my daughter in Law Susan Dunford the sum of five shillings a week to commence from the day of my death and to be continued until her youngest child not living shall attain the age of twenty one years I Give to my housekeeper Mary Jane Doel fifty pounds and it is my wish that she shall remain with my Grandson John Thomas Dunford until he attains the age of twenty one; All the rest residue and remainder of my Estate real and personal of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situate I Give devise and bequeath to my Grandson the said John Thomas Dunford To hold the same to the said John Thomas Dunford his heirs executors administrators and assigns according to the respective natures and qualities thereof Subject nevertheless to the payment of Five hundred pounds �viz� Two hundred and fifty pounds to each of my Grandchildren the brother and sister of the said grandson John Thomas Dunford to be paid to them on their respectively attaining the age� of twenty one years and the aforesaid legacies to my said grandchildren to be paid without interest when the same shall by this my will become payable and I hereby direct my friend James Pike of Beckington in the said county of Somerset gentleman and Charles Pike Moore of North Bradley in the county of Wilts Malster to see that the trusts of this my will are carried out in accordance with my wishes and for this purpose I hereby direct them to act in relation thereto jointly with my said Grandson for the parties interested under this my Will as they in their discretion shall think best And I also direct them to assist my said Grandson in carrying on my business until he shall attain the age of twenty one years And I hereby direct them if they shall think it desirable so to do to advance any part of the share of any or either of my Grandchildren not exceeding one half thereof towards their his or her advancement in life And I hereby declare that all receipts given by my said Trustees or Trustee acting in the execution of the trusts herein contained shall be discharges and exonerate the parties taking the same from all responsibility with respect to the application misapplication or non application of the monies therein expressed to be received And I hereby authorise the acting Trustees or Trustee of this my will by any instrument in writing to substitute any person to be a Trustee in the stead of any Trustee who shall die continue to reside abroad disclaim neglect or effuse or become incapable to act in the Trusts aforesaid� and all be the said trust estates or premises shall forthwith be transferred so as to vest the same in such new Trustee or Trustees either jointly with the surviving or continuing Trustee or Trustees or solely as the case may be and such new Trustee as well before as after such transfer shall have the same powers as if originally appointed a Trustee by this my Will And I declare that the Trustees for the time being of this my Will shall respectively be chargeable only with such monies as they respectively shall actually receive and shall not be answerable for each other for any Banker Broker or other person in whose hands any of the trust funds shall be placed nor for the insufficiency or deficiency of any stocks funds shares or securities nor otherwise for involuntary losses And I appoint the said James Pike Charles Pike Moore and my Grandson the said John Thomas Dunford Trustees and executors of this my Will and give to them the sum of five pounds each for the trouble they may have in the execution of the trusts of this my Will In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of July 1873 the interlineations between the thirtieth and thirty first line of the first page having been first inserted John Dunford Signed by the said testator as and for his Last Will and testament in the presence of us present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses___________ Geoff Rodway North Bradley_____________ Job Moon Road Labourer

10 Rode Common

The summary of the deeds has a gap of ownership between 1873 and 1916.� The following is an attempt to look at the Dunford family, to see who, if anybody might have inherited it from John Thomas Dunford, and the Stokes family to see who might have bequeathed it to Emily Louisa Stokes.

The Dunford Family

(from local parish records)

���� John DUNFORD����� =������ Priscilla ? (1)

����������� d 1873������������ │� Eliza DOWDING( 2)

������������������������������������ │

����������������� �����

���������������� │

������������ Simon������������� =��� Susan Elizabeth

���������� bp 1823����������� │���������� b c1820

���������� d <1873����������� │����������� d 1892

����������������� �������������������

���������������� │������������������������������������������������������������������������� │

������ John Thomas������� =���� Priscilla Sophia������������������ brother?

���������� bp 1853����������� │

������������������������������������ │

����������������� ����������������������������

���������������� │������������������������������������������������������������������������� │����������������������������������� │

������� William John�������� =����� Harriet Louise�������������� Simon George����������������� + 7 more

����������� b c1881������������ │������������������������������������������������ b c1882

������������������������������������ │���������������������������������������� 1905 in Lower St.�����

������������������������������������ │

����������������� �����

���������������� │

��� Ivan William Noel

������������ b 1902

���� lived in Canada

Working forward from 1836:

1837��� John DUNFORD applied for licence to store and sell tobacco

1840��� John applied for licence to store and sell tobacco, beer and cider

1841��� John applied for licence to run a brew house with mash tun

1853��� John Thomas DUNFORD was baptised, son of Simon and Susan Elizabeth, who were �� living in Road, Somerset.� Simon was in his father�s business as a brick maker

1860��� John remarried�

1861��� Kelly�s Directory listed John DUNFORD as brickmaker and beer retailer

1866��� John applied for a licence for Dunford�s beer house at Road Common

1872��� Morris�� Directory listed �Dunford John, brickmaker, Lawyer�s Arms inn, Road ����������� Common�

1873��� John� died, his grandson John T inherits the property and the licence for the Lawyer�s �������� Arms was transferred to him.� His brother received �250

1875��� Kelly�s Directory listed John T as brickmaker and beer retailer

1878��� John T recorded as running the brick and tile making business

c1880� John T married Priscilla Sophia (nee ?)

c1881� William John is born to John T and Priscilla Sophia

1882��� 30th October, the Lawyer�s Arms, two cottages and attached land were put up for sale ���������� despite John T living in the inn

1882��� 12th November, owner of the brickyard land, Arthur Mayne Noad, died and his estate, ����� passed to his great nephew, Charles Humphrey Carden Noad (who was living in �� London)

1883��� Kelly�s Directory listed John T as brickmaker and beer retailer (info. possibly ����������� gathered in 1882)

1889��� Kelly�s Directory listed William SANTS as brickmaker and beer retailer, suggesting ����� that John T did sell his businesses

1889 to 1893� – John T recorded as a labourer (interesting change of job from 1882/3)

1891��� census recorded John T as a labourer in Iron? Foundry living on Road Common

1892��� John T recorded as assistant in the (Fussell�s) brewery

1892��� John T�s mother Susan died in Road

1898��� John T recorded as an assistant brewer

1900 to 1905 – John T recorded as a brewer

1901��� census recorded John T and family (including William J) living in parish of Road Hill�

1902��� Ivan William Noel born to William John and Harriet Louise and said by him �in the ����� Lawyer�s Arms, built by my great-grandfather�.� Ivan�s great-grandfather would have been Simon

1927��� John T died in Frome (St. Lawrence graveyard records)

It appears that John T had some major changes in his life c1882.� He married in 1880, he had a son in 1881, the owner of the land on which John T had his brick-making business died in 1882, John T tried to sell his properties in 1882, later in 1889 he had sold his businesses and was working as a labourer.�� He moved from Rode Common between 1891 and 1901.� In contradiction to this, in 1948, his grandson Ivan W N says he was born in The Lawyers Arms in 1902.� There is no evidence that any Dunfords were living at Road Common in 1901.

Published
22 December 2023
Last Updated
10 January 2024