Will of Jonah Cressingham (prev. Crossingham) of Carshalton, Surrey , 1867

I, Jonah Cressingham of The Grove, Carshalton in the County of Surrey Esquire revoke all former testamentary dispositions and declare this to be my last Will.  I appoint The Reverend John Cummins (sic) of No.7 Montague Place Russell Square in the County of Middlesex D.D. and William Kirkland Cookson of No.6 New Square Lincolns Inn in the said County of Middlesex Esquire to be the Executors and General trustees of this my Will   And I bequeath to each of them the sum of Three hundred pounds free of Legacy duty.  I direct that my remains may be interred in the family vault belonging to me in Carshalton Church yard where my late brother in law Thomas Edwards Esquire and my late sister Mercy Edwards are interred .  I give to the said John Cumming and William Kirkland Cookson (whom I hereinafter call my trustees) the sum of Two hundred pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities free from Legacy duty  And I direct that the dividends thereof shall from time to time be employed in the repair and restoration of the aforesaid vault and the tombstone connected therewith

then follows four lines of squiggles ending with …at the direction of my trustees

 I give the sum of Five hundred pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities free from Legacy duty to the Master and Fellows of the College of Trinity Hall in the University of Cambridge of which College I am a Member  Upon Trust once in every year to pay the yearly dividends thereof as and in the name of “The Cressingham Prize” to an Undergraduate of Trinity Hall aforesaid who shall in the judgement of the said Master and Fellows have written the best Essay in that year on any subject to be fixed by the said Master and Fellows  And I direct that the bequest last aforesaid shall be satisfied out of such part of my personal estate as I may by Law dispose of by Will for charitable purposes and shall be paid in priority to all my other bequests .  I give to my trustees the sum of One thousand one hundred pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities free from Legacy duty  And I direct that the dividends thereof shall from time to time be applied by weekly monthly quarterly or half yearly payments in the absolute discretion of my trustees for the benefit of my nephew John Crossingham son of my late brother John Crossingham during his life and upon his death  I direct that the said sum of One thousand one hundred pounds Bank Annuities shall sink into and form part of my general personal estate .  I bequeath to the children of my late niece Mercy Taylor daughter of my late brother William Crossingham the sum of One thousand pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities to the children of my late niece Ann Bubb the sum of Six hundred pounds like Bank Annuities to the children of Charles Felix Pilcher deceased the son and only child of my late niece Hannah Pilcher the sym of One thousand pounds like Bank Annuities and to Rose Wall the only child of my late niece Rose Wall the sum of Five hundred pounds like Bank Annuities . I direct that the said several legacies of Bank Annuities shall be transferred or paid at the end of six calendar months after my decease.  I give all my paintings to the said John Cumming and William Kirkland Cookson  Upon Trust to sell the same at such time or times and in such manner either by public auction or private contract as they or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor shall think proper  And I direct that the said John Cumming and William Kirkland Cookson or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor shall pay the proceeds of the sale of the said pictures (after satisfaction of the Legacy duty and all costs of sale and other expenses connected with this bequest and trust) in manner following that is to say as to one equal half part thereof to the Treasurer for the time being of the Protestant Reformation Society (whose offices are now at No.17 Berners Street Oxford Street in the said County of Middlesex ) for the several purposes of such Society .  And as to the other equal half part thereof unto or between or among such Society or Societies or Institution or Institutions in England (other than the said Protestant Reformation Society) having for its or their object the promotion or extension of Protestantism in connection with the Church of England and (if more than one) in such shares or proportions as the said John Cumming and William Kirkland Cookson or the survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor shall in their or his uncontrolled discretion think fit  And I declare that the receipt of the treasurer or of one of the treasurers of each Society or Institution shall be a sufficient discharge for any monies to be paid to or for the benefit of such Society or Institution under the trusts aforesaid . 

I devise all my advowsons or right of patronage of or to the Di strict Church of The Holy Trinity at Tulse Hill in the Parish of Lambeth in the County of Surrey to the Reverend William Carns of Winchester Clerk one of the Canons of the Cathedral Church of Winchester  the Reverend John Venn of Hereford Clerk  the Reverend Edmund Hollow of Benhill Lodge in the County of Suffolk Clerk  the Reverend Edward Auriol of Mecklenburg Square in the said County of Middlesex Clerk and the Reverend William Cadman Clerk Rector of Holy Trinity in the Parish of Marylebone in the said County of Middlesex their heirs and assigns for ever as joint tenants.   

I give and devise all the real and personal estate which I am competent either in respect of interest or by force of any power or otherwise to dispose of so far as the same is not hereby otherwise disposed of unto and to the use of my trustees  As to the real and personal Estate not belonging to me beneficially  Upon Trust to dispose thereof according to the directions hereinafter contained  I direct that my trustees shall at such time or times after my decease as they shall judge expedient sell my messuages lands tenements and hereditaments of whatsoever tenure comprised in this devise and belonging to my beneficially by public or private sale and altogether or in lots and either subject or not to special conditions with power to buy in resell and vary the terms of contracts and invest the produce (or such part thereof as shall not be wanted immediately for the purpose of my Will) conformably to the directions hereinafter contained respecting investments and shall in the meantime let from year to year or for a term of years upon building repairing or improving or other leases or agreements or occupy and not my real estate of whatsoever tenure comprised in this devise and belonging to me beneficially and manage generally the affairs thereof at their discretion. 

And I direct that in the sale or other disposition and management of my said estate my trustees shall have full power in reference to the appropriation of sites for and the making or laying out of squares crescents streets roads and other open places and the laying and using of drains and watercourses and the granting of easements and the taking and using or carrying away of any stone clay gravel or other substances and the felling carrying away or using of any trees shrubs or plants and the taking down and removing of any buildings and the disposal of the materials or in any other respect in such manner as my trustees shall judge best and most conducive to the profitable management sale or disposition of my Estate. 

I direct that my trustees shall at such times and in such manner as they shall think expedient convert and get in my personal property comprised in this bequest and belonging to me beneficially and not consisting of ready money or monies invested in stocks funds shares or securities and shall at their discretion either get in or dispose of the monies invested in stocks funds shares or securities or permit the same to continue so invested and shall invest conformably to the directions hereinafter contained respecting investments the ready money of which I shall be possessed and the produce of the property so converted or got in and not immediately wanted for the purposes of my Will.  

And I declare that the yearly produce until conversion of my said real and personal estate comprised in this devise and bequest and belonging to me beneficially shall as from the day of my decease be considered as the income thereof for the purposes of the trusts and provisions hereinafter contained and be applied accordingly .  

And I direct that my trustees shall hold all my residuary estate after payment thereout of my debts and funeral and testamentary expenses and legacies and the legacy duty in respect of any legacy or legacies given free from duty (which I charge thereon)  In Trust for and to be divided equally (per capita and not per stirpes) among all who shall be living at my decease and who being males shall then have attained or shall thereafter attain the age of twenty one years or being females shall then have attained the age of twenty one years or married or shall thereafter attain that age or marry of my great nephews and great nieces the children of my late nieces Sarah Hayton and Mary Wilcock daughters of my late brother John Crossingham the shares of such of them as shall be females to be paid to them respectively for their respective separate use .

 Provided always and I hereby direct that as to all or any part or share of any trust monies stocks funds or securities to which any minor shall for the time being be entitled immediate expectancy on attaining the age of twenty one years or on attaining that age or marrying by virtue of or under the trusts of this my Will my trustees shall apply the whole or such part as they shall think fit of the annual produce thereof for or towards the maintenance or education of such minor until (if a male) he shall attain the age of twenty one years or (if a female) she shall attain that age or marry  And that my trustees either may themselves so pay or apply the same or may pay the same to the guardian or guardians of such minor or any other person or persons for the purposes aforesaid without seeing to the application thereof or being bound to enquire whether the maintenance of such minor is or ought to be otherwise provided for.  

And shall during such minority or minorities and discovertures as lastly aforesaid accumulate all the residue (if any) of the same annual produce in the way of compound interest by investing the same and all the resulting income thereof from time to time in or upon any of the stocks funds or securities hereinafter mentioned for purposes of investment (with power to vary the securities at their discretion).  

And I declare that each such accumulated fund shall be added to the principal fund or share from which the same respectively shall have proceeded and be considered part thereof  Yet so that my trustees shall have power to resort to the accumulations of any preceding year or years and to apply the same for or towards the maintenance or education of the person or persons for the time being presumptively entitled to the same .

Provided also and I hereby further declare that it shall be lawful for my trustees at any time or times after my decease to raise any part or parts not exceeding in the whole one half of the expectant or presumptive portion of any minor under or by virtue of the trusts herein contained and pay or apply the same for his or her advancement or benefit as my trustees shall think fit .  

I direct that all investments to be made in pursuance of my Will shall be made in or upon stocks or funds of the United Kingdom or upon the stock of the Bank of England or Ireland or Stock or Securities of the late East India Company or of the present Government of India or Exchequer Bills or upon Mortgage (on such titles as my trustees may think proper to accept and either subject or not subject to prior incumbrances of freehold or copyhold or leasehold estates not having less than sixty years to run at the time of the investment) or upon the Bonds or Securities or debenture stock of any incorporated Company or Companies in Great Britain or in the purchase of preference or guaranteed shares in any such Company or Companies   And that my trustees shall have power in their discretion to vary such investments for any other investments of the description specified in this clause.  

I direct that the trusts and powers hereinbefore confided to my trustees may be exercised by the trustee or trustees for the time being of my Will

 And I declare that every executor or trustee of this my Will who is or shall be a Solicitor or Attorney may and that any Firm of which he may be a Member may act as Solicitor or Attorney or Solicitors or Attornies in the matter of the execution of the trusts or powers herein contained and shall be entitled to charge and be paid for all business done by him or them as Solicitor or Attorney or Solicitors or Attornies in respect of the trust premises or any part thereof in the same manner as if he had not been an Executor or Trustee of this my Will

 In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the Fifteenth day of June One thousand eight hundred and sixty seven    -    Jonah Cressingham

 Signed by the said Jonah Cressingham the 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 the words “or of one of the treasurers”  on the second page and the words “improving or” on the third page having been first interlined and the word “June” on this page having been first substituted for “April”.   John Stubbs , Wm. Friend  Clerks to Messrs. Cookson Wainwright & Co. Solicitors 6 Lincolns Inn

 Proved at London 6^th June 1874 by the Oaths of the Reverend John Cumming Doctor in Di vinity and William Kirkland Cookson Esquire the Executors to whom Admon. was granted.

 (On a separate sheet)

On the 6^th day of June 1874 the Will of Jonah Cressingham late of The Grove, Carshalton in the County of Surrey Esquire deceased, who died on the 25^th day of April 1874 at The Grove, Carshalton aforesaid was proved in the Principal Registry of Her Majesty’s Court of Probate by the Oaths of The Reverend John Cumming of No. 16 Woburn Square in the County of Middlesex Doctor in Di vinity and William Strickland Cookson of No. 6 New Square Lincolns Inn and of The Pryors Lower Heath Hampstead both in the said County of Middlesex Esquire the Executors named in the said Will they having been first sworn duly to administer.

Effects under £18,000.

No leaseholds.