Another document

The Cooper document has proved to be difficult to read and so I am only half way through it. For a little light relief I looked at a will of John Moss who died in 1828. It was much easier to transcribe and much smaller so I romped away with this one. Here is what I found:

John Moss was born around 1748 as when he died he was aged 80. I say 'around' because the age at death is sometimes an estimate as when they are that old people may not be aware of just how old the deceased was. It seems he had no wife and children and his estate was divided between his sisters and his nephews and nieces. His will was made in 1820 but he lived for another eight years. He was buried in Swineshead on 21st July 1828.

His sisters were Ann Wray, Mary Walker and Frances Grant. They all received £100. However before the will informs us of this there are legacies to other people.

His executors were to receive £5 each. They were Henry Everard of Crowland, grazier and John Jackson of Swineshead, also a grazier.

John Chevin of Blankney, farmer, was to receive £150.

Richard Everard of Spalding, grocer, was to receive £30 and his wife Frances Everard was to receive £40. Ann Hodgson, who was the sister of Richard Everard, was to receive £30.

After these legacies were paid out, the remaining money from the sale of his property was to be divided equally between his nephews Thomas Wray, Richard Thacker, John Long, John Stephenson, and Peter Grant; and his nieces Mary Grant, Sarah Chantry, Elizabeth Bartol, Elizabeth Redshaw, Elizabeth Jackson and Ann Campbell.

As there is a niece Elizabeth Jackson, it could be that John Jackson was her father and therefore the brother-in-law of John Moss.  John Jackson had died three years before John Moss, leaving Henry Everard as the sole executor.