My cousin who lives still in the Bermondsey area where St Mary Magdalen is located wrote to me by email today with a surprise. He had found a marriage of a Henry Beard and a Margaret Cope at St Mary Newington, Bermondsey in 1744. Ann Margaret Beard widow (80 years old) was buried in 1797 at St Mary Magdalen. She lived on Grange Road which is the same street that the Henry Beard/Elizabeth Hemsley family was living on when Elizabeth was buried in 1780 but Henry Beard was buried from Lion Court which is actually not very far away from Grange Road. She was a widow and her dob was approximately 1717 given her 80 years. She would be old enough to be the mother of Henry Beard married to Elizabeth Hemsley. He was approximately 54 when he was buried in 1795 making his dob 1741. One item that perplexes me about the Beard family at St Mary Magdalen is the number of families there in the early 1700s - William, Edward, John are all there with families and living near Five Foot Lane as well as closer to Long Lane. They were felt mongers and then tanners. William's son Henry was buried in 1716.
There was a Henry Beard born to Edward and Ann Beard in 1712 that is a possibility for the Henry Beard marrying Margaret Cope at St Mary Newington. But is the father of Henry Beard married to Elizabeth Hemsley "Henry"? It would be nice to determine that. Henry does not mention any sons in his will; Henry does not mention Margaret Beard and if his mother was still living I think I would have expected him to do so. I think the information is helpful in understanding the Beard family and one of my projects for the future is to extract all the Beard entries from the register at St Mary Magdalen. I looked through the years from 1740 to 1748 today extracting all the entries but no record of a Henry Beard son of Henry Beard baptized there.
There is a Henry Bard married to Elizabeth Clap at St Mary Newington in 21 Dec 1729 and sometimes this name has been confused with Beard although usually on the part of the transcriber. It is actually written as Bard in the register in this case.
The will of Henry Beard
Date: 11 Oct 2009
Document: Will
Source: The National Archives # 44
Date of document: 16 September 1795
Author: Henry Beard
Relationship: 4x great grandfather
Location: Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey, Southwark, London, England
Document quality: 18th century English, blotched but writing fairly legible
[In margin] Henry Beard
1 In the Name of God Amen
2 I Henry Beard of Bermondsey Street in the parish of
3 Saint Mary Magdalen Southwark in the County of Surr[e]y
4 Tanner being weak in body but of sound and disposing
5 Mind Memory and understanding do make publish and declare
6 this my last will and Testament in manner and form
7 following first I recommend my Soul into the hands of
8 Almighty God who gave it and my body I commit to the
9 earth to be decently and frugally interred at the discretion
10 of my Executors herein after named and to all my worldly
11 Estate whatsoever and where so ever where with it may
12 please God to bless me being all personal I give devise
13 and bequeath the same after payment of my funeral
14 expences the expence of proving this my will and all
15 my just debt as herein after is mentioned (that is to say)
16 I Give unto my Dear Wife Jane Beard the use of the
17 whole of my household Goods plate linen China furniture
18 and utensils what soever which shall be in my
19 dwelling house at the time of my death To hold use
20 occupy and possess the same during her life and from
21 and immediately after her death I direct that the
22 same be disposed of by my Executors herein after
23 named for the most money that can be reasonably
24 gotten for the same and that the produce thereof be
25 equally divided between my three daughters Mary
26 Buller the wife of Christy Buller Elizabeth Beard and
27 Sarah Beard share and share alike and in case any
28 one or more of my said Children shall die in the life
29 time of my said Wife Jane Beard then I direct
30 that the money arising from such disposal of my
31 said household Goods plate linen China furniture and
32 utensils be equally divided between such of them as
33 shall be living at the time of her decease to and
34 for their own sole and separate use and benefit and
35 I also Give and bequeath unto my said Wife Jane
36 Beard and to my said daughters Mary Buller the wife
37 of Christy Buller Elizabeth Beard and Sarah Beard the sum
38 of five Guineas each for mourning and I Give unto
39 Thomas Rippon of Bermondsey new road in the parish
40 of Saint Mary Magdalen in the County of Surrey afores[ai]d
41 Gentleman and Joseph Freeman of Grange Walk in the parish
42 of Saint Mary Magdalen in the County of Surrey aforesaid
43 Leather factors my Executors herein after named the sum of
44 ten pounds each for the trouble they may have in
45 the execution of this my will and in the performing the
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46 Trusts hereby in them reposed and all the rest
47 residue and remainder of my Goods Chattells Stock in
48 Trade book _olts Estate and effects of what nature or kind
49 Soever not herein before given or bequeathed I give
50 and bequeath unto the said Thomas Rippon and
51 Joseph Freeman (To hold to them the said Thomas Rippon and Joseph Freeman) their Executors Administrators and assigns
52 upon this Special Trust and confidence nevertheless (that is to say)
53 that they said Thomas Rippon and Joseph Freeman these
54 Executors or Administrators do and shall as soon as
55 convenient after my death sell and dispose thereof and
56 call in and receive all such debts sum and sums of
57 money as shall be due and owing to me at the
58 time of my decease either from my partnership made
59 with George Cader of Bermondsey Street in the parish
60 of Saint Mary Magdalen in the County of Surrey
61 aforesaid Tanner or from any other person or persons
62 whom soever and place the monies arising by such
63 sale or disposal and the monies so to be called in
64 and received upon government or other good and
65 sufficient security in their own interest and in such
66 interests as they shall think proper and also with
67 Trust that they do and shall receive the Interest
68 and Dividends thereof from time to time as the
69 same shall become payable and pay the same unto
70 my said dear Wife Jane Beard for and during the
71 term of her natural life provided she does not
72 intermarry with any other husband after my decease
73 and from and immediately after the decease to pay
74 assign transfer and convey all and every such said
74 and sums of money so to be placed out and
76 invested by the said Thomas Rippon and Joseph
77 Freeman upon Government or other good security or
78 securities unto and amongst my said daughters Mary
79 Buller the wife of Christy Buller Elizabeth Beard
80 and Sarah Beard share and share alike to and for
81 their own use and benefit and in case any or
82 other of my said daughters shall depart this life
83 in the life time of my said wife Jane Beard
84 then in Trust to pay assign transfer and receive
85 the part or share of such deceased child or
86 children unto such other or others of my said children
87 as shall be living at the time of the decease
88 of my said wife Jane Beard in equal proportion
89 but that if my said Wife Jane Beard shall marry
90 any husband in future then the Trust to pay assign
91 transfer and convey one fourth part of the money
92 So to be placed out upon Government or other
93 Securities unto my said Wife Jane Beard to and
94 for her own sole use and benefit and also In
95 Trust to pay assign transfer and convey the remaining
96 three fourth parts or shares of the said moneys
to be placed out as aforesaid unto and among
97 [Page 3]
98 My said three daughters Mary Buller the wife of Christy
99 Buller Elizabeth Beard and Sarah Beard in equal shares
100 and proportions to and for their own use and
101 benefit and in case any or other of my said dau[ghte]rs
102 shall happen to die in the life time of my said
103 wife Jane Beard leaving issue of her or their body
104 or bodies lawfully begotten then In Trust to pay
105 assign transfer and convey the part or share of
106 such deceased child or children unto such her and their
107 issue share and share alike (if more than one)
108 when and so soon as they shall severally and respectively
109 attain their several and respective ages of twenty
110 one years and to pay and apply the Interest dividends
111 and produce thereof in the mean time for and
112 towards their respective maintenance and education
113 but in case one or more of my said daughters
114 shall happen to die without leaving issue of her or
115 their bodies lawfully begotten then the Trust to pay
116 assign transfer and convey the part of share of such
117 deceased child or children unto such other child or
118 Children as shall be living at the time of the dece[ase]
119 of my said Wife Jane Beard and I do hereby
120 empower and direct my said Trustees to pay assign
121 transfer and convey the same accordingly and I do
122 authorize and empower my said Trustees from time to
123 time as often as they shall think proper to alter and
124 change the securities or which the said residue of
125 my Estate and effects shall hereafter be placed out
126 and from time to time as often as they shall
127 think fit again to place the same upon Government
128 or such other good and sufficient security or securities
129 as they shall think proper and I do thereby
130 authorize and empower my said Trustees to apply
131 the respective part or share of any or other of my
132 said Children who shall so happen to die in the life
133 time of my said wife Jane Beard leaving
134 issue lawfully begotten for putting any or other of them
135 out to Business or any suitable employ or for setting
136 him her or them up in Business or advancing him
137 her or them respectively in any employ or otherwise
138 or his heires their administrators ______ advancement if this would by marriage otherwise
139 ^ how soever any thing in this my will contained to
140 the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding
141 and it is my Will and meaning that my said
142 Trustees or other of them shall not be liable to
143 answer or make good any loss of losses that shall
144 or may happen to the aforesaid residue of my
145 Estate and effects in placing out the trust monies
146 according to the directions in this my will or in the
147 transacting any money affairs or otherwise relating to
148 or concerning the execution of the Trusts mentioned
149 in this my will unless the same shall appear to
150 happen by or through their or other of their
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151 wilful neglect or default nor shall either of them my
152 said Trustees be answerable or accountable for the
153 acts deeds receipts or disbursements of the other of them
154 but each of them shall be answerable only for his
155 own separate acts deeds receipts and disbursements and
156 I do hereby direct that my said Trustees shall and
157 may pay and reimburse themselves and himself out of
158 the aforesaid residue of my Estate and effects all
159 reasonable and necessary costs charges and expences
160 what soever that they or either of them shall or
161 may bear pay be put into or sustain in or about
162 the creation of this my Will or the trusts hereby in
163 them reposed and Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute
164 and appoint my said Trustees the said Thomas Rippon
165 and Joseph Freeman Executors of this my last Will and
166 Testament and do hereby revoke and make void all former
167 and other will and wills by me at any time hereto
168 fore made and do declare this to be my last will and
169 Testament In witness whereof I the said Henry Beard
170 the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament
171 contained in three sheets of paper set my mark and
172 Seal (that is to say) to the first two sheets thereof
173 my mark and to this third and last sheet my
174 mark and Seal this sixteenth day of September in
175 the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
176 and ninety five [The mark] + [of Henry Beard] [Seal] Signed
177 Sealed published and declared by the said Henry Beard
178 the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in
179 the presence of us who in his presence at his
180 request and in the presence of each other have
181 there unto subscribed our marks as witnesses [signed] James
182 Hopton [signed] Jno Rippon
183 This Will was proved at London the twenty
184 Third day of January in the year of our Lord One
185 Thousand seven hundred and ninety six before the w[or]shipful
186 Thomas Champion Crespigny Doctor of Laws Surrogate of
187 the Right Hon[oura]ble Sir William Wynne Knight also Doctor of
188 Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Perogative Court
189 of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oathes of Thomas
190 Rippon and Joseph Freeman the Executors named in the
191 said Will to whom Administration was Granted of all and
192 singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the deceased
193 having been first Sworn duly to administer.
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