The will of James Buller at Macao, East Indies is an interesting read. Life must have been very hard in these areas in this time period. No idea if Joseph Buller his natural son survived. He does name his father as the Reverend James Buller of Tytherington, Gloucestershire. From the Parish Registers of Gloucestershire in Thornbury there is a marriage of the Rev James Buller, MA to Jane Gummersall (married by license 5 Mar 1764 Family Search M05783-2). Thornbury district includes the parish of Tytherington. It is near Bristol.
Perhaps he is descendant of the Lillesdon Somerset Buller family so a most interesting find. Unfortunately his father has not left a will that was probated by the PCC. There are two wills at Tytherington in the Gloucestershire Archives. One is for an Elizabeth Buller and it was probated in 1831 and a second for a Jane Buller probated in 1800. Tempting to order the will by Jane Buller as she is perhaps the third wife of the Reverend James Buller mentioned in the will of his son.
Three births/baptisms were found to James and Jane Buller at Tytherington:
Robert Buller baptized 22 Feb 1767
Anna Buller baptized 4 Feb 1772
Polly Buller born 14 Aug 1769, baptized 17 Sep 1769
An interesting find in that the Buller family that remained at Lillesdon is not traced down at least I haven't found any trace of them although as I write this I realize I have never checked the Visitations for the Buller family in these areas.
Transcriber: Elizabeth Kipp
Recorded: 6 Mar 2013
Source: The National Archives, PROB 11/1166/279
Testator: James Buller, Mariner
Place: Macao, East Indies
Date of document: 18 Nov 1773, probated 13 Jun 1788
Read: Electronic copy images
Document quality: 18th century English, legible copy
[Margin]: James
[Margin]: Buller
1 In the Name of God Amen
2 I James Buller at Macao Mariner being in a
3 perfect state of mind blessed be God for it but of a
4 weak state of Body maketh this my last Will and
5 Testament that is to say First my Soul I leave to God
6 who gave it me hoping to find mercy and forgiveness
7 for all my Transgressions from my blessed Saviour and
8 Redeemer Jesus Christ my Body I request may be put
9 in the Ground in as plain a manner as possible
10 avoiding all unnecessary Expences I then leave and
11 bequeath unto my son Joseph Buller one half of
12 what Sum or Sums I die possessed of or whatever may
13 will to me after my death leaving it entirely to the
14 discretion of my Executors who I shall hereafter named
15 to advance whatever Sum or Sums they think sufficient
16 for his education bringing up in the protestant Religion
17 and securing whatever Sum may be left him in the
18 safest manner they think best and at the age of twenty
19 two to pay him the whole Sum I have left him Item
20 I leave and bequeath unto the mother of my son
21 Joseph Buller whose name is Molly her Freedom and
22 six hundred current Rupees to be put in the Company's
23 Cash and the Interest of it to be paid in Monthly
24 Item I leave and bequeath unto my Sister Elizabeth
25 Buller one fourth part of what Sum or Sums I die
26 possessed of and request it might be sent her as soon
27 as possible she is to be heard of at one Mr Finneys
28 Fish Street Soho London Item I leave and bequeath
29 unto Mrs Jane Birks at Laleham one fourth part
30 of what Sum or Sums I die possessed of and request it
31 might be sent her as soon as possible If my Son Joseph
32 Buller should die before he arrives at the age of
33 twenty two I then request the Sum I left him to be sent to
[Page 2]
34 Europe to my Sister Elizabeth If Mrs Birks should die
35 before what I have left her comes to hand I leave
36 it to Mr Thomas Birks Surgeon at Laleham aforesaid
37 but should both of them be dead and any child or
38 children living of theirs I leave it amongst them but
39 in case of no children I leave it to my sister Elizabeth
40 If my sister Elizabeth Buller should die before what
41 I have left her comes to hand and she has any child
42 or children living I then leave it to be equally
43 divided amongst them but in case she is dead and no
44 children living and my son Joseph Buller living I request
45 the whole Sum be paid to him but in case of his death
46 I request the Sum be paid and divided equally amongst
47 the children of my Father the Reverend Mr James Buller
48 of Tytherington in Gloucestershire that might be living by his
49 third wife in case all his children by his third wife is dead
50 I then leave it to my next heir at law I leave my
51 Friend Mr David Macplaison at Madras one hundred
52 Rupees for a Ring I leave my Friend Mr Math:
53 Gunning at Calcutta one hundred Rupees for a Ring
54 I leave Mr and Mrs Punitz my Sons Godfather and
55 Godmother at Calcutta fifty Rupees each I leave my
56 friend Mr William Dalrymple who at present is at
57 Macao one hundred Rupees for a Ring and I hereby
58 appoint Mr William Dalrymple and Mr Mathew
59 Gunning my whole and sole Executors of this my last Will
60 Signed at Macao Nov[embe]r18th 1773 James Buller
61 Witness A Ramsay, John Fry, James Gray a true
62 Copy Cha: Sealy Reg[istra]r
63 On the thirteenth day of June in the Year of our
64 Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight ad[ministrati]on
65 with the Will annexed of all and singular the Goods
66 Chattells and Credits of James Buller late of Macao in
67 the East Indies a Bachelor deceased was granted to
68 Elizabeth Buller Spinster the natural and lawfull sister
69 and next of kin of the said deceased having been first
70 sworn duly to administer William Dalrymple and Mathew
71 Gunning the Executors named in the said will dying
72 without taking upon them the Execution thereof and
73 no Residuary Legatee being named in the said Will
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