Will – John Erasmus Blackett – 17 Feb 1810

This is the last Will and Testament of me John Erasmus Blackett of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne Esquire  It is my wish that my funeral may be as private as possible and that my corpse may be carried to Church in a Hearse attended by two Mourning Coaches and that the only persons who shall attend the Funeral besides the Vicar of Newcastle and the Curator of Saint Nicholas be my Servant Thomas Turnbull my Clerks Gilbert Grey Thomas Gardner and <blank space>   Liddell who shall have Scarfs Hatbands and Gloves and I desire that my corpse may be borne to the grave by six of the Keelmen in my Employment to be appointed for that purpose by the said Gilbert Grey and that each of the said Keelmen shall have Hatbands Gloves and One Guinea  It is also my desire that my corpse may be deposited in the vault already made by me on the north side of Saint Nicholas’ Church and that no Inscription whatever may be put upon the stone over it other than my name, age and the Day of my Death and it is my earnest desire to my Executors that no monument may be erected to my memory – In case I should depart this life at a time when my Daughter Lady Collingwood shall be in the south It is my wish and desire that my friend Robert Hopper Williamson Esquire will kindly by Letter inform my two daughters as well as my nephew Sir William Blackett with the event and that he will order my said Servant Thomas Turnbull and my Clerk Gilbert Grey to follow strictly the above directions respecting my Funeral and I request that in that case my will may be deposited in the Hands of the said Robert Hopper Williamson till the arrival of one or more of my executors  I desire that mourning Rings may be given to the following persons namely my daughter Lady Collingwood and Mrs Stead my Sons in Law Lord Collingwood and Benjamin Stead Esquire my Granddaughters Sarah Collingwood and Mary Patience Collingwood my Nephew Sir William Blackett my Cousin Mrs Patience Stanley of Warwick General Scott Robert Hopper Williamson Esquire Christopher Blackett Esquire William Ingham Esquire and Anthony Hood Esquire  I give to my Son in Law the Right Honorable Cuthbert Lord Collingwood my two Guns two pair of pistols my Swords, my Amethyst ring, Gold Stock Buckle, Sleeve buttons and Seals  I give to my said Clerk Gilbert Grey (whose faithfulness sobriety and diligence I have experienced and of whom I have a high opinion) Twenty pounds for mourning to my said Clerk Thomas Gardner Ten pounds and my said Clerk <blank space> Liddell Five pounds  I give to my said Servant Thomas Turnbull for his faithful and affectionate services One hundred pounds and all my wearing apparel  And I give to each of my other domestick Servants at the time of my decease one years wages which Legacies to my said clerks and the said Thomas Turnbull and my other servants are to be paid to them respectively in addition to what may be due to them respectively for wages or otherwise at the time of my death  I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal Estate and Effects of what nature or kind soever (not hereinbefore specifically given and disposed of) unto my said Son in Law the right Honorable Cuthbert Lord Collingwood and my said nephew Sir William Blackett Baronet their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns respectively  Upon the Trusts following (that is to say) In Trust as soon as conveniently may be after my decease to sell convey and dispose of all my said real Estate either entirely or in parcels unto any person or persons who shall be willing to purchase the same for the best price or prices that can be reasonably had or gotten for the same and also to get in dispose of and convert into money all my personal Estate and Effects  And I declare and direct that the said Cuthbert Lord Collingwood and Sir William Blackett their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns respectively shall stand and be possessed and interested of and in the money to arise by the sale of my said real Estate and to be produced from my said personal Estate and Effects Upon the Trusts and to and for the Intents and purposes hereinafter expressed and declared of and concerning the same (that is to say) In Trust in the first place to pay and satisfy thereout all my just Debts and Funeral and Testamentary Expences and the Legacies hereinbefore given And as to the residue of all the said money so to arise and be produced as aforesaid In Trust to pay one full moiety or half part thereof to my said Daughter Lady Collingwood her Executors Administrators and Assigns  And as to the other moiety or half part of the same money In Trust from Time to Time to place out and invest the same in or upon Government or real securities at Interest and from Time to Time to call in or dispose of the principal money so to be placed out or invested and to place out or invest the same again in or upon new or other Securities of the like nature at Interest until the same shall become payable by virtue of the Trusts and directions of this my will  And Upon Trust to pay the Interest dividends and yearly proceeds of the money so directed to be invested and placed out at Interest as aforesaid unto my said Son in Law Benjamin Stead and his assigns or otherwise to permit and suffer him and them to receive all such Interest dividends or yearly proceeds for and during the Term of his natural Life and from and after his decease Then In Trust to pay all such Interest dividends and yearly proceeds unto my said Daughter Patience Wise Stead wife of the said Benjamin Stead and her Assigns or otherwise to permit and suffer her or them to receive the same for and during the Term of her natural Life and from and after the death of both of them the said Benjamin Stead and Patience Wise Stead his wife All the said money so directed to be invested and placed out at Interest as aforesaid and all stocks funds and securities in or upon which the same shall be so placed out or invested shall be In Trust for all and every the Child and Children of the said Benjamin Stead by the said Patience Wise his wife until they shall respectively attain the age of Twenty one years and then In Trust for such Child or Children so attaining the age of Twenty one years equally to be divided between or among them (if more than one) share and share alike as Tenants in Common and their respective Executors and Administrators And In Case all such children save one shall happen to die under the age of Twenty one years or if there shall be but one such Child then In Trust for such one surviving or only child until he or she should attain the age of Twenty one years And then In Trust for such one Child so attaining the age of Twenty one years his or their Executors or Administrators And In Case there shall not be any Child or Children of the said Benjamin Stead by my said Daughter Patience Wise his present wife or being such all of them shall depart this Life before any of them shall attain the age of Twenty one years then the said money so directed to be invested and placed out at Interest as aforesaid and all the Stocks Funds and securities in or upon which the same shall be placed out or Invested shall (subject nevertheless to the respective Life Interests of the said Benjamin Stead and Patience Wise his wife therein) be In Trust for all and every such Child and Children as my said Daughter Patience Wise Stead may have by any other or future Husband to be divided among them in equal shares (if more than one) Provided always and I do hereby declare and direct that if any one or more of such last mentioned Children shall happen to die under the age of Twenty one Years Then and in every such case and thenceforth as well the original Share as every other Share of him her or them so dying of and in the said Money so directed to be invested and placed out at Interest as aforesaid And all the Stocks Funds and Securities on which the same shall be placed out or invested shall be in Trust for the others or other of them in equal Shares (if more than one) And In Case all such Children save one shall happen to depart this Life under the age of Twenty one years or if there shall be but one such Child Then In Trust for such one surviving or only Child in in Case there should not be any Child or Children of my said Daughter Patience Wise Stead by any other or future Husband or being such all of them shall depart this Life before any of them shall attain the age of Twenty one years then the same money so directed to be invested and placed out at Interest as aforesaid and all Stocks Funds and securities in or upon which the same shall be placed out or invested shall be In Trust for my said Daughter Lady Collingwood her Executors and Administrators And I do hereby expressly declare that the devise and bequest hereinbefore made In Trust for the said Benjamin Stead and Patience Wise Stead his wife and their Children is so made by me in pursuance and performance of all covenants and Agreements entered into by me in and by a certain Indenture tripartite bearing date the Twentieth Day of August one thousand seven hundred and eighty two and made or expressed to be made between the said Benjamin Stead (by the description of Benjamin Stead of Conduit Street in the parish of Saint George Hanover Square in the County of Middlesex Esquire Son and Heir at Law of Benjamin Stead theretofore of Threadneedle Street London and then late of Berners Street in the parish of Saint Marylebone in the County of Middlesex Esquire deceased) of the first part Sir Edward Blackett of West Matfen in the County of Northumberland Baronet and The Reverend Henry Blackett of Boldon in the County of Durham Clerk (both since deceased) of the second part and me the said John Erasmus Blackett and the said Patience Wise Stead (by her then name and description of Patience Wise Blackett Spinster youngest daughter of me the said John Erasmus Blackett) of the third part being a Settlement made previous to and in contemplation of the marriage then intended and shortly afterwards duly had and solemnized between the said Benjamin Stead part thereto and the said Patience Wise his wife  And I declare and direct that the receipt or receipts of any of the said Trustees of the said Trust Estate and Premises hereby directed to be sold for the purposes aforesaid under their or his hands or Hand respectively shall from Time to Time effectually discharge the respective purchaser or purchasers of such part of the same premises as by virtue or in pursuance of the Trusts or directions of this my will shall be sold of and from so much of the purchase money as shall therein be acknowledged or expressed to be received and that such purchaser or purchasers shall not afterwards be answerable or accountable for any Loss misapplication or nonapplication of such purchase money or any part thereof  I give and devise unto the said Cuthbert Lord Collingwood and Sir William Blackett their Heirs and Assigns All such real Estates as are now vested in me by way of Mortgage in order to enable them with the greater ease and convenience to recover receive and get in the money secured by such mortgages for the purposes of this my will And I give to them the said Cuthbert Lord Collingwood and Sir William Blackett their Heirs and Assigns All such real Estates as are now vested in me upon any Trust or Trusts To hold the same unto the said Cuthbert Lord Collingwood and William Blackett their Heirs and Assign Upon the several Trusts affecting the same respectively And I declare and direct that they my said Trustees their Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns shall not be answerable or accountable the one for the others or other of them and that they shall not be charged or chargeable with or answerable for the acts receipts neglects or defaults of the other of them but each of them for his own acts receipts neglects or defaults only nor for any money but such only as they respectively shall actually receive by virtue of this my will And also that they respectively shall and may retain and deduct and be allowed out of the said Trust Monies and premises All their Costs Charges Damages and expences to be occasioned by the execution and performance of the Trusts in them reposed by virtue or in pursuance of this my will  I appoint the said Cuthbert Lord Collingwood and Sir William Blackett Executors In Trust of this my will  And it is my earnest request to my said Friends Christopher Blackett and Anthony Hood that they will kindly undertake the trouble of examining and settling my accounts at the Fitting Office in the Broad Chare for the satisfaction of my Executors And lastly I revoke all wills by me at any Time heretofore made and declare this to be my last will and Testament In Witness whereof I the said John Erasmus Blackett have to this my last Will and Testament contained in this and four preceeding sheets of paper set my Hand and Seal this seventeenth Day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ten –

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testator John Erasmus Blackett as and for his last will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

John E. Blackett



Thomas Randyll

Charlotte Watson

William Wallace



The Will of John Erasmus Blackett late of Newcastle upon Tyne Esq. dec’d.



The Twenty first day of October 1814 Sir William Blackett of Matfen in the County of Northumberland Baronet the surviving Executor named in this Will was duly sworn etc as usual And that the personal Estate of the Testator within the Diocese of Durham does not amount to the sum of Three Thousand five hundred pounds.  Before me



Burrell  Proctor						Geo. Emerson Sur.t



The Right Honorable Cuthbert Lord Collingwood the other Executor within named died in the lifetime of the Testator.