In the name of God Amen I John Porter of Yeardsley in the Township of Whaley in the parish of Taxal and County of Chester Yeoman this twenty sixth day of June one thousand eight hundred and thirty three being sick and weakly as to my body but of sound and perfect disposing mind and memory praised be to God for the same but calling to mind the uncertainty of Health and the uncertainty of this Life I do hereby make constitute ordain and appoint this and no other to be my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say, first penitent for my sins past I give and commit my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God who gave it and my Body I commit to the Earth to be secretly buried at the discretion of my Executors to be hereafter named and as to my Worldly effects I Dispose of in the manner following that is to say First it is my Will and mind that all my just Debts owing by me to any person or persons at the time of my decease be fully paid and discharged as also the Probate of my last Will and Testament at the discretion of my Executors out of my personalty also it is my Will and mind after my Decease that all my Goods Chattels Hay Corn Potatoes Household Furniture and all the Farming implements be sold by public Auction at the discretion of my Executors except one Cow that will give milk for the use of the family if they think proper to keep together till the twelvth of May after my Decease and all the necessaries such as Flour Meal Potatoes Bacon and Cheese Item I give and Bequeath unto my wife Ellen Porter the Sum of Twenty Pounds to be paid to her after my Goods and Chattels are sold at the discretion of my Executors I give Devise and bequeath unto the Child which she is now pregnant off if it lives till it is twenty one years of age shall receive A third share of the remainder of my effects after funeral expenses and all other reasonable expenses are paid I likewise give to my wife Ellen Porter the Interest of her Childs Money till it arrives at the age of twenty one years the Money to be put into the Savings Bank by the Executors but if this Child shall at any time be Sick the Executors are empowered to allow its Mother something out of the Stock belonging to the said Child as long as it continues sick if they think proper but if the child shall at any time happen to Die its share shall be equally divided between its other Brother and Sister by the Fathers side after its Funeral Expenses are paid except the executors think proper to Allow My wife Ellen Porter a share of the Child’s Money if it Happens to Die before it arrives at twenty one years if she continues in the same name Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Porter A third share of my effects after Funeral and all other reasonable expenses are paid the money to be put in the Savings Bank by the Executors till she is twenty one Years of Age the Interest to be paid to her by the Executors but if she is at any time Sick or in Want the Executors are empowered to Allow her something out of the Stock if they think proper as long as she continues sick but if at ant time she happens to die her share to be divided among her other Brothers or Brother and Sister by the Father’s side after the Funeral Expenses Item I give and Bequeath unto my son James Porter A third share of my Effects after Funeral and all other reasonable expenses are paid also the good will of the Farm where I now live also the good will of the Farm that I now hold at the Stone Heads to commence the May after my decease the Wheat to be valued as is customary and take a third share as before mentioned but if any of these parties are dissatisfied the Executors are empowered to cut them off with one shilling the money to be divided among the other share living and lastly I ordain and appoint William Warren and James Gaskell full and Sole Executors is my last Will and Testament not doubting but that they will faithfully discharge this my trust in them.
Signed John Porter
Witnessed James Handford William Warren (mark) James Gaskell
Testator died the eleventh day of August 1833
Probate issued 6 February 1834
11 February 1834 William Warren and James Gaskell made oath that the personal effects were under £200
Updated: 10 February 2007