HER WILL: Dated 21 Sep 1761 : Codicil dated 15 May 1762: Codicil dated 17th Nov 1766: Proved 29th Nov 1771

This is the Last Will and Testament of me Ann ARDEN of Dorchester in the county of Dorset, Spinster made and published this 21st day of September in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and sixty one. In the name of God Amen I do hereby give my soul to Almighty God through the merits of Jesus Christ, and commit my body to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executrixes hereinafter named and as to my effects I do hereby dispose thereof as followeth:-

First:-I give to my neice Mrs Mary RICHARDS and to my nephews and neices Mr William CHURCHILL, Mr Christopher CHURCHILL, Mrs Mary CHURCHILL, Miss Ann CHURCHILL, Miss Elizabeth NELSON, & Miss Martha NELSON One Hundred Pounds a piece , And

I give: to my nephew Mr George ARDEN and to Mrs Frances ARDEN his wife Ten Guineas a piece, And

I give: to their children George and Mary ARDEN Fifty pounds a piece, but I direct that my said nephew Christopher CHURCHILL shall have the direction and laying out of the said two fifty pounds legacies to the said George and Mary ARDEN until they respectively attain their several ages of one and twenty years when the said legacies and their produce thereof from the time of my death shall become payable, And

I give: to my nephew Christopher ARDEN One Hundred and Fifty pounds, And

I give: to my said neice Mary RICHARDS my best diamond ring and my garnet ring set with four diamonds, And

I give: to my said neice Mary CHURCHILL my emerald ring set with diamonds & my garnet hoop ring, And

I give: to my said neice Martha NELSON my watch & China and my Tea spoons and Tea tongs, And

I give: to my said neices Mary CHURCHILL and Martha NELSON all my wearing apparel, except only my taffaty gown which I give to my said neice Mary RICHARDS and except such parts of the same as my executors shall think proper to distribute amongest the servants in house at the time of my death to each of which servants I also give one guinea a piece, And

I give: to my nephew George ARDEN all my share and proiperty in the brewhouse and stable now in his possession, And

I give: to my said neice Martha NELSON my double chest of drawers, And

I give: to Ruth CARTER one Guinea And

[I give:] to to the poor of the parish of St Peter in Dorchester five pounds and to the poor of the parishes of [Holy] Trinity and All Saints there fifty shillings a piece, And

I do Hereby Direct: that my aforesaid legacies shall be paid in half a year after my death, And

I Desire : that all my aquaintenances may have gloves at my funeral, though not expected to attend, And

Lastly: that All the Rest and Remainder of my estate and effects whatsoever and wheresoever, not hereinbefore disposed of , I do hereby Give to my said neices Mary RICHARDS, Mary CHURCHILL and Martha NELSON and I do hereby constitute them joint Executrixes of this my last Will and Testament revoking all former ones by me made.

In Witness: whereof I have hereto set my hand & seal the day and year first above written

Ann ARDEN

Signed sealed published and declared [by] the testatrix as her last Will and Testament in the presence of us Susanna Jerrard, R Lumley Kingston


CODICIL : Dated 15 May 1762

I Ann ARDEN within named do hereby make this Codicil to my last Will & Testament within written and do hereby direct that it shall be of equal force as if inserted therein (Vizt)

In case either of the within named named George and Mary the children of my nephew George ARDEN shall die before his or her legacy of fifty pounds within given to the said George and Mary shall become payable

Then I do hereby give the legacy of him or her so dying to the survivor of them, and in case both of them the said George and Mary the children shall die before their respective legacies of fifty pounds shall become payable

Then I do hereby give both their legacies to their brother Christopher ARDEN to be managed and disposed of for his benefit in the same manner as is within directed with respect to the said George and Mary supposing they should live to be entitled, And



I give: the Cabinet in the room where I now lie to my within named cousin Mrs Mary RICHARDS

In Witness: whereof I have hereto set my hand & seal the 15th Day of May 1762

Ann ARDEN

Signed sealed published and declared [by] the testatrix as her last Will and Testament in the presence of us Susanna Jerrard, R Lumley Kingston


CODICIL : Dated 17 Nov 1766

November ye 17th (1766) Item: I give to all my grand nephews and neices ye [sum of] five pounds each there being thirteen of them in number,

Witness: my hand Ann ARDEN

Witnesses Martha NELSON and Mary RICHARDS




RENUNCIATION : Dated 21 Nov 1771

KNOW: All men by these presents that We Mary RICHARDS & Mary CHURCHILL two of the executrixes named in t5he Last Will and Testament of Ann ARDEN Late of Dorchester in the county of Dorset deceased for divers good causes and considerations us hereto especially moving do hereby renounce the burden of the execution of the said Will and to the end that this our Renunciation may have its due effect in Law, We do hereby nominate constitute and appoint Thomas Fitzherbert Notary Public to be our true and lawful proctor for us, and in our names to appear before John WALKER Clerk Master of the Archdeacon of the Archdeaconry of Dorset his surrogate or some other competent Judge in his behalf to exhibit this our proxy of renunciation of the execution of the said Will as aforesaid, and to pray the same to be admitted and enacted and we do hereby promise to allow for him and valid at and whatsoever our said procrtor shall lawfully do, orcause to be done for us, and in our names in and touching the premises.

In Witness: whereof we have hereto set our hands & seals the 21st Day of November 1771

Mary RICHARDS - Mary CHURCHILL

Signed and sealed by the said Mary RICHARDS being first duly stamped in the presence of us William Floyer; Mary Symonds;

Signed and sealed by the said Mary CHURCHILL being first duly stamped in the presence of us Elizabeth Nelson; Ann Churchill

PROBATE : Dated [29th] Nov 1771 [Note:- Partly obscured but standard wording]

[On the 29th] day of November 1771 this Will & Codicils annexed of Ann ARDEN deceased
[was proved by] the Oaths of Martha NELSON one of the executrixes above named to whom
[Administrat]ion of all and singular the goods chattles and credits of the said deceased
[was granted] she being first duly sworn well and faithfully to administer the
[same also to e] xhibit a true and perfect Inventory thereof into the Registry of the
[Archdeacon of ] Dorset and render a just account thereon when thereto lawfully
[required. Mary ] RICHARDS & Mary CHURCHILL the other executrixes having first renounced

Sworn before me John HUBBOCK Surrogate

Genealogical Notes :

(1) Ann ARDEN is the 6th child of Daniel ARDEN Senior (1652-1723)