This is the last Will and Testament of me John HOUSE of Hilton in the County of Dorset Blacksmith made and published this Twenty Eighth day of March in the year of our Lord one Thousand seven Hundred and seventy one

FIRST I give unto Susanna, Elizabeth and Ann, the three daughters of my brother George HOUSE, the sum of five pounds each to be paid unto them by my Executrix hereinafter named at their respective Ages of Twenty one years

ALSO I give unto Sarah the wife of my Brother Francis HOUSE one Guinea

ALSO I give unto William the son of Simon THOMAS of Hilton the sum of five pounds to be paid to him at the age of Twenty one years by my said Executrix or if his Father shall bind him an Apprentice to any Trader, it is my desire that the said Five pounds shall be paid towards his being bound

AND LASTLY I give unto Mary FONE of Harfoot Lane within the Parish of Melcombe Horsey in the said County of Dorset Widow, for whom I have a great regard and esteem my Two Gold Rings and Silver Spoons, also all my Household Goods, Linen and Furniture and my money and my securities for money and all other my personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever

AND do hereby constitute and appoint the said Mary FONE sole Executrix of this my last Will and Testament and do hereby revoke all former Wills by me made

IN witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written

John HOUSE

Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said Testator for and as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who subscribed our names as witnesses in his presence and at his request

Daniel WHITE

John HART

ALSO I give unto Ann the wife of the above-named Simon THOMAS the sum of Fifteen Pounds to be paid her by my Executrix above-named within Twelve months … after my decease, and I decide this to be a Codicill to my Will above written and as part thereof Witness my hand the day and year above written

John HOUSE

Witnesses

Daniel WHITE

John HART

[NB: all three men signed their names]

Biographical Notes:

1. John HOUSE, son of Joseph HOUSE & Ann CREVIT, was christened 5th January 1709 at Hilton and buried there on 27th October 1771. He married Mary ELKINS at Hilton on 25th December 1732. They had two daughters, Elizabeth christened at Hilton on 21st January 1733/4 and buried on 16th September 1753, and Ann christened at Hilton 3rd Jul 1735 (date of death unknown, but probably before her father as she is not mentioned in his will). Mary ELKINS pre-deceased her husband and was buried at Hilton on 10th July 1764.

2. George HOUSE, son of Joseph HOUSE & Ann CREVIT, was christened 6th October 1714 at Hilton and buried there on 12th March 1779. He married Susannah HOUSE (daughter of William & Eleanor HOUSE of Hartfoot Lane) at Hilton on 17th November 1740. They had three sons (John in 1741, George in 1743 and William in 1749) and the three daughters mentioned in John’s will, Susannah HOUSE christened at Melcombe Horsey on 27th July 1752 (later the wife of William RIGGS), Betty HOUSE christened at Hilton 30th June 1755 (later the wife of Samuel FUDGE) and Anne HOUSE christened at Melcombe Horsey on 8th March 1761. From the Settlement Examination of George’s son John at Corfe Castle on 2nd January 1772, we know that George HOUSE was a Carpenter.

3. Francis HOUSE, son of Joseph HOUSE & Mary CREVIT, was christened 14th February 1715/6 at Hilton and buried there on 11th January 1789. He married Sarah FOOKS at Milton Abbas on 26th January 1748/9. They had five children – William (1749), Benjamin (1751), Elizabeth (1754), Anne (1755) and Joseph (1757) – the last of whom died in infancy. Sarah HOUSE née FOOKS was buried at Hilton on 22nd April 1787 and Francis HOUSE shortly thereafter at Melcombe Horsey on 11th January 1789.

4. Simon THOMAS, son of John & Elizabeth THOMAS, was christened at Hilton on 18 December 1738. After fathering a child by Ann STICKLAND (Thomas, christened at Hilton on 3rd March 1760 and buried on 12th Mar 1760), he settled down and married Ann FOIN at Melcombe Horsey on 23rd March 1767. They had a son, William, christened at Melcombe Horsey on 22nd January 1768 and this is probably the child referred to in the will. Later they had a daughter, Mary, christened at Hilton on 11th December 1774, and another son, Charles, christened at Hilton on 3rd December 1780. From the parish register, we know that Simon was a farmer and he was buried at Hilton on 19th August 1786.

5. Mary FONE was probably the widow of Innkeeper George FOIN of Hartfoot Lane who was buried at Melcombe Horsey on 20th December 1763 and the mother of the Ann FOIN who married Simon THOMAS. She quite possibly had a son called John FOIN who was buried at Melcombe Horsey on 29 November 1778. Mary herself was buried at Melcombe Horsey on 14th February 1781.