The will of Elizabeth Olive, spinster of Frome, Somerset

Elizabeth Olive was the daughter of John Olive and Ann Rossiter. She was baptised on 25th September 1778 in Frome, Somerset. She did not marry and died in March 1845 in Frome. This will is of particular interest to Cruse researchers because Elizabeth’s niece Mary Olive (born about 1792) married John Cruse on 7th June 1815 in Devizes, Wiltshire. John Cruse was the son of Jeremiah Cruse the land surveyor (1758-1819) by his first wife Mary Masey (1760-1810). John was born on 23rd December 1788 in Frome and baptised on 12th April 1789 in Rode, Somerset. John Cruse and Mary Olive had five daughters, only three of whom seem to have survived to adulthood: Mary Ann, Henrietta and Frances. Elizabeth Olive leaves bequests in her will to her three Cruse nieces. The original will can be found in the Documents Online collection on the National Archives website (reference PROB 11/2018). This transcription is taken from an anonymous typed transcription which was kindly provided by Robert Cruse.

Proved 7th May 1845

Testator: Elizabeth OLIVE, Spinster of Frome Swd

£10 to my faithful servant Phillis HOBBS if living in my service when I die

19 guineas to The Frome Ladies Charitable Society

19 guineas to The Frome Sunday School under the direction of the Clergy of the Established Church

19 guineas to The Frome Infant Schools

19 guineas to The Church Missionary Society

19 guineas to The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts

all my furniture and other articles of domestic use in my house at Weymouth, also all my mourning and family rings to Rev. John OLIVE, Clerk of Hollingly, Sussex

my watch, my pianoforte and all my wearing apparel to my niece Mary Ann CRUSE, but if she dies before me my wearing apparel to be shared equally between her two sisters Henrietta CRUSE and Frances CRUSE

all my remaining trinkets to Frances SIMPSON w/o Rev. George Philip SIMPSON of Brent, Soms

all my books to be divided equally between the said Mary Ann CRUSE, Henrietta CRUSE and Frances CRUSE

the closes of land called Long Paddock and Edge Mead, which is divided into two paddocks, near but not immediately adjoining Long Paddock but adjoining Cuckoo Lane and in the occupation of Mr William STEEDS, and my other acre of land in common with other land in Birchell Lane, late in the occupation of James CLASE and now of Miss CLASE, all in the P[ari]sh of Frome, to the said Rev. John OLIVE

to my Ex[ecut]ors £1,000 consolidated stock in consolidate[d] bank annuities, part of a sum in my name in the Bank of England, on trust:

- to pay the dividends to Frances SIMPSON, and after her death to George Philip SIMPSON and after their death shared equally between any children of Frances SIMPSON as they reach 21 or die under that age having been married .to pay the interest on two of the Frome Turnpike Trust Tickets which I hold and £50 to the said Mary Ann CRUSE and after her death to any surviving husband she might have and for all her children as they reach 21

- a Black Son [?] ticket I hold and £50 on the same trusts in favour of Henrietta CRUSE

- the other ticket and £50 on the same trusts in favour of Frances CRUSE

all the residue of the estate and effects to the said John OLIVE of Beckington, the said Rev. John OLIVE and the said Edmund Crabb OLIVE on trust to invest it and pay the income to William OLIVE, Gentleman of Beckington, and after his death to his wife Mary Ann OLIVE, and after both their deaths to all William OLIVE's children as they reach 21 or die earlier having been married

Ex[ecut]ors may apply for the advancement in the world of any of the children presumptively entitled to the above legacies any sum up to half their presumptive share

Ex[ecut]ors: John OLIVE esq. of Beckington and Edmund Crabb OLIVE esq. of Frome Signed: 11 Aug 1842
Witnesses: William C. CRUTWELL, Sol[icito]r, Frome; Ambrose READ, Clerk to Messrs OLIVE & CRUTTWELL, Sol[icito]rs, Frome

Codicil: revoking the bequest of £ 1.000 stock in consolidated bank annuities to Ex[ecut]ors in trust for her niece Frances SYMPSON w/o George Philip SYMPSON, her husband and children, and bequeathing to her Ex[ecut]ors £800 of this stock on the same trusts
£66 13s 4d of this stock to each of her three nieces, Mary Ann CRUSE. Henrietta Cruse and Frances CRUSE
revoking the bequest of all her trinkets to Frances SYMPSON and giving them to her niece Mary Ann CRUSE
all the bed and table linen in Test[atr]ix's dwelling house to Mary Ann CRUSE

Signed: 13 Mar 1845

Witnesses: Alfred DANIEL, Clerk. Frome; James COLTER [?], Clerk to Mr CRUTWELL. Sol[icito]r, Frome

Proved: 7 May 1845 at Prerogative Court of Canterbury London by John OLIVE and Edmund Crabb OLIVE esquires, nephews and ex[ecut]ors