Person:Joel Edwards (1)

From LDS disk

The text of Joel's will:

This is the last Will and Testament of me Joel Edwards of Gloucester Place Kentish Town in the County of Middlesex Esquire

I give devise and bequeath unto my three sons John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards of Hanover Street in the County of Middlesex Tailors their heirs executors and administrators All and singular my freehold and copyhold messuages lands tenements and hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever situate with their rights members and appurtenances except my messuage in Gloucester Place in which I now reside and except such freehold or copyhold estates as at the time of my decease shall be vested in me In trust or by way of mortgage and also All and every my leasehold messuages lands tenements and hereditaments except such leasehold estates as at the time of my decease shall be vested in me by way of mortgage with their respective appurtenances to hold the same unto and to the use of the said John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards their heirs executors administrators and assigns according to the nature and qualities of the said estates respectively upon trust that the said John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards and the survivors and survivor of them and the heirs executors and administrators of such survivor do and shall with all convenient speed after my decease with the consent of my Wife as after mentioned absolutely sell and dispose of all that said freehold copyhold and leasehold hereditaments hereinbefore devised and bequeathed either entirely or altogether or in parcels by public auction or private contract to any person or persons willing to become the purchaser or purchasers thereof respectively for such price or prices sum or sums of money as to my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being shall deem reasonable with full liberty to purchase in the same at any such public auction without liability for any loss to be insured thereby and do and shall [-and] and be possessed of the monies to arise or be produced by any such sale or sales upon the trusts intents and purposes and with under and subject to the powers provisoes and declarations hereinafter expressed and declared of and remaining the same I also give and bequeath all and singular my goods chattels monies and securities for money debts and all other my personal estate and effects whatsover and wheresoever and of what nature or kindsover except my furniture as after mentioned which I or any person or persons In trust for use or for my benefit shall be possessed of or interested in at the time of my decease unto the said John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards their executors administrators and assigns To hold the same according to the several natures and qualities thereof upon the trusts following that is to say upon trust to collect and get in such part of my estate and effects as shall consist of money or securities for money and as to my messuages or tenement in which I now reside with the furniture and effects therein to permit and suffer my Wife to occupy and enjoy the same to and for her own use and benefit during her life she my said Wife keeping the said messuage and premises in good tenantable repair but not to be subject to the payment of any cost rates or taxes for the same which are to be paid or allowed by my said Trustees and also that my said Wife shall not be accountable for any damage or loss to such furniture and effects during her occupation and enjoyment thereof And I hereby declare that the said John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards and the survivors and survivor of them and the heirs executors and administrators respectively of such survivor shall stand and be possessed of and interested in the monies which shall come to their hands or arise or be produced by any sale or sales of my said freehold copyhold and leasehold estates hereinafterbefore devised and bequeathed as aforesaid and of and in the monies to arise and be produced by the sale disposition calling in and conversion of my personal estate and of and in so much of my personal estate as shall consist of money upon and for the trusts incomes and purposes and with under and subject to the powers provisoes and declarations hereinafter expressed and contained of and remaining the same that is to say upon trust that my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being do and shall pay satisfy and discharge all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and the costs charges and expenses of the sales and dispositions hereinbefore directed to be made and of carrying into execution (?) the trusts of this my Will and do and shall lay out and invest so much of the said several monies as shall remain after answering the several purposes aforesaid in their or his names or name in the Parliamentary stocks or public funds of Great Britain or at interest upon Government or in real securities in England or Wales and also do and shall after and vary and transpose from time to time the said trust monies stocks and funds and securities for into and upon other stocks funds and securities of a like nature but so that every such investment laying out and alteration variation and transposition shall during the life of my said Wife be made with her consent in writing and from and after her decease at the discretion of my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being And I do hereby declare that my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being do and shall stand and be possessed of and interested in the said trust monies stocks funds and securities and the interest dividends and annual produce thereof upon trust that my said trustees or trustee for the time being do and shall with and out of the said interest dividends and annual produce of the said trust monies stocks funds and securities pay unto my said Wife during her life one clear annuity or annual sum of four hundred pounds clear of all property tax and all deductions whatsoever to be paid by quarterly payments the first quarterly payment thereof to become due and be payable on the second quarter day after my death and I direct my said trustees or trustee for the time being out of the money stocks or funds standing in their names or name or out of such other monies as may come to their hands or be received by them to pay to my daughter Hannah the Wife of Richard Edwards to and for her own sole and separate use the sum of twenty shillings per week weekly and every week during the lifetime of my said Wife and that the receipt of the said Hannah shall alone be sufficient discharge to my said Trustees or Trustee and after the death of my said Wife then to pay the said Hannah Edwards in like manner the weekly sum of thirty shillings weekly and every week for her sole use as aforesaid and I do hereby give [---] to my said Trustees the sum of one thousand seven hundred and sixty five pounds fourteen shillings and five pense to and for the use and benefit of my said daughter Hannah and do direct them as soon as convenient after the death of my said Wife to lay out and invest the same out of the monies stocks or securities in their hands or under their control in Government or real securities to and for the sole use and benefit of the said Hannah Edwards and to be free from the control of her present or future husband and when and so soon as the said sum of one thousand seven hundred and sixty five pounds fourteen shillings and five pence shall be so invested as aforesaid and my said daughter Hannah shall be in the receipt of the interest and dividends thereon then I direct the weekly annuity hereinbefore given and payable shall cease and become void and from and after the death of my said daughter Hannah I direct my said Trustees to divide the said sum of one thousand seven hundred and sixty five pounds fourteen shillings and five pence amongst all and every the child and children of the said Hannah Edwards as shall be living at the time of her death and as they severally obtain their age or ages of twenty one years but in case of their being no child or children as aforesaid or being any and they should die before attaining their age aforesaid then I give and bequeath the said sum of one thousand seven hundred and sixty five pounds fourteen shillings and five pence to and amongst my other daughters Emma Mary and Harriet or their issue And I do hereby direct my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being at their discretion to get in a certain Promissory Note for one thousand pounds from James Williams Boyle if the same shall be in my possession at the time of my death and in the meantime and until the same is paid off by the said James Williams Boyle to receive the interest thereof and apply the same as part of my residnary (?) estate and in case the said James Williams Boyle shall at any time before the said Note shall become due be desirous of paying off the said Note then I direct my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being to receive the same and lay out and invest the said one thousand pounds in Government or real securities as aforesaid and to pay the interest and dividends thereof unto my daughter Emma the Wife of said James Williams Boyle during her life to and for her sole use and benefit and free from the control of her present or any future husband and her receipt shall be alone a sufficient discharge for my said Trustees or Trustee and after the death of my said daughter Emma then to pay the said interest and dividends to the said James Williams Boyle to and for his own use and benefit during his life and after his death the said sum of one thousand pounds to be for the benefit of each of their children as shall be living at the death of the survivor of them the said Emma and James Williams Boyle or each of them as shall have attained their ages of twenty one years to be equally divided amongst and between them share and share alike And I direct my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being out of the stocks dividends and other monies which may be invested and standing in their names or name or be received by them from any other source to lay out and invest to and for the use and benefit of my daughter Mary the sum of three thousand pounds and after the death of my said Wife to pay the interest and dividends thereof to my said daughter Mary for her own sole and separate use during her life and in case she should marry then such dividend and interest to be paid to her for her own sole and separate use free from the control of any husband with whom she may after marry and after her death the same sum of three thousand pounds to be for the benefit of any child or children she may have living at the time of her death but in case she shall remain single and unmarried or being married shall die without lawful issue then that the said sum of three thousand pounds and all interest or dividends thereon and all accumulations arising therefrom shall be at her own disposal by any Will or deed to be by her legally executed but in case my said Trustees or Trustee shall not have received from my estate and effects sufficient money to invest the said sum of three thousand pounds then my said trustees or trustee for the time being shall pay unto my said daughter Mary the sum of seventy five pounds per annum by equal quarterly payments the first payment thereof to be paid on the quarter day next after my decease and after the death of my said Wife and until such sum of three thousand pounds shall be so invested as aforesaid
Upon trust to pay to my said daughter Mary the clear yearly sum of one hundred and fifty pounds by quarterly payments the first payment thereof to be made at the quarter day next after the death of my said Wife And I hereby further declare that my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being shall out of the monies in their hands or under their [----] and benefit of my daughter Harriet the Wife of John Miller and do and shall after my decease pay the interest or dividends thereof to the said Harriet Miller for her own use and in case the said Harriet Miller or her husband John Miller shall require the payment of such sum of money then I direct that as to one thousand pounds part thereof they my trustees or trustee shall out of the stocks funds securities or other monies pay to the said John Miller in right (?) of his Wife the said sum of one thousand pounds by instalments [sic]of two hundred and fifty pounds each at six twelve eighteen and twenty four months on receiving notice in writing requiring the same to be paid in that way after my death And as to the remaining sum of one thousand pounds the same may be called in after the payment of the said first mentioned sum of one thousand pounds and shall be paid by my said trustees or trustee for the time being after the death of my said Wife by the like instalments and on receiving the like notice as is directed for copayment of the first one thousand of the said sum of two thousand pounds for the first instalment of two hundred and fifty pounds not being demanded or to be paid until six months after the payment of the last instalment of the said first sum of one thousand pounds as aforesaid And I further direct that my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being immediately after the death of my said Wife to make sale and dispose of all my household furniture goods chattels and affects (except my carriage and horse) which I have hereinbefore given to my said Wife for her life for the best price and most money that can be obtained for the same unless my said trustees or trustee or either of them shall wish to take such furniture and effects at a valuation in the usual way for his or their own use and benefit which I hereby authorize and permit them to do and that they shall and do forthwith divide the produce of such sale of valuation unto and equally between my said four daughters Hannah, Emma, Mary and Harriet share and share alike to and for their own use and benefit (except as to the share of my said daughter Hannah which I do hereby direct to be added to the money hereinbefore given to my said Trustees for her use and benefit and to be laid out and invested by them upon the same trusts as directed for the other money bequeathed to her and to be at their own disposal And I further direct my said Trustees or Trustee for the time being after the death of my said Wife to make sale and dispose of my house and premises in Gloucester Place aforesaid for the best price that can be obtained for the same either by public sale or private contract and the monies arising from the sale thereof to form part of my said property and to be laid out and invested in like manner as my other property and upon the same trusts as hereinbefore mentioned as to my other estate and effects with the like powers and authorities to my said Trustees to effect such sale And as to All the Rest Residue and Remainder of my said Estate and Effects real and personal and of what nature or kind soever and whatsoever situate I give devise and bequeath the same unto my said three sons John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards and to their heirs executors administrators and assigns to and for their own sole and separate use and benefit to be divided amongst and between them in equal parts and shares provided always and I hereby further declare that no sale of any part of my freehold copyhold or leasehold messuages lands and hereditaments devised and bequeathed shall take place during the life of my said Wife without her request and direction in writing and that after her decease it shall be lawful for the said Trustees or Trustee for the time being to delay the sale of the said messuages lands and hereditaments or any part thereof for such period as he and they shall think fit And I do hereby nominate and appoint the said John Scarr Edwards Joe Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards Executors of this my last Will and Testament And I declare that the receipt or receipts in writing of the said John Scarr Edwards Joel Heywood Edwards and George Henry Edwards and the survivors and survivor of them or the executors or administrators of such survivor or the trustees or trustee for the time being acting in the execution of the trusts of this my Will shall effectually discharge the person or persons to whom the same shall be given from all liability on account of the misapplication or nonapplication nor shall such person or persons whether or purchaser of any part of my estates or for the receipt of any sum of money on any amount whatsoever be bound or concerned to see the application of the money therein respectively mentioned and acknowledged to be received or to enquire into the propriety expediency or necessity of such sale or sales as aforesaid And I do hereby authorize and empower my said Executors to pay any debts owing by me or claimed from me upon any such evidence as they shall think proper And I do hereby declare that if the said Trustees or Executors hereby appointed and nominated or any future trustee or trustees to be appointed in the stead or place of them or any of them as hereinafter mentioned shall happen to die or be desirous of being discharged of and from or refuse or decline or become incapable to act in the trusts hereby in them respectively reposed as aforesaid before the said trust shall be fully executed performed or discharged then and in such case and when and as often as the same shall happen it shall and may be lawful to and for the surviving and remaining trustees or trustee for the time being or the Executors or Adminstrators of the last surviving Trustee for the time being by any deed or deeds instrument or instruments in writing legally executed from time to time to nominate substitute and appoint any other person or persons to be a trustee or trustees in the place or stead of the trustees or trustee so dying or desiring to be discharged or refusing declining or becoming incapable to act as aforesaid and that when and so often as any new trustees or trustee shall be nominated as aforesaid all the trust monies and premises which shall be then vested in the trustees or trustee as dying or desiring to be discharged or refusing declining or becoming incapable to act as aforesaid either soley or jointly with the others of them shall be thereupon with all convenient speed conveyed assigned and transferred in such sort and manner and as the same shall and may be legally and effectually vested in the surviving and continuing trustees or trustee of the same trust estates monies and premises respectively and such now or other trustees or trustee or if there shall be as continuing trustee or trustees of the same trust estates monies and premises respectively then in such trustees only upon the same trusts as are hereinbefore declared of and concerning the same trust estates monies and premises respectively or such of them as shall or may be then subsisting and capable of taking effect and than any new trustee or trustees shall and may in all things act and assist in the management carrying on and execution of the trusts to which he or they shall be so appointed in conjunction with the other then surviving or continuing trustee or trustees of the same trust estate monies and premises respectively if there shall be any such continuing trustee or trustees if not then by himself or themselves as fully and effectually and with the same powers and authority as if he or they had been originally by this my Will nominated trustee or trustees anything herein contained to the [---] notwithstanding provided always and I do hereby declare that the several trustees hereby nominated and appointed or to be appointed by virtue of the proviso last hereinbefore contained and every of them and the heirs executors administrators and assigns of them and every of them shall be charged and chargeable respectively only for such monies as they shall respectively actually receive by virtue of the trusts hereby in them reposed notwithstanding his or their or any of their giving or signing or joining in giving or signing any receipt or receipts for the sale of conformity (?) and any one or more of them shall not be answerable or accountable for the other or others of them or for the acts receipts neglects or defaults of the other or others of them but every of them only for his and their own acts receipts neglects or defaults respectively and than any one or more of them shall not be answerable or accountable for any Banker Broker Auctioneer or other person with whom or in whose hands any part of the said trust monies shall or may be deposited or lodged for safe custody or otherwise in the execution of the trusts hereinbefore mentioned and that they or any one of them shall not be accountable or answerable for the insufficiency or deficiency of any security or securities stocks or funds in or upon which the said trust monies or any part thereof shall be placed out or invested nor for any other misfortune loss or damage which may happen in the execution of the aforesaid trusts or in relation thereto except the same shall happen by or through their own willful default respectively and also that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said trustees hereby named and such future trustee or trustees to be appointed as aforesaid and every of them their and every of their heirs executors administrators and assigns by and out of the monies which shall or may come to his or their respective hands by virtue of the trusts aforesaid to retain and reimburse himself and themselves respectively and also to allow to his and their cotrustee and co-trustees all costs charges damages and travelling or other expenses which they or any of them shall or may suffer sustain expend disburse at or be put unto in or about the execution of the aforesaid trusts in relation thereto I give to my sons James Allen Edwards and Frederick Howarth Edwards the sum of ten pounds each to purchase a ring (?) and as a proof of my affectionate regard for them giving as a reason for as other mention of their names in this my said Will my having already amply provided for them and my other sons And I do hereby revoke all former and other Wills by me at any time made and do declare this to be my last Will and Testament contained in eight sheets of paper In witness thereof I have subscribed my name to each sheet hereof this twelfth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty nine -- J. Edwards -- Signed by the said Joel Edwards in our presence who in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto-- Roger Damson 10 Newgate Street London John Peachy (?)4 George St. Hanover Square London

Proved at London the 5th March 1852 before the Worshipful James Packer (?) [---] [---] of [-]aros and Surrogate by the oaths of Joel Hey wood Edwards and George Henry Edwards the sons two of the Executors to whom Admen was granted having been first sworn duly to administer. Power reserved of making the like grant to John Scarr Edwards the son also the other Executor when he shall apply for the same.

In the margin it is written: Proved at London 15th (?) 187[-] by the oath of John Scarr Edwards the Son the [---] and surviving Executor to whom admin NA (?) granted. (I assume the above happened at the death of Hannah.)

Named in Will: Son John Scarr Edwards Son George Henry Edwards Son Joel Heywood Edwards Wife but no name Daughter Hannah, wife of Richard Edwards Emma, wife of James Williams Boyle Mary - not married Harriet, wife of John Miller Son James Allen Edwards Son Frederick Howarth Edwards

A note on the family business:

From the sword collector you found. Take a look at the years. Through 1943?

From SWORDS FOR SEA SERVICE by Commander W.E. May, R.N. & P.G.W. Annis: EDWARDS...London 1802-1828: Edwards, Joel; 9 Greville St, Hatton Garden 1829-1831: do.;2 Hanover Sq. 1832-1837: do., 9 Hanover Sq. 1838-1929: Edwards, Joel & Sons; do. 1930-1941: do., 13 Bruton St. 1942-1943: do., 5 Cork St. Tailor

From DIRECTORY OF AMERICAN MILITARY GOODS DEALERS & MAKERS 1785-1915 by Bazelon & McGuinn: Edwards, Joel, London. Military tailor from 1802 to 1828. The firm continued in the tailoring trade thru WWII. A sword was sold thru this firm for the American trade c. 1802. See Mowbray: THE AMERICAN-EAGLE POMMEL SWORD, p. 81

THE AMERICAN EAGLE-POMMEL SWORD - THE EARLY YEARS - 1794-1830 by E. Andrew Mowbray devotes 4 pages to Joel Edwards and 4 different swords are pictured. If your library does not have a copy, try an inter-library loan. If you decide that you would like to but the book, I do sell it.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Rick Wagner Quality Blade Books

1. ↑ Christening Record 12/03/1812 Cary St. New Court.
2. ↑ Will Image 722 Crown Public Records.