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Facts and Events
William Loxley’s origins are unclear. His mother was Jane Loxley, formerly Holland, but his father’s name is not certain. He had an aunt called Mary Holland and a brother called Francis, but otherwise little is known about his childhood family.
William’s first confirmed sighting is on 23rd November 1705, when he married Ann Honibourn at Cropthorne in Worcestershire.
William and Ann appear to have had at least six children together, with five of them being baptised at Cropthorne between 1707 and 1718. It has yet to be established when or where their daughter Mary was born, but she is named in William’s will.
Their eldest son, Richard, died when he was only three years old in 1710. Their daughter Margaret died as a young woman of 21 in 1740, and their son Francis died aged 38 in 1752. Therefore only three of William and Ann’s children outlived them.
In 1739 William’s aunt Mary Holland died in London. She was a spinster and appears to have been quite wealthy. She left numerous bequests to members of her extended family, and also left money which was to be used for building and running a school for poor children at Cropthorne, where she had been born. She appointed three of her nephews, one being William, to act as trustees of the school and overseeing its establishment, alongside the churchwardens of Cropthorne.
William wrote his will on 26th December 1755. He described himself as a yeoman, and refers to owning land in Cropthorne and two houses on Oat Street in the nearby town of Evesham, along with various pieces of farming equipment and financial investments. He also made provision for the continued operation of the school he had helped establish at Cropthorne as one of the trustees of his aunt’s will.
William also made provision in his will for an income of twelve pounds a year to be provided to Ann should she outlive him, but as it happened she did not. In fact, she died shortly after he wrote his will, being buried at Cropthorne just eleven days later, on 6th January 1756. The burial record does not say how old she was, but they had been married for fifty years. William survived her by nearly three years.
References
- Church of England. Prerogative Court of Canterbury, and Ancestry.com (comp.). England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 [database]. (Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, 2013)
Class PROB11; Piece 850.
In the Name of God Amen I William Loxley in the Parish of Cropthorn in the County of Worcester Yeoman being of sound disposing Mind and Memory and of good understanding thanks be to God for it do make and declare this to be my last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say First and Principally I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God my Creator and Redeemer of all my Sins through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to inherit Everlasting Life and as for that worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me with I dispose of the same in Manner following Viz. Imprimis my Mind and Will is that I give and bequeath unto my loving Wife twelve Pounds a year to be paid out of the Estate formerly Lenards during her natural Life and my Mind and Will is that I give and bequeath to my Son William Loxley Senior all that Estate formerly Joseph Lenards in Cropthorne and the two houses in the Oats Street in Evisham to him and his Heirs for ever and my mind and Will is that I give to my Son William Loxley all my Carts Waggons Plows and Harrows and all other Implements of Husbandry and further my mind and that I give and bequeath to my Son Will[ia]m Loxley all my Goods and Chattels belonging to my House except what my loving Wife shall have Occasion for during her natural Life and after her Decease to go to my Son William Loxley and his Heirs and that little Stock I have by me I give to my Son William Loxley at my decease and my Mind and Will is that I give and bequeath unto my Son William Loxley all that Mortgage I have of Richard Reeas Estate of Elmly Castle and likewise the Interest if there is any due at my decease my Mind and Will is that I give bequeath to my Daughter Mary Adams a Bond due to me of one hundred Pounds for her use during her Life and after her decease to her Children this hundred Pounds before mentioned to be given to her daughter Mary Adams there being one hundred Pounds Capital Bank Stock in my Hands which I dispose of as follows which I give and bequeath to my Daughter Mary Adams forty Pounds when sold and likewise ten Pounds out of a Mortgage of Francis Adams's Estate of Charlton in the County aforesaid the forty Pounds out of the aforesaid Bank Stock and the ten Pounds out of Fra[ncis] Adams's Mortgage I Give and bequeath to my Daughters Son John Adams she having the use of it during her Life he having nothing to do with it but to be left in the care of Executors my Mind and Will is that I give and bequeath to my Daughter Ann Dingley of Charlton in the County aforesaid my hundred Pounds Capital Bank Stock before mentioned paying to my Daughter Mary Adams forty Pounds out of it clear of all Charges my Son Francis Dingley Selling it after my decease my Mind and Will is that I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Ann Dingley one hundred Pounds bore besides the Bank Stock to her and her Children and the half of the Mortgage which is in the hands of Francis Adams of Charlton aforesaid there being a large Looking Glass in the Parlour I give to my Daughter Adams my mind and Will is that when the Bank Stock is sold that that my Son William Loxley shall pay to my Brother Francis Loxley forty Shillings a year during his natural Life according to my Aunt Hollands Will deceased Item my Mind and Will is I being the last Executor and Executrix of the last Will and Testament of my Aunt Mary Holland deceased of St Bartholomews Close London and I being the last Executor and Executrix and Trustee to the said School at Cropthorne in the County aforesaid built at her Desire my Mind and Will is that there being two hundred Pounds Capital Bank Stock standing in the Name of Mary Holland deceased which the Interest or Dividend having been paid to the said School for the use and Behoof of the abovesaid School by the Consent and Agreement of her Executors and Trustees ever since the Decease of the abovesaid Mary Holland my mind and Will is that the two hundred Pounds Capital Bank Stock be continued in the Bank of England for the Use and Behoof of the aboves[ai]d School for ever and that my Executors Warrant shall be a sufficient Discharge to the Bank to receive the Interest from the Bank and their Executors after them Item my Mind and Will is that I do appoint and declare my Son William Loxley and my Son Francis Dingley sole Executors and Executrex of this my last Will and Testament and I do give my son Francis Dingley five Guineas for his Trouble my funeral Expences being paid I do hereby revoke and declare all former Wills made by me void and of none Effect and I do hereby declare and publish this to be my last Will and Testament in Witness hereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal I give and bequeath to my Servant Elizabeth Stonall thirty shillings and I give what Goods and Chattels remain after my decease to my Son William Loxley and his heirs December the 26 1755 my Mind and Will is that my Brother Hunibon shall be Trustee to this my last Will and Testament the Mark of William Loxley Signed Sealed and Published and declared to be the last Will and Testament of the above named William Loxley in the Presence of us whose Names are hereunto subscribed at his Desire and in his Presence. William Hawker Josiah Baylis Thomas Baldin
This Will was proved at London the seventh day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and fifty nine before the Right Worshipfull Edward Simpson Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of William Loxley the son of the Deceased and one of the Executors named in the said Will to whom Administration was granted of all and singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said Deceased he having been first sworn by Commission duly to administer. Power reserved to make the like Grant to Francis Dinely the other Executor when he shall apply for the same.
[In margin] Proved at London the 11th Day of Jan[ua]ry 1772 before the Judge by the Oath of Francis Dinely otherwise Dingley the other Ex[ecuto]r to whom Adm[inistrati]on was granted having been first sworn by Com[missi]on duly to Administer
- ↑ England. National Burial Index.
bur. 21 Nov 1758, Cropthorne, Worcestershire: William Loxly
Needs to be confirmed at Worcestershire Record Office.
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