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This is the last Will and testament of / me Richard Rawes of Bromley in the county of Kent Schoolmaster
/ In the first place I desire to be interred on the south side of Bromley / Church in Fresh Ground in case
it is to be had And I order & direct / all my just debts & Funeral Expenses to be paid as soon as conveniently
/ may be after my desease I give to my wife Mary Rawes for her / own absolute use & benefit such part of my
plate linen china / household Furniture wines & liquors as she may think fit to / make choise of (I give &
desire to my said wife all those my three / several Messuages tenements or dwelling houses with the Gardens
& appurts thereunto belonging situate in Wigmore Lane in Bromley / aforesaid which I lately purchased from the
Exors of the late Mrs / Henley & which are now in the several tenures or occupations of / Mrs Stratton Mrs
Bunn & Mrs Hone To hold the same to my said wife / her heirs & assigns for ever) I give & bequeath to my
said wife the Sum / of Ten thousand pounds three per cent Consolidated Bank Annuities / and also the Sum of
three thousand pounds four per cent Annuities / for her own absolute use & benefit I also give & bequeath to
my said wife my Field or Close of Ground situate at Bromley aforesaid / called Bromley Field & which I hold
under Mrs Grange To hold the / same to my said wife & her assigns for so much of the tenure & Interest /I may
earn therein at the time of my decease as shall elapse during / her life and from & after the decease of my
said wife I give and / bequeath the said Field or Close of Ground to my Son Robert Booth Rawes / his Exors
Admons & assigns (I give & devise to my said Son Robert Booth / Rawes all my Freehold Messuages lands tenements
& heredit[ament]s / situate & being in the Parish of Bampton in the county of Westmorland / now in the several
tenures or occupations of John Sunpson[?] and Mrs / Thompson And also all that my Freehold Messuage or Tenement
/ situate at Bromley aforesaid now in the tenure or occupation of / Eaton Butcher together with the Garden & two
Field or Close / of land thereto belonging & now occupied therewith To hold the / said several Freeholds
Messuages or tenements & heredit[ament]s unto & / to the use of my said Son Robert Booth Rawes his heirs &
assigns / for ever) I give & bequeath to my said Son Robert Booth Rawes / all that my Leasehold Messuage or
tenement & dwelling house / situate at Bromley aforesaid in which I now reside with the school / house appurts
thereunto belonging And also all those my two leasehold Messuages tenements or dwelling houses with their /
respective appurts situate & being at Bromley aforesaid which / I hold of Lord Cwydor[?] & which are now in the
several tenures or occupations of               Sheppard and      
        Pearman And likewise all / that my leasehold Messuages or tenement situate at or near /
Bromley aforesaid called Church house with the Fields or closes / of land & appurts thereunto belonging & now in
the tenure or / occupation of Mr Chacklin as Farmer thereof To hold the said
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Leasehold Messuages or tenements & premises with their & every / of their appurts unto my said Son Robert Booth
Rawes his Exors / Admons & assigns for all such Estate & Interest as I may have therein / at the time of my
desease) I give & bequeath to my said Son / Robert Booth Rawes for his own absolute use & benefit my / Horses
Cattle Carts & Carriages and all other my live & dead Stock / whatsoever and also all such part of my plate
linen china / household Furniture wines & liquors as shall not be made / choise of my said wife I likewise give
& bequeath to my / said Son Robert Booth Rawes for his own absolute use and / benefit the Sum of One thousand
pounds five pounds per cent / Annuities and I give & bequeath to my Son Richard Rawes / all my share & Interest
(being one thirty seventh part / of the Northampton East Indiaman whereof Messrs Wilkinson and / Crosthwaite of
Fourthwich Street London and the Managing / Owners together with the Sum of three thousand eight hundred / &
fifty pounds three per cent reduced Annuities And all such / Sum of money as he my said Son Richard Rawes may /
stand indebted to me at the time of my decease And I order & direct / that in case my said Son shall happen to
die in my life time / that my personal representations for the time being shall not / demand the payment of
any of the said Sums from the heirs / Exors or Admons of my said Son but shall deliver up to his Exors / or
Admons all Securities for the same in order to their being / cancelled I give & bequeath to my Son William
Thompson / Rawes the Sum of Five thousand six hundred & fifty pounds / three per cent reduced Annuities for his
own absolute use and / benefit I give & bequeath to my said wife Mary Rawes & / my said Sons Robert Booth Rawes
& William Thompson / Rawes the Sum of three thousand eight hundred & fifty / pounds three per cent reduced
Annuities upon trust that they / my said wife & Sons & the Survivors & Survivor of them & the / Exors Admons &
Assigns of each Survivor shall & do pay the / Interest & dividends thereof as the same shall from time to /
time become due & payable into the hands of my daughter / Elizabeth Rebecca the wife of Mr Thomas Carey Palmer
during / her life or to each person or persons as she by any note or writing / under her hand (notwithstanding
her present or any future Coverture / or whether she may be sole or married) shall from time to / time (but not
by way of anticipation) appoint to receive the / same to the infant that the same may be for the sole exparate
/ use of my said daughter Elizabeth Rebecca Palmer & not / subject to the debts controul[sic] or Ingagements
of her present or / any future husband And I hereby declare that the receipts of / the said Elizabeth Rebecca
Palmer or of such person or persons as she shall so appoint to receive the same & her or their / receipts only
shall be good & sufficient discharges for the same / And from & after the decease of my said daughter I declare
& direct / that my said Wife & Sons Robert Booth Rawes & William Thompson / Rawes & the Survivors & Survivor of
them & the Exors Admons & / Assigns of each Survivor shall stand & be possessed of the said Sum / of three
thousand eight hundred & Fifty pounds three per cent / reduced Annuities & the Funds & Securities thereof upon
such trusts / & to & for such intents & purposes & under & subject to such powers / provisoes & declarations as
my said daughter Elizabeth Rebecca / Palmer notwithstanding her present or any future coverture and / whether
she shall be sole or married by her last will & Testament / in writing or any codicil or codicils thereto or by
any writing in the
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nature of or purporting to be her last will & Testament or codicil/ thereto to be by her signed & published in
the presence of & to be attached / by two or more credible witnesses shall direct or appoint and in / default of
such direction or appointment or as to such part or parts / of the said Sum of three thousand eight hundred &
Fifty pounds three / per cent reduced Annuities whereof no such direction or appointment / shall happen to be
made & also subject to such direction or appointment where / the same shall happen not to be a complete & entire
appointment of / the whole Interest & property therein Interest for such person or persons / of the Blood &
kindred of my said daughter Elizabeth Rebecca Palmer / living at the time of her decease as by virtue of the
Statute of / distributions would have become entitled to her personal Estate in / case she had died without
having been married & intestate & in / the same shares & proportions as he she or they would in that case / have
become entitled to the same I give & bequeath to my daughter / Mary Rawes the Sum of Five thousand six hundred &
Fifty pounds / three per cent consolidated Bank Annuities for her own absolute / use & benefit I give & bequeath
to my said wife Mary Rawes & my / said Sons Robert Booth Rawes & William \ Thompson Rawes the / Sum of six
hundred & sixty six pounds thirteen shillings & four / pence three per cent consolidated Bank Annuities upon
trust that they / my said wife & Sons & the survivors & survivor of them & the Exors / Admons & assigns of such
survivor shall & do stand & be possessed thereof / upon trust to pay the Interest & dividends thereof as the
same shall / from time to time become due & payable into the hands of the widow of my late Brother / Lanty Rawes
during her wife life in case she shall or long remain / unmarried or to such person or persons as she by any note
or writing / under her hand shall from time to time (but not by way of anticipation / appoint to receive the same
and I hereby declare that her receipt or the / receipts of the person or persons she shall so appoint to receive
the same / & her & their receipts only shall be good & sufficient discharges for the / same and from & after the
death or marriage again of the widow / of my said late Brother Lanty Rawes the said Sum of six hundred & / sixty
six pounds thirteen shillings & four pence three per cent consolidated / Bank Annuities shall fall into & be
considered as a part of my residuary / personal Estate I give & bequeath to my said wife & my Sons Robert / Booth
Rawes & William Thompson Rawes the Sum of three hundred / pounds five per cent Annuities upon trust that they my
said wife and / Sons & the survivors & survivor of them & the Exors Admons & assigns / of such survivor shall &
do pay the Interest & dividends thereof as the / same shall from time to time become due & payable into the hands
of / my Brother William Wilson Rawes or his assigns during his life or / otherwise to permit & suffer & authorize
& empower him & thereto / recover the same for his & their own use & benefit And from & after the / decease of my
said Brother William Wilson Rawes shall & do pay / the said Interest & dividends as the same shall from time to
time / become due & payable into the hands of Esther the wife of my said Brother / William Wilson Rawes during her
life or to such person or persons as / she by any note or writing under her hand (notwithstanding any future
coverture & whether she may be sole or married (shall from / time to time but not by way of anticipation) appoint
to receive the / same to the intent that the same may be for the sole & seperate / use of the said Esther Rawes &
not be subject to the debts controul[sic] or / engagements of any person with whom after the death of her present
/ husband she may happen to marry And I hereby declare that the / receipts of the said Esther Rawes or of such
person or persons as she shall / so appoint to receive the same * & from & after the decease of the
survivor / of them the said William Wilson Rawes & Esther his wife I declare & direct / that my said wife & Sons
Robert Booth Rawes & William Thompson / Rawes & the survivors & survivor of them & the Exors Admons & assigns
/ of such survivor shall stand & be possessed of the said Sum of three
* [The following is an insert from the margine:]
ie for & their receipts only shall be good & sufficient Discharge for the same
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hundred pounds five per cent Annuities upon trust for my Nephews / Richard Rawes & William Rawes (who now reside
with me) in equal shares & proportions I give & bequeath to my Exors / hereinafter named the sum of one hundred
pounds a piece over & above / what I have otherwise given them by this my will I give / & bequeath all the rest &
residue of my personal Estate & Effects / whatsoever & whomsoever unto & equally amongst my four / younger
children Richard Rawes William Thompson Rawes / Elizabeth Rebecca Palmer & Mary Rawes Nevertheless I / declare &
direct that the share of my said daughter Elizabeth / Rebecca Palmer in the said residue shall as soon as
conveniently may be after my decease be laid out & invested by my said wife / & Sons Robert Booth Rawes & William
Thompson Rawes in / their joint names upon real or Government Security at Interest / And I declare & direct that
they my said wife & Sons & the / survivors & survivor of them & the Exors Admons & assigns of / such survivor
shall stand & be possessed thereof upon such / & the same trusts & with under & subject to such & the same /
power of appointment & with each & the same limitation / over in default of appointment as are herein before
mentioned / expressed & declared of & containing the said Sum of three thousand / eight hundred & Fifty pounds
three per cent reduced Annuities / the Interest & dividends whereof are so given to or for the benefit / of my
said daughter Elizabeth Rebecca Palmer for her life as / aforesaid Provided always And I hereby declare & direct
that / in case I shall not at the time of my death be possessed of a / sufficient quantity of the several stocks
or Funds hereinbefore / mentioned to answer & satisfy the said several legacies thereof / then & in such case I
order & direct my Exors hereinafter / named to purchase & make good the difficiency out of my / residuary
personal Estate & Effects Provided always And I / hereby declare that in case any of my children shall die / in
my life time having lawful issue who shall be living / at my decease then & in such case the child or children of
/ every of them so dying shall take the legacy or bequest hereby / intended for him her or them so dying in equal
shares and / proportions nevertheless I hereby declare that nothing herein / contained shall extend to my Freehold
Estates so devised to my / said Son Robert Booth Rawes which in case of his death in my / life trust leaving
lawful Issue which shall be living at my decease / shall go to his issue at Law Provided always & I hereby
further / declare that notwithstanding any of the trusts aforesaid it shall / & may be lawful for my said wife &
Sons Robert Booth Rawes / & William Thompson Rawes |& the Survivors & Survivor of them / & the Exors & Admons of
such Survivor from time to time during / the life of my siad daughter Elizabeth Rebecca Palmer (with her /
consort in writing attested by two credited witnesses) to alter & vary / the Securities of the said Sum of three
thousand eight hundred / & Fifty pounds three per cent reduced Annuities for other / Parliamentary Security or for
real Securities And also to alter / & vary the Securities on which her share of the residue of my / Personal
Estate shall be so laid out as aforesaid And I also declare / that if my said Wife & Sons Robert Booth Rawes &
William / Thompson Rawes or any of them or any future trustee or trustees / to be appointed as hereinafter
mentioned shall die or decline or / Born living abroad or otherwise shall be incapable to act in the trusts /
hereby in them reposed then & so often as the same shall happen / it shall be lawfull for the trustees or
trustee so declining to act or the / Exors or Admons of such of them so dying or the trustees or trustee
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capable of acting when the other shall not be so by any writing or / writings under his her or their hand & seal
or hands & seals to be / attested by two or more credited witnesses from time to time to / nominate or appoint
any other person or persons to be a trustee or / trustees in the place of the trustee or trustees so dying
declining or / becoming incapable to act And in every such case the said trusts / Funds & Promises shall
thereupon with all convenient speed / be assigned & transferred so as that the same may be vested in / the
surviving or continuing trustees or trustee & such now trustees / or trustee jointly or in such now trustees only
(as the case may / happen) upon such & the same trusts intents & purposes with / under contract to such & the
same powers provisoes & declarations / as are hereinbefore declared containing the same or upon such / of them as
shall be then subsisting & capable of taking effect And I / hereby further declare that it shall be lawful for my
said wife & Sons Robert Booth Rawes & William Thompson Rawes & every / future trustee so to be appointed as
aforesaid & their & every of / their Exors & Admons by & out of the said trust property to reinburse / & satisby
themselves respectively all such reasonable costs charges / & expenses as they or any of them may sustain or be
put unto in or / about the executor of all or any of the trusts hereby in them / reposed And I also declare that
they & their respective Exors & Admons / shall only be charge and chargeable for such monies as they shall
respectively / actually receive & every of them for his own receipts payments acts & wilful defaults only & not
be answerable or accountable for the others / or other of them the joining in receipts or other acts mostly
for the sake / of conformity notwithstanding And also that they their respective Exors / or Admons shall not be
charged or chargeable with or for any case / which may happen to the said trust property without their
respective / wilful defaults And I give to my Exors hereinafter named their heirs / & assigns all such real
Estates as are now vested in me by way of / mortgage in fee in order to enable them with the [-----?] case
and / convenient to recover receive & get in the money received by such / mortgages for the purpose of this my
will lastly I appoint my said wife / Mary Rawes & my said Sons Robert Booth Rawes & William Thompson / Rawes
Executors of this which I declare to be my last will & testament / In witness witness whereof I the said Richard
Rawes the testator / have to this my last will & testament contained in nine sheets of paper / set my hand & seal
that is to say my hand to the first eight sheets / thereof & my hand & seal to this ninth & last sheet thereof the
twenty eigtht day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & eleven. R. Rawes LS. Signed
sealed published & declared by / the said Richard Rawes the testator as & for his last will & testament in / the
presence of us who in his presence at his request & in the presence / of such other have hereunto subscribed our
names as witnesses. John / I. Scott Lincoln's Inn. Miss[?] C. Willcocks; John B. Bowman. Clerks to Scott.
Proved at London 27th Febu 1815 before the w[ors]h[i]pful Saml Ruoh[?] Mayrick / Dr at Laws & Surr by the
Oaths of Mary Rawes Wd the relict & Robert Booth / Rawes & William \ Thompson Rawes the Sons the Exors to
whom Admon / was granted being first sworn duly to Admr Probate granted in the Month of / Septr last under
the Sum of £25,000 being first revoked
(See first act in the Margin)
[In left-hand margin alongside:]
Proved at London 12th Septr/ 1814 before the worshipful / Samuel Pearce Pearson Dr of / Laws & Surr by the
Oaths of / Mary Rawes Wd the Relict / and Robert Booth Rawes & / William Thompson Rawes / the Sons and Exors
to whom / Admon was granted being first / swarn duly to administer Pbt[?]
Notes:-
Richard Rawes ran and owned the 'Rawes Academy, in the High Street, Bromley. The school was established about 1730
and soon achieved a distinguished position. (Extracted from Horsburgh's History of Bromley, p282. In 1801 the
school is accredited with 124 males and 9 females. Richard Rawes is first mentioned around 1787/8 as in
partnership with Mr. Booth. Richard ran the school until his death in 1814 when it passed to his Eldest son
Robert Booth Rawes. The school closed in 1850.
Richard's uncle Lanty Rawes and family lived in Borrowdale, Cumberland. Richard's uncle William Wilson Rawes and
family lived in Wetsleddale, Shap, Westmorland.
Richard's son Richard, later a Captain in the HEICS, sailed on the Northampton as a midshipman between the years
1800 and 1807.
Richard's daughter Mary, later lived in Widmore Lane.
Transcribed from the original by Bryant Bayliffe, 2003
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