Will and Admon of Sarah Rawes of Houghton le Spring, Durham. Made 22nd December 1847. Proved 24th April 1848 at the PCY. (Borthwick Institute). (Augustus Line)

[WILL:] This is the last Will and Testament of me Mrs Sarah Rawes of Houghton-le-Spring in the County of Durham / Widow of Joseph Rawes, Esq Master of Arts late of Houghton-le-Spring aforesaid I give devise and bequeath all / my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever to Hugh Hope of Fludyer Street Westminster Parliamentary / Solicitor with full power to him to sell my house or other property if such sale shall be necessary or desired by him / and to convert all my Estate into cash But declaring that these presents are granted in Trust for the purpose / following vizt. First. For payment and satisfaction of my debts and testamentary and funeral expenses Second / For payment of the following legacies which I hereby bequeath to the persons undernamed vizt. To Mary Mitchell / Janetta Mitchell, Edward Mitchell, Septimus Mitchell, Jane Mitchell, Emma Mitchell, and Rosabella Mitchell / the children of Thomas Mitchell late of Newcastle-upon-Tyne deceased my father's brother the sum of fifty pounds / each - To Henry Cadogan Hastings Esquire son of Sir Charles Hastings the sum of One hundred pounds - To Fran[ces] Brown and Mary Brown Daughters of the Reverend Henry Brown late Head Master of the Kepier Grammar / School Houghton-le-Spring deceased the sum of One hundred pounds each Declaring that such legacies / shall be payable by my Executor to the above named legatees who survive me within twelve months after my / decease - the legacy duty being payable by the legatees. Third - I direct my executor to pay and I hereby bequeath / to Mary Ann Mitchell of Houghton-le-Spring aforesaid my only sister an Annuity of Thirty pounds (free of / legacy duty or expenses) during all the days of her life payable half yearly in two equal portions - the first / portion to be paid to her within six months after my decease Declaring that the heirs executors or administrators / of my said sister shall have no claim for any portion of such annuity after her death And I empower my Executor / to allow the principal sum necessary to produce the said annuity to remain invested on any Mrtgage or Security / I may happen to leave money invested or in case the money so invested should happen to be paid upon it should otherwise / be thought advisable by my Executor I direct my Executor to invest or appropriate in his own name a sufficient fund in / Three pounds per cent Stock or other Governmant Stock to answer by the dividends thereof the foresaid Annuity to / my said Sister: and in case of such investment or approriation the said Annuity shall be therafter payable half / yearly as the dividends accrue on such Stock. Fourth - Upon the decease of the said Mary Ann Mitchell and within / twelve months therafter I direct my Executor to pay and I hereby bequeath the following legacies to the three persons / afternamed vizt. To Phoebe Ann Price wife of John Price Esquire late of Huntingdon the sum of Two hundred and / fifty pounds - To George Henry James Esquire of Sherbourne Solicitor and Mrs Margaret Eliot his sister my cousins by / my Mother's side the sum of Two hundred and fifty pounds each. Declaring that the legacies to the three persons / above named shall vest in them respectively if they survive me though not payable till after my sister's death and / that they shall also pay the legacy duty on such legacies And lastly I hereby appoint the daid Hugh Hope sole Executor / and sole universal residuary Legatee under this my Will and I give devise and bequeath to the said Hugh Hope / the whole residue of my aforesaid Estate In Witness whereof I the said Mrs Sarah Rawes have hereunto set my / hand this Twenty second day of December Eighteen hundred and forty seven. Signed by the Testatrix Mrs Sarah Rawes and acknowledged by her to be her last Will and Testament in the presence of us present             Sarah Rawes Sarah Rawes at the same time and subscribed by us in the presence of the Testatrix and each other. Matthew Dunn, Teacherbr> Houghton-le-Spring John Anderson, Gentleman Houghton Hale Sarah Rawes [Signed] A.F. Bayford / Surrogate [Signed in margin]  [Admon, abstract:] [A margin note reads:] Died 17th March 1848 On 11th April 1848 an oath was taken by Hugh Hope of Fludyer Street, Westminster, Parliamentary Solicitor to administer as the sole Executor named in the Will of Sarah Rawes late of Houghton le Spring, Co. Durham, Widow made 22 December 1847. To the value of £3000. On 17th April 1848 Letters of Request given in the Prerogative Court of York, A.F. Bayford, Surrogate signed. Probate granted 24th April 1848 to the value of £3000. Transcribed from the original by Bryant Bayliffe, 2002