Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/82

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NOTES AND QUERIES. uo s. x. JULY 25,

First I give and bequeath to my dearest wife Sarah Stoddart twenty two pounds per annum to be paid at half yearly payments on the two most usual days of payment which shall happen after my decease which sum of twenty two pounds with the pension of thirty pounds per annum which will be allowed to her from Government as my widow will enable her to live in a handsome and comfortable manner the said sum of twenty two pounds I direct to be paid out of the rents profits and issues of the houses and Tanyard given to me by my grandfather Thomas Stoddart [1] Also I give to my said wife (during the term of her natural life) my present dwelling- house and pleasure garden [2] on condition it is kept in its present form and state together with whatever part of the furniture of the house she may chuse to make use of Item I give to my beloved son John Stoddart and his heirs for ever all that my house outhouses stables and Tanyard situate lying and being in Saint Ann's Street in the City of New Sarum aforesaid [3] but subject to the before mentioned bequest to his mother Also I give to my said son John Stoddart the Lease from the Revd. John Cleevey of my house stables and garden in Cathereine Street in the City of New Sarum afore- said [4] Also I give and bequeath to him all my property in the short annuities And I give and bequeath unto William Benson Earle Esquire of the Close of New Sarum and unto my said son John Stoddart In trust and to the use and benefit of my dearly beloved daughter Sarah Stoddart until she shall have attained the age of twenty five years or until she shall marry with their consent and approbation before that time all that house malt- house garden and premises which I purchased of Mr John Willis for the term of his natural life [51 but it is my direction that the insurance which I have made on the life of the said Mr. Willis shall be duly kept up yearly and paid for out of the rents of the said premises if occupied if not occupied then to be paid out of any other part of her income so that she may be entitled to and receive the four hundred pounds assured by that policy Also I give and bequeath unto the said William Benson Earle Esquire and John Stoddart In trust as aforesaid for my daughter Sarah Stoddart all my property in the five per cent Bank Annuities and also all sums of money due to me Bonds Notes or other securities for money I give unto them In trust as aforesaid Also I give and bequeath unto the said William Benson Earle and John Stoddart In trust as afore- said the small house outhouse and garden late in the occupation of Mr. Henry Sutton [6] and after the decease of my wife I give the remainder of the land and houses which I purchased of Mr. Lowdell [7] unto them In trust as aforesaid for the sole use and benefit of my said daughter Sarah Stoddart Also I give unto them the unexpired term of the Lease of my garden in Bugmore held under the Corporation of New Sarum [8] for the use of my said daughter And my Will is that if either of my children John or Sarah Stoddart shall die before they attain the age of twenty five years then that child's part or legacy shall go to the survivor And all the rest and residue of my money and other effects not hereby otherwise disposed of after payment of my just debts and funeral expenses I do' here by direct to be equally divided between my son and daughter John and Sarah Stoddart And lastly I do make and appoint the said William Benson Earle Esquire and my said son John Stoddart Executors In trust of this my Will

hereby revoking all former Wills by me made In Witness whereof I have to this my Will set my hand and seal the second day of January in the thirty fifth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five. Jno Stoddart [L. S.]. Signed sealed published and declared by the said John Stoddart the Testator to> be his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the said Testator and of each other John Goodfellow Senr John Good- fellow Junr.

(a) In this will there is no mention of any Winterslow possessions. The properties- marked 1 and 3 (the figures are mine for facility of reference) are identical ; 2 and 7 are another property, also situate in Salis- bury, as is item 4. I am led to conclude- that 5 is also in St. Ann Street, Salisbury ; whilst 6 is clearly the house in the same- street, then let at 4Z. 10s. per annum, which Hazlitt suggested that Sarah Stoddart should sell to help to provide funds with which to start their new life. Hazlitt' s share of the provision was to be a simple- affair " and I will borrow 100Z." Two grey-brick buildings now stand on the site of this cottage and the house which in 1826 was let by Dr. Stoddart to Dr. Thomas at 28Z. per annum. (This Stoddart house, by the way, was a residence of some interest. A drawing of it now before me shows it to have been in those days a fairly important house, with a bay-window on the first floor.. This gave light to a large banqueting-hall having an arched ceiling. Entering the house from the street, one had to descend two steps.)

The garden (8) is also in Salisbury.

I am afraid the Winterslow cottager worth 120Z. a year will have to be ignored by future biographers of Hazlitt.

(b) I gather from this will that Sarah Stoddart' s meanness in money matters was inherited from her father, who, we find, left his widow 22Z. per annum, which with her Government pension of 30?. provided her with 1Z. a week a sum which the Lieu- tenant considered would " enable her to- live in a handsome and comfortable manner," after paying for all repairs to the house and defraying the expenses incident to the upkeep of the pleasure garden, which had to be " kept in its present form and state." Although his widow was to have for her life- time " whatever part of the furniture she may chuse to make use of," Sarah had evi- dent intentions on some of it, otherwise Mary Lamb would have had no occasion.