Richard Laird a Gentleman from Boggstown Londonderry 1796

Special Thanks to James Dunn Laird, Robert Williams and Steve Henkel for finding the Will and transcribing the text in the same format as the original Will.

The year is 1797 and the Rebellion of the United Irishmen is about to take place. Richard is concerned that “due to the disturbed state of the country” his freehold may take longer to sell than would normally be expected. He extends the time period given to the executors to administer his will, from 12 months to 2 years. In the last paragraph, last line, Richard leaves his gold watch to his brother John.

Extracted from the Registry of the Diocese of Derry

In the name of God Amen,                                              Richard
I Richard Laird of Boggstown in the liberties                          Laird
of the City of Londonderry being sick and
weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory
and understanding do make publish and declare this
my last will and testament in manner and form
following that is to say, first and principally I commit
my Soul into the hands of my Creator and my body
to the Earth to be interred at the discretion of my
Executors hereinafter named and as to such worldly
estate of whereof I shall die seized, possessed of, or entitled
unto I dispose of the same in manner and form
following, that is to say first I give and bequeath all
my Real and Personal Estate of what[ever] kind or what
soever unto Thomas Gregg of the City
of Londonderry Merchant, and my nephew James
Laird eldest son of my brother John Laird their
Executors Administrators and Assigns which said gift
and to the said Thomas Greg and James Laird
is upon the Trusts and to and for the use and purposes
following, that is to say that they or the survivor of
them or the executors and administrators of such a
survivor do and shall as soon as conveniently may
be after my demise not exceeding twelve months sell
and dispose of the same and out of the produce
and proceeds thereof pay my funeral expenses and
debts if any and after payment thereof provide for the
Trusts and pay and satisfy the Legacies hereinafter
mentioned, that is to say I give and devise unto my
brother John Laird the Sum of one hundred pounds
I also give and devise unto Margaret his wife the
Sum of fifty pounds. I give and divest to my
nephew James Laird eldest son of my said brother
John the sum of one hundred pounds and fifty pounds. I also
give and devise to my nephew Joseph Laird second
son of my said brother John the sum of one hundred
and fifty pounds and to my nephew John Laird
———————————————————————————-
[end of right page 118, start of unnumbered left page]
———————————————————————————-
third son of my said brother John the sum of one
hundred and fifty pounds the said several legacies of
the hundred pounds to my brother John of fifty
pounds to Margaret his wife and one hundred and
fifty pounds to my nephew James Laird to be paid them
as soon as conveniently may be after my demise and
the said two last mentioned legacies of one hundred and
fifty pounds each to my nephews Joseph and John Laird
to be paid them at their respective ages of twenty one
years and my further will is that my said Trustees and
the survivor of them and their Executors and Administrators
of such survivor shall stand intrusted with the sum of
one hundred pounds to and for the uses and purposes
following, that is to say that they shall as soon as
conveniently may be after my demise loan and plan out
the same at interest on proper security or securities and
from time to time as often as occasion shall require to
call in, alter, vary, and again plan out the same upon
this special Trust that they, my said trustees or the survivor
of them, their Executors and Administrators of such
survivor do and shall pay and apply the interest and
yearly provide produce of the said sum of one hundred pounds for
and towards the maintenance and support of my nephew
Richard Laird fourth son of my said brother John Laird
and I further order and direct that the said last mentioned
legacy of one hundred pounds to the said Richard Laird
shall after his demise go to and be divided among his
then surviving brothers in equal shares and proportions
share and share alike. I also give and devise to my niece
Elizabeth Laird eldest daughter of my said brother John
Laird the sum of fifty pounds. To my niece Mary Laird
second daughter of my said brother John Laird the sum
of fifty pounds and to my niece Margaret Laird third daughter
of my said brother John Laird the sum of fifty pounds and
to my niece Martha laird fourth daughter of my said
brother John Laird the sum of fifty pounds, and my will
is that the said four last mentioned legacies of fifty pounds
to each of said minors shall be paid to them at their respective
ages of [probity?] [in?] years or days of marriage which
[ever] shall first happen, and I order the said respective legacies
of fifty pounds each to bear interest from one year after
my demise until the time or times at which they are
respectively to become payable. I also give and devise to my
sister Mary Ewing widow the sum of fifty pounds. I also
give and devise to my nephew Alexander Ewing the sum of
fifty pounds. I also give and devise to my neice Sarah
Boggs wife of Mr. Joseph Boggs the sum of forty pounds. I
also give and devise to my niece Mary Ewing the sum of
thirty pounds and to my neice Isabella Keys, wife of Sir
George Keys the sum of thirty pounds. I also give and devise
to [Mary?] Waller granddaughter of my said sister Mary
Ewing the sum of forty pounds and I order the said six
———————————————————————————-
[end of unnumbered left page, start of right page numbered 119]
———————————————————————————-
last mentioned legacies to be paid as soon as
conveniently may be after my demise. I also give
and devise unto my sister Martha Watt [or Snell?], wife of
Robert Watt senior of Ards near Rathmullan in
the County of Donegal the sum of fifty pounds, and
my will that the said fifty pounds shall be passed
into the hands of my said sister Martha as soon
as conveniently may be after my demise to and for
her own separate use and benefit and so as the same
may be at her disposal notwithstanding her condition [?]
and not in the power or at the disposal or subject
to the control of any husband she now hath or
hereafter may have done so as by any writing or
Receipt under her hand. ——————— She may
at any time revive [?] and dispose of the same and so
as my said Trustees or the survivor of them and
the Executors and Administrators of such survivors
shall and may by such writing or receipt be
fully discharged and in safety I give and devise to
my nephew Robert Watt Son of said Robert Watt senior the sum of twenty pounds and to my nephew
John [?] Watt daughter to said Robert Watt the
Sum of twenty pounds the said last two mentioned
legacies to be paid [to] them at their respective ages of
twenty one years or days of marriage which [ever] shall first
happen and to bear interest from one year after my
decease until the time or times they are respectively
to become payable. I also give and devise unto my
sister Elisabeth Watt [Soal?] wife of Robert Watt [Soal?] of Tully
in the County of Donegall the sum of fifty pounds
and my will is that the said sum of fifty pounds
shall be paid into the hands of my said sister as
soon as conveniently may be after my decease to
to and for her own separate use and benefit and so
as the same may be at her disposal notwithstanding
her condition [?] and not in the power or at the disposal
or subject to the control of any husband she now
hath or may have hereafter and so as by writing or
receipt under her hand she may at any time recover [?]
and dispose of the same and so as my said Trustees
and the survivor of them and the Executors and
Administrators of such survivors shall and may by such
writing or receipt be fully discharged and in safety and
my mind and will is that if any of my said
nephews or nieces shall die without lawful issue and
unmarried before his her or their legacies hereby
respectively given them shall become payable according
to the intent of this my will that they the respective
Legacies of any of my nephews so dying shall go to and
———————————————————————————-
[end of right page 119, start of unnumbered left page]
———————————————————————————-
be divided amongst his or her surviving brothers
in equal shares and proportions share and share
alike and the respective legacies of any of my neices
so dying shall in like manner go to and be divided
among her or their surviving sisters in equal shares
and proportions share and share alike, and as to all
the rest residue and remainder of my Real and
Personal Estate after payment of my funeral expenses
and costs and of these several and respective legacies
heretofore mentioned to be bequeathed to and after
providing for the trusts herein and hereby in my said
Trustees report [?] I order and direct the said the same to be
divided among the sons and daughters of my said
Brother John Laird then alive in equal shares and
proportions, share and share alike, provided always
that my said Trustees shall not be chargeable for any
sum or sums of money but what they shall actually
receive by virtue of the Trust hereby in their possession, nor
shall they or either them be answerable or
accountable for any persons with whom or in whose
hands any part of the said Trust [?] shall or may
be depositied or lodged for safe Custody or for any other
loss which shall happen to the same except the same
shall happen by or through their own willful default
and that such shall be accountable for himself only
though they should join in any receipt or writings for
conformity and I order and direct that my said Trustees
shall be from time to time allowed all their expenses
and costs and charges whatsoever which they or either
of them shall sustain expend or be put unto in or about
the connection [?] of the Trusts herein and hereby within
exposure [?] or in relation thereto and I make, name, ordain,
reinstitute [?] and appoint the said Thomas Gregg and my
Nephew the said James Laird my said Trustees,
Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby
revoking all and all instruments of form and and other wills
heretofore by me at any time made. In witness whereof
I have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirteenth
day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand seven
hundred and ninety six. — Richard Laird
Signed, sealed, published and declared [?] by the above
named Richard Laird as and for his Last Will and
Testament in the presence of us who at his request did
in his presence and in the presence of each other have
subscribed our names as witnesses as we have also done
the same to a duplicate of the above written will
executed at same time. — Joseph Moore — James Gregg — John Marshall.
Whereas the above Testator Richard Laird
being willing that no dispute should arise [regarding?]
———————————————————————————-
[end of unnumbered left page, start of right page 120]
———————————————————————————-
the disposal of my freehold and chattel property
from the time of my decease till the time at which
my before mentioned Trustees and Executors [?] sell
from the disturbed state of the country thst the same
may not be disposed of to advantage within the
time limited by my foregoing will to be sold, Now
I the said Richard Laird do order and direct that my
said Trustees may not be … [transcription stopped at this point].

Will signed 4th April 1797. Will probated 15th February 1798, at London.