The Will of Joseph Jarvis Clerke
Signed 14th March 1778
Probate granted 4th May 1778

In the name of God, Amen, I Joseph Jarvis Clerke of Hinton Admiral in the parish of Christchurch in the County of Southampton Esquire, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say;

I desire to be buried in an handsome and decent manner at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named;

I give and bequeath to my good friend the Reverend James Talman, Vicar of Christchurch, John Oake of Winkton in the parish of Christchurch, Gentleman, and William Mitchell of Christchurch aforesaid, Brewer, the sum of fifty pounds apiece of lawful Money of Great Britain;

I give and bequeath to my servant George Goldwyer the sum of thirty pounds of like money;

I give and bequeath to Mary Goldwyer, wife of the said George Goldwyer, the sum of thirty pounds of like money;

I give and bequeath to Louisa Serjant, daughter of my housekeeper Ann Serjant, the sum of thirty pounds when she shall attain her age of twenty [one] years;

I give and bequeath to my said housekeeper Ann Serjant for her faithful service and great care and attendance on me the sum of one hundred pounds of like money and all my household furniture of every sort and kind;

Also I give, devise and bequeath unto the said Ann Serjant and her assigns for and during her natural life all that messuage or tenement situate in Christchurch aforesaid call the Castle House now in the occupation of Captain Allen;

Also I give and bequeath unto the said Ann Serjant for and during the term of her natural life an Annuity or clear yearly sum of one hundred pounds per annum clear of all deductions whatsoever, the same to be paid her by four equal quarterly payments in the year (that is to say at Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas Day and Christmas Day), the first quarterly payment to begin and be made at the first of the Quarter Days next after my decease, and in case the said Ann Serjant shall happen to die before her said daughter Louisa shall have attained her age of twenty one years, then I give and bequeath unto the said Louisa Serjant one annuity or clear yearly sum of thirty pounds per annum from the time of the death of her mother until she shall attain her age of twenty [one] years, the same to be paid to her the said Louisa Serjant by four equal quarterly payments (to wit at Lady Day, Midsummer Day, Michaelmas Day and Christmas Day), and the first of the quarterly payments to begin at such of the Quarter Days as shall first happen after the death of her said mother, and I do direct that the said annuities shall be issuing and payable out of all my manors, messuages, lands and hereditaments in the County of Southampton, or out of any part or parts thereof, and that whenever and as often as either of the said annuities or any part thereof shall be and unpaid by the space of twenty days on which the same ought to be paid as aforesaid being lawfully demanded and not paid, that then and so often and at any time or times then after it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Ann Serjant and Louisa Serjant into and upon the said manors, messuages, lands and hereditaments or any part or parts thereof to enter and distrain, and the Distress and Distresses then and there found to take, drive, carry away and keep or otherwise dispose of the same as they shall think fit until the said respective annuities and all arrears thereof and all costs and charges to be sustained by reason of the nonpayment thereof shall be fully paid and satisfied according to the true intent and meaning of this my Will;

All the rest, residue and Remainder of my Real and Personal Estate, manors, messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments, Monies, goods and chattels, rights and credits whatsoever and wheresoever I give devise and bequeath unto my cousin George Ivison Tapps of Lympsfield near Godstone in the County of Surrey, Esquire, his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns for ever, subject and chargeable nevertheless with the payment of all my just debts, legacies and funeral expenses;

And I hereby do make, constitute and appoint the said George Ivison Tapps whole and sole Executor of this my Will, and lastly I do hereby revoke and make void all former Wills and Testaments by me heretofore made, and do declare this only to be my last Will and Testament, in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the fourteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight [Joseph Jarvis Clerke] Signed sealed published and declared by the said Joseph Jarvis Clerke the testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto: Elizabeth Weaver, Alicia Weaver, John Oake jr.

This Will was proved at London the fourth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight before the Worshipful Andrew Coltee Durant, Doctor of Laws and Surrogate of the Right Worshipful Sir George Hay, Knight, also Doctor of Laws, Master Keeper of Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, lawfully constituted by the oath of George Ivison Tapps, Esquire, the sole Executor named in the said Will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the Goods, Chattels and Credits of the deceased, having been first sworn duly to administer.

From The Salisbury & Winchester Journal, 18th May 1778:

On the 7th inst. died at Bristol, where he went for the recovery of his health, Joseph Jarvis Clarke, Esq. of Hinton, near Christchurch, Hants.

[Clearly there is some confusion with the dates, the will having been supposedly proven before the reported date of death.]