Thomas Perkins

GEDCOM Note

INfor from Sarah Manson, ancestry member:- Thomas Perkins (c1784-1862) appears to be a “brick wall” in the Perkins branch of your family tree. He seems to pop up in Mathern out of nowhere! It’s difficult to know when he was born. I think he was born circa 1785/6 because:- 1. In the 1861 censes he is stated to be aged 75 2. A death notice published in The Chepstow Weekly Advertiser states that he died on 11 April 1862 at The Innage Farm, Mathern, aged 77 3. His burial entry in Mathern parish registers states his age as 77. 4. The part of Thomas Perkins’ memorial inscription in Mathern churchyard detailing his age is difficult to decipher. My transcription (from a long time ago) reads “in the 73rd year of his age”. I’m wondering if it should read “in the 78th year of his age”.

The 1851 and 1861 censuses contradict one another with regard to where Thomas Perkins was born. I believe that the 1861 census is correct and that he was born at Trelleck Grange (as you record in your Ancestry family tree). In drawing up my family tree I have accepted that Thomas was baptised at Newchurch West:- 5th March 1786 Thomas, son of John Perkins of Treleck’s Grange.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to verify the Perkins linage any further back than the mysterious John Perkins. I suspect that he set Thomas up at Newhouse Farm, Mathern. A copy of an agreement for Newhouse Farm dated 25th March 1817 between Mrs Mary Ann Turton of Hereford, widow and Mr John Perkins of Mathern, farmer is held at Gwent Archives (Reference D501.0257)

WILL OF 1861 Will of Thomas Perkins:- In the Name of God Amen. I, Thomas Perkins of the Inage Farm in the Parish of Mathern in the county of Monmouth, being by the Grace of God, of sound and disposing mind, do by this my last Will and Testament in writing, give devise and bequeath unto and to my two sons, Samuel Perkins and John Perkins, each one my ten Guinea Silver cups, all the rest of my plate and plated articles, I give equally between my three sons, William Perkins, Thomas Perkins and Henry Perkins and my three daughters, Martha Proctor, Anne Sharp and Mary Probert, share and share alike. I give and bequeath all my leasehold estate and interest in the Inage Farm aforesaid, except as to one hundred and twelve acres or thereabouts .... .. subjoined, unto my son, Samuel Perkins and to his executors, administrators and assigns. I give and bequeath unto my son, John Perkins, all my leasehold estate and interest in the Palace Farm in the said parish of Mathern aforesaid, together with the before mentioned one hundred and twelve acres or thereabouts, being part of the said Inage Farm particularised before, named herein, excepting nevertheless the Sewer house garden and Cider Mill to be used jointly, to be occupied, used and enjoyed, by my said son, John Perkins, subject to the payment yearly and every year by him to my son, Samuel Perkins of the yearly rent or sum of one hundred and sixty four pounds by equal half yearly payments, But if my said son, John Perkins should give up or dispose of this interest in the Palace farm, then I will and desire that the said land .. .. from the Inage farm shall go back and be used, occupied and enjoyed by my said son, Samuel Perkins, his executors and administrators as part of and with the Inage farm. I give, devise and bequeath unto Benjamin Meredith Bradford of the town of Chepstow in the county of Monmouth, surgeon, and Thomas Peachly Williams of Beachley in the parish of Tidenham in the county of Gloucester, farmer, all and singular my live and dead stock, farming stock, growing hops, implements of husbandry, household furniture, linen, china and other my effects of what nature or kind soever in and about the said Inage, Palace and other farm or farms, land or lands in my possession, together with all and singular my leasehold messages, tenements or dwellinghouses, lands hereditaments and premises, situate at Redwick in the said county of Monmouth, and all other my real estate whatsoever situate and also all the residue of my personal estate and effects of what nature or kind soever and wheresoever of which I may be seized or possessed, upon trust that they, my said trustees or the survivor of them, or the heirs or assigns of such survivor, do and shall as soon as conveniently may be after my decease, absolutely sell and dispose of my said real estate in such manner as to them or him shall seem expedient, for the best price or prices in money that can be reasonably had or obtained for the same and I will and declare that the receipt or receipts of my said trustees or the survivor of them or the heirs and assigns of such survivor, for the monies for which the same shall be so sold, shall from time to time be sufficient discharge or discharges to the purchasers of my said real or personal estate for his or their purchase money or for so much thereof as in such receipt or receipts shall be expressed to be received and upon further trust that my said trustees do and shall in all convenient speed after my decease call in and convert into money such part of my personal estate as shall not consist of money, and after payment of all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses and particularly of the sum of one hundred pounds to James Proctor of Chepstow, my son-in-law, lent and advanced by him to Henry Probert of Osbaston, the husband of my daughter, Mary, for which I became answerable, together with the costs attendant upon the executions of the trusts of this my last will and testament, shall devise the surplus or residue thereof into eight equal shares and proportions and pay and apply the same in manner following. That is to say, as to one equal eighth part or share thereof upon trust to pay the sum to my son William Perkins of the parish of Madley in the county of Hereford, his executors and administrators, to and for his and their own absolute use and benefit, subject nevertheless to the payment thereout of two hundred pounds which is owing to me by my said son.

As to one other equal eighth share or part thereof, upon trust to pay the sum to my son-in-law, James Proctor of the said town of Chepstow, ironmonger, his executors and administrators for his and their own absolute use and benefit. As to one other eighth part or share thereof, upon trust to pay the same to my son-in-law, John Sharp of Thornwell farm in the parish of Chepstow, farmer, his executors and administrators to and for his and their own use and benefit. As to one other equal eighth part or share thereof, upon trust to pay the same to my son, Thomas Perkins of the said town of Chepstow, grocer, his executors and administrators to and for his and their own use and benefit, subject nevertheless to the payment of the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds which is owing me by my said son. As to one other equal eighth part or share thereof, upon trust to pay the same to my said son, Henry Perkins of Launaugh farm in the parish of Langarren in the county of Hereford, his executors and administrators to and for his and their own use and benefit, subject nevertheless to the payment of the sum of four hundred pounds which is owing to me by my said son. As to one other eighth part or share thereof, upon trust that they my said trustees and the survivor of them, the executors or administrators of such survivor, do and shall lay out and invest the sum in their or his names or name in the Parliamentary stocks or public funds of Great Britain or at interest upon Government or real securities of England and Wales at their or his discretion, upon trust to pay and apply the interest, dividends or proceeds thereof unto and to my daughter, Mary, the wife of Henry Probert of Osbaston in the parish of Monmouth, farmer, for and during the term of her natural life, for her own sole and separate use and benefit and independent of the debts, management, control or engagement of her said husband and her receipt alone to be sufficient discharges to my said trustees and from and immediately after the decease of my said daughter, upon trust that they, my said trustees and the survivors or survivor of them and the executors, administrators and assigns of such survivor, do and shall stand and be possessed of and interested in the said investments, monies, stocks, funds and securities and the interest, dividends and annual product thereof, in trust for all and every the children or child of my said daughter, who being a son or sons shall attain the age of twenty one years or being a daughter or daughters shall attain that age or marry, to be divided between them, if more than one, share and share alike, when and as each of them shall attain that age or day of marriage, and if there shall be one such child, the whole to be in trust for that one child, his or her executors, administrators and assigns absolutely and I declare that after the decease of my said daughter, in case she shall leave any child or children who shall not have acquired a vested interest or vested interests under the trusts hereinbefore mentioned the trustees for the time being shall at their or his discretion, pay and apply all or any part of the interest, dividends or annual produce of the portion or portions to which any such child or children shall or may for the time being be entitled in expectancy under the trusts aforesaid in or towards his, her or their maintenance and education respectively, until his, her or their portion or respective portions shall become vested and shall accumulate the surplus, if any, of such interests, dividends or annual product, in the way of compound interest for the benefit of the person or persons who under the trusts shall ultimately become entitled provided also, and I further declare that shall be lawful for the trustees or trustee for the time being with the consent or at the request of my said daughter during her life, and after her decease at their or his discretion, to advance and pay any part not exceeding one half of the capital of the vested or presumptive share of any or other of the children of my said daughter in the trust promised under the trusts aforesaid during his, her their minority or subsequent thereto in and towards his, her or their advancement or .......... in the world but such sum so advanced shall be taken as part of the actual or presumptive share of any such child respectively and be accounted for accordingly. As to one other eighth part or share thereof, upon trust to pay the same to my son, Samuel Perkins of Mathern aforesaid, his executors and administrators to and for his own use and benefit. And as to the remaining one eighth part or share thereof upon trust to pay the same to my son, John Perkins of Mathern aforesaid, his executors and administrators to and for his and their own use and benefit.

I also give and bequeath the aforesaid several sums hereinbefore mentioned of two hundred pounds, one hundred and twenty pounds and four hundred pounds put out owing to me by my said sons William Perkins, Thomas Perkins and Henry Perkins, unto the said Benjamin Meredith Bradford and Thomas Peachley Williams, their executors and administrators, upon trust to pay equally between my said children, William Perkins, Thomas Perkins, Martha Proctor, Anne Sharp, Samuel Perkins and John Perkins, and to retain the remaining one eighth part thereof to and for and upon the like trusts and under and subject to the like restrictions and provisions as are herein before directed with respect to the one eighth share of my estate hereinbefore directed by me to be retained by them in trust for my said daughter, Mary Probert and her children. I also devise all real estates, if any, vested in me as trustee or mortgagee, unto the said William Meredith Bradford and Thomas Peachley Williams, their heirs and assigns, subject to the equities effecting the same respectively. I hereby declare that my said trustees, their executors, administrators and assigns shall be charged and chargeable only for such monies as they shall actually receive by virtue of the trusts hereby in them reposed and also that it shall be lawful for them with and out of the monies which shall come into their hands, to retain to and reimburse themselves all costs and charges and expenses which they or either of them shall or may expend or disburse or be put to touching or pertaining my effects or the execution of this my will and I further will that if either of my said children shall become dissatisfied with the division of my estate for their benefit respectively or dispute the validity of my bequest or the distribution thereof by my said trustees or trustee respectively and shall commit a suit at law or in equity against my said trustees, their executors or administrators, that then and from thereforth all their estate and interest in my estate hereby bequeathed and devised for their advantage and benefit shall cease and terminate and the share or shares to which such disputant or disputants would otherwise become entitled revert to be vested in and divided in equal shares and proportions between and amongst the others and be added to their respective portions and portion, notwithstanding any device to the contrary. And lastly I nominate and appoint Benjamin Meredith Bradford and Thomas Peachley Williams executors of this my last will and do hereby revoke all former and other wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I, the said Thomas Perkins, the testator, have to this my last will and testament contained in two sheets of paper, set my hand this 22nd day of April in the year of our Lord 1861.

Thomas Perkins x

Witnesses: Wm. Cooper Accountant Chepstow, James Coles Baker Chepstow

Died: 4th April 1862 Effects under £5,000