William Farrer

  General Notes:

St Andrews Church, Little Cressingham

On the floor lie richly carved Welsh slate memorials; one to William Farrer d.1809 founder of the village school (which was later the village hall and demolished in 2002) and his virtuous sister Jane Russell d.1829.

Next to the part ruined church, is the old Free School founded and endowed by William Farrer in 1809 and built at a cost of £144; it is now the village hall.

FARRER
Will of William Farrer, 1809, great-uncle to Jane Martha Russell

In the name of God Amen. I William Farrer of Knightsbridge in the parish of St Mary Abbots Kensington in the county of Middlesex Butcher being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory (blessed be God) do make and publish this my last Will and Testament as in manner following (that is to say) first I give and bequeath such of my Nephews and Nieces as shall attain the age of twenty one within one year after my decease the sum of one hundred pounds apiece. Also in consideration of the trouble my nephews Thomas Farrer and William Betts have had in conducting my business during a long and painful illness I give and bequeath to each of them the said Thomas Farrer and William Betts over and above the Legacies they will receive in common with my other Nephews and Nieces who are of age at the time aforesaid the further sum of Twenty pounds. Also I give to the servant maid that shall be living with me at the time of my death the sum of ten pounds for mourning. All which said Legacies it is my will and desire shall be paid within one year after my decease. And I give and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my Estate and Effects of whatever nature and kind soever after payment of my just Debts, Funeral and Testamentary expenses unto my Brothers Edmund Farrer and Thomas Farrer and my Brother in Law Charles Russell upon this trust and confidence that they the said Edmund Farrer Thomas Farrer and Charles Russell or the survivors or survivor of them do and shall with all convenient speed after my decease dispose of All that my Leasehold house and Shop situate at Knightsbridge aforesaid wherein I now live (reserving thereout the yearly rent of Seventy pounds) for all my term therein then to come and unexpired (wanting a few days) together with the business thereto belonging and all my Household Goods Furniture and all my other Personal Chattels and Effects which shall be then in or upon the said premises And also do and with like convenient speed collect and get in all such debts dues sum and sums of money as shall in any wise be due and owing to my said Estate and due out of the produce of the property so to be disposed and got in as aforesaid.

I do hereby direct my said Trustees or the survivors or survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor to vest in Government or other good securities in their joint names or the name of such survivor as many hundred pounds as I shall have Nephews and Nieces under the age of twenty one years at the expiration of one year after my decease and to improve the same until my said Nephews and Nieces shall severally and respectively attain the age of twenty one years and immediately upon each and every of my said Nephews and Nieces attaining such age It is my will and desire that my said Trustees or the survivors or survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor do and shall pay to each of them my said Nephews and Nieces the sum of One hundred pounds out of the said sum so vested as aforesaid together with all accumulations then made thereon. And I also direct my said Trustees or the survivors or survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor to vest in the public funds the sum of Three hundred pounds to be taken out of my personal estate and lay the same out on good personal security as they shall be advised to the intent and purpose that the Minister Churchwardens and Overseers for the time being of the parish of Little Cressingham in the County of Norfolk (my native place) and their successors forever may receive the interest thereof upon trust nevertheless to pay the same to such School Master and Mistress as shall be selected and appointed from time to time by them out of the most deserving and competent reduced Inhabitants of the said parish or in default of such Inhabitants from the reduced Inhabitants of any of the surrounding parishes to instruct six poor Boys from seven to fourteen years of age in the art of Reading Writing and Arithmetic and six poor Girls from five to twelve years of age in such useful learning and Needlework as will conduce to their well being in life and who have no parents living or whose parents shall be resident in Little Cressingham aforesaid but precluded by poverty from giving such poor children such instruction. And it is my will and desire that the said Children with their Master and Mistress do attend Divine Service on every Sabbath Day at the Parish of Little Cressingham aforesaid unless prevented by illness or other reasonable cause and that the said Children shall be nominated from time to time by the Minister Churchwardens and Overseers for the time being of the said Parish Provided that the School Master and Mistress shall be at liberty to take other Scholars to increase their income not exceeding the number hereby directed to be instructed and taught Gratis. This bequest is nevertheless upon condition that the said Parish of Little Cressingham do provide a proper place within twelve months after my decease and continue the same from time to time where such poor Boys and Girls may be so instructed and do affix on the outside and over the Door of the same a stone to be provided by my said Trustees and paid for out of my Personal Estate whereon the following inscription shall be engraved

Cressingham Free School

Founded by the Will of

Mr William Farrer

day of

Who died near London the

Ingenii pretium est multum sed necnon concedit Labori [Latin ?mistranscribed]

in the year of Our Lord

The Founder many years of Knightsbridge in the County of Middlesex Butcher one of nine Orphan Children the offspring of a decayed farmer of this place by habits of industry only and without any remarkable good fortune was enabled not only to be a father and support to many of his numerous relatives while living but at his decease to leave considerable Legacies to twenty Nephews and Nieces, to make a provision for seven of his Brothers and sisters. And also to be a father and friend to twelve of the Sons and Daughters of poverty for ever by erecting this School and securing the interest of three hundred pounds for a Master and Mistress to teach them some useful acquirements and impress on their young minds the never failing advantages arising from honest industry \endash Children! Your Benefactor was a poor Orphan like some of yourselves who was sent into the World with less advantages than he has provided for you \endash Avail yourselves of his bounty and be not discouraged because ye are poor the example of your Benefactor and Friend is sufficient to show that you may prosper if you will.

"Whatever you will you can; but here's the fault

You seldom will do the thing you ought."

And the said bequest is upon the further condition that the said Parish do keep up continue and repair the said Stone and inscription for ever. To the intent that the said bequest may be generally known and remembered and not perverted to any other purpose than by this my will is intended - Provided that if the Minister and Parish Officers of the said Parish of Little Cressingham shall be so regardless of the welfare of the Poor Children thereto belonging as to refuse to provide such School house within the time aforesaid or shall object to perpetuate my designs by the aforesaid inscription then in order that such Poor Children may not be deprived of the benefits intended for them I do hereby authorize and direct my said Trustees or such other person or persons as they or the survivors of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor shall from time to time appoint to carry the aforesaid bequest into execution in any way they may think proper consistent with the Laws in force relative to bequests to Charitable uses and so direct them to take out of my Personal Estate the further sum of fifty pounds and apply the same together with the aforesaid three hundred pounds for that purpose and in such case it is my will and desire that the whole direction of the said School shall remain in my said Trustees and with persons they or the survivors of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor shall appoint and their appointees for ever without the interference of the Minister and Parish Officers of the said Parish or any or either of them \endash otherwise than by the appointment of my said Trustees or the survivors of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor. And I do further will and direct that my said Trustees or the survivors or survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor do and shall lay out all the surplus or remainder of the aforesaid produce in the purchase of Leasehold premises in or near London for terms of not less than thirty years and the rents and profits of such Leasehold premises so to be purchased and of all my other Leasehold property together with the dividends to become due and payable on my shares or subscriptions in The Hope Insurance Company I do hereby will and direct shall be equally within one month after the usual feasts or days or payment of rent in the year between and amongst my said brothers Edmund and Thomas Farrer my brother Henry Farrer and my sisters Ann the wife of Thomas Betts Mary the wife of Robert Hay/Kay? Elizabeth the wife of John Wardle and Jane the wife of the said Charles Russell \endash share and share alike during their lives and the life of the longest liver of them with benefit of survivorship. And my further will and desire is that my Sisters' shares shall be paid into their own hands and not into the hands of their present or any future husbands or assignees my intention being that the same shall not be at the disposal of or subject or liable to the control debts forfeitures or engagements of their present or any after taken husbands but for their own sole and separate use and benefit towards their certain maintenance at all events, and not be in their power or will to sell or assign or in any way to dispose of or incumber the same. And also that my said Brother Henry's share of such rents and profits shall in like manner not be transferrable by any means whatsoever but that the same shall remain to him during his life as a provision towards his certain maintenance. And further it is my express will and desire in case either of my sisters or my said Brother Henry shall presume to sell or dispose of her or his share of such rents and profits in any way whatsoever that the same shall immediately be forfeited and become payable to and amongst my surviving Sisters and Brothers in the same manner as if such Sister or my said Brother so selling or disposing of her or his share was artificially dead. And from and immediately after the decease of the longest liver of my said Brothers and Sisters who shall be in actual receipt of the said rents and profits according to the limitation and condition of this my Will it is my further will and desire that my said Trustees or the survivors or survivor of them or the Executors or Administrators of such survivor do and shall forthwith dispose of all such Leasehold and other property whereout the aforesaid rents and profits issued during the life of the longest liver of my said Brothers and Sisters in the actual receipt of the rents and profits therof for the most money that can be gotten for the same. And I do further will and direct that the net produce of the same after deducting all expenses of sale or otherwise shall immediately be divided equally between and amongst all such of my Nephews and Nieces and their immediate descendents as shall be living at the time of making such division taking care to secure in the most advantageous manner the shares of such of my Nephews and Nieces and their immediate descendents as shall be under the age of twenty one years so as the same may be secured by him her or them when he she or they shall attain that age with all accumulations then made thereon. Provided such descendents to take only the same share as their deceased parent would have done if living. And for as much as my Brother John may not see the reason of his being excluded from a share of the aforesaid rents and profits I request him to believe it was not on account of any disregard or want of affection I had for him but in consideration of so large a portion of my property being secured to his Family by virtue of the first bequest to my Nephews and Nieces and of the high probability of his Children taking the greatest share of the residue after the decease of my other Brothers and Sisters but more particularly in consideration of his prosperous circumstances which renders the little addition to his income of no importance while it operates as an increase to the income of those who stand so much more in need of assistance

And Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my said Trustees also Executors of this my last Will and Testament. And I revoke and make void all former and other Wills by me heretofore made declaring this only to be my last Will and Testament. In witness thereof I the said William Farrer have to this my last Will and Testament contained in seven sheets of paper set my hand and seal (that is to say) my hand to the first six sheets thereof and my hand and seal to this seventh and last sheet thereof this second day of august in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and nine/-----/Will. Farrer

[seal]/----/

Signed Sealed and Published by the said William Farrer the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence at his request and in the presence ofeach other subscribes our names as witnesses. Jonathan Holt Titcombe/----/ Benj. Wood/----/ Mann? Dyer This Will was proved at London the fourth day of November in the year of Our lord One thousand eight hundred and nine before The Worshipful Samuel Pearce Parson Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the Right Honorable Sir John Richell Knight also Doctor of Laws Master Keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the Oaths of Edmund Farrer and Thomas Farrer the Brothers of the deceased and Charles Russell the Executors named in the Will to whom the administration was granted of all and singular the Goods chattels and Credits of the said deceased they having been first sworn duly to administer.