Jacob Cazeneuve Troy Part III His Will

Jacob Cazeneuve Troy inherited substantial amounts in money and property from his grandfather Jacob Cazeneuve and his uncle John Cazeneuve. His first wife, Mary, was also a considerable heiress; she inherited one thousand pounds from her father Richard Cooke. 

It's not known how successful any of Jacob's own business ventures were, but at the time of his death in 1798 he seems to have been a well-to-do man.

Jacob's will was made on 14 April 1798 and proved on 18 April 1799. In his will, Jacob described himself as 'distiller and wine merchant'. 

The will is long, verbose and repetitive, to take account of all the eventualites that could arise. 

The principal provisions were:

His freehold estates were to be sold and the proceeds invested in government stock or other secure stock by the trustees, William Lovell Ruffin, surgeon of Chatham, and Stephen Simson, gentleman of Deptford. 

One half of the proceeds or income were to be paid to 'his dear wife' Smart Bradley for her life time. After her death, the money was to be distributed among his children by his first wife Mary and his child by his second wife Smart Bradley.

The other half of the proceeds of the sale of his estates was to be distributed among his children as each of them reached the age of twenty-one, or married, in the case of daughters. In the meantime, the income was to be used for the maintenance and education of the children. 

If the trustees preferred, they could lease the estates, rather than sell them, as long as his eldest child was a minor. While the estates remained unsold, the trustees were responsible for seeing that they were kept in good repair.

Whereas Jacob's sons John Troy, Richard Troy and Thomas Troy had inherited from their mother Mary "as her only sons and heirs in Gavelkind according to the Custom of Gavelkind used in the said County of Kent", and whereas all Mary's children had inherited from their grandmother Frances Cooke, Jacob's will was that their shares of his estate should be adjusted so that "all and every my children by my late wife Mary Troy and my present wife Smart Bradley Troy shall be equally benefitted".

Gavelkind was the ancient custom of Kent whereby all sons inherited equally, rather than the eldest son inheriting the whole estate. It is traditionally supposed to date from before 1066, was confirmed by William the Conqueror, and again by Edward I in 1293. It is recorded in a document known as the Custumal of Kent, which survives in several versions. 

If Jacob's wife Smart Bradley Troy wanted to carry on the trade of wine merchant and distiller, she should have possession of all the stock, utensils, etc. entering into a bond for their value with the trustees.

His son John, aged nineteen when his father died, was being brought up to the business. If he wished to take up the trade when he reached the age of twenty-three, then provision was made for him to have a half share in the business with Smart Bradley, his stepmother. 

Smart Bradley was also to have the contents of his dwelling house. 

When Jacob Cazeneuve Troy's estate was advertised for sale in June 1808, following the death of his second wife Smart Bradley in 1804, it consisted of:

two Farms and Lands, situated at Hoo and at Gillingham;

several Freehold Houses, Wharfs and Ground, in the High-Street of Chatham, and at Brompton, Gillingham, and Troy Town;

a Leasehold House and Premises in the High-Street at Chatham, held of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester

The estates were to be sold in 59 separate lots, over three days.

That was not the end of the story....

Next: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'

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