by Jon Malings

This Will is in the Public Records Office in Kew, reference PRO Prob/11/783  Image Ref: 550

It's very difficult to guess at the relationship between Elizabeth Langston and the Waite/Wyatt family.  In her Will she makes 7 minor bequests including 4 to the Waites and Wyatts.  As a rough guide, 10 shllings would be equivalent to around £750 today.

  • Ann Carter 5/-
  • Mary George of Adderbury 5/-
  • Ann Wyatt, wife of John  10/-
  • Ann's son John Wyatt 10/-
  • Ann's son Richard Wyatt 10/-
  • Grace Waite  10/-
  • Samuel French, Schoolmaster, 1 Guinea


She also makes specific provision for her funeral: 

"my Will is that there shall be the sum of Five pounds laid out in cake at my Funeral and the people shall be served with Ale and Wine and the Four Men which carry me to Church shall have each of them One Shilling and those which hold up the pall shall have each of them a pair of Gloves and Mr. Lane shall have a pair of Gloves and that a Stone shall be laid over my Grave"


Finally, she makes three major bequests

  • Her Nephew, Reverend James Laserre, sole Executor, was bequeathed her house in New Street and the remainder of her personal estate after all other bequests and expenses.
  • Her Nephew Peter Barbier received  £120.
  • Her servant Catherine Waite (or her heirs) received £120 [£180K!] plus one half of Elizabeth's linen and wearing apparel plus the rents from her Orchards, Gardens and Cows Commons until the bequest was paid to her.

 

There is no mention of Winmour Cottage or of Elizabeth's half-share which, in her Will of 1726, her sister Ann had requested be given to Catherine Waite for her lifetime.

Transcript

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN
I Elizabeth Langston of Deddington in the County of Oxford
Gentlewoman although labouring at present under some
Indispositions of Body yet being of sound and disposing mind
Memory and Understanding through the Mercy of God I do make and
ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form
following (that is to say) First and principally I resign my  soul with
The utmost humility into the hands of Almighty God my Creator
humbly hoping for a blessed Immortality through [the] merits and mediation
of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ and my body I desire
may be decently buried as hereafter mentioned And as for such temporal
Estate and Goods as the Lord in his great Goodness and Mercy hath
intrusted me to be steward of I give devise and dispose thereof as
followeth I do will that all my just debts and funeral Expences shall
Be first justly paid and discharged  I give devise and bequeath unto
my Nephew Mr. Perer Barbier the sum of One Hundred and twenty
pounds of good and lawfull money of Great Britain to be paid
unto him within twelve months after my decease if he be then
living  I give devise and bequeath unto my servant Catherine
Waite the Sum of One Hundred and twenty pounds of like lawfull
Money to be paid unto her or unto her Executors Administrators or
Assigns within twelve months after my decease  I likewise do give and
bequeath unto my said servant Catherine Waite the one half of
my Linen and half my Wearing Apparel and the Rents Sums
and profits of my Orchards Gardens and Cows Commons for One
year or until such time that she doth receive the aforesaid Sum
of One hundred and twenty pounds  I give and bequeath
unto Ann Carter Wife of William Carter the Sum of Five
Shillings and unto Mary George of Adderbury the Sum of
Five Shillings of like lawfull money to be paid unto them
within twelve months after my decease  I give and Bequeath
unto Ann Wyatt Wife of John Wyatt and to her sons Richard
and John Wyatt unto each and every of them the Sum of
ten shillings of like lawfull money  I give and bequeath unto
Grace Waite the Sum of ten Shillings of like lawfull money
to be paid unto them within twelve months after my decease
I give and bequeath unto Samuel French Schoolmaster One
Guinea of like lawfull money to be paid unto him with
twelve months after my decease and my Will is that there
shall be the sum of Five pounds laid out in cake at my
Funeral and the people shall be served with Ale and
Wine and the Four Men which carry me to Church shall have
each of them One Shilling and those which hold up the pall shall
have each of them a pair of Gloves and Mr. Lane shall have
a pair of Gloves and that a Stone shall be laid over my Grave
I give devise and bequeath all that my House situate
standing and being in Deddington in the new Street now in
my own possession with the Yards Gardens and Orchards Cow
Commons and all other Rights ?bers and appurtenances
there unto belonging and half my Linen and half
My Wearing Apparel and all my plate and all the Rest
Residue and Remainder of my Estate real and personal
whatsoever and wheresoever unto my Nephew the Revered
Mr. James Lasserre and unto his heirs and assigns for ever
upon this special trust and Confidence in him reposed and upon 
condition that the said Mr. James Lasserre Do and shall pay all
my said just debts and Funeral Expences to about twenty for
pounds and all these legacies hereinbefore given and I do hereby
charge and encumber all my Estate real and personal
with their appurtenances with the payment of my just debts
funeral Expences and the Legacies hereinbefore given and
I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my said Nephew
Mr. James Lassere Sole Executor of this my last Will and
Testament revoking and making void all other and former
Wills and Testaments by me heretobefore made In Witness
whereof to this my last Will and Testament containing two
Sheets of paper set my hand and seal to each Sheet of paper
and my Seal to the ?Inbler which fixeth them together the twenty
fifth day of January in the twentieth year of the Reign of Our
Sovereign Lord George the Second by the grace of god of great
Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith and
so forth and in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven
Hundred Forty and Seven/Eight  Elizabeth Langston signed
Sealed published and declared to be the last Will and Testament
of the said Elizabeth Langston in the presence of us who have
subscribed our names as Witnesses in her presence  Thomas
French   Nathaniel Day French  Rich. French


THIS WILL was proved at London before the Right
Worshipfull John Bettesworth Doctor of Laws Master
Keeper or Commissary of the  prerogative Court of Canterbury
lawfully constituted On the Sixth day of November in the year
of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty by the
Oath of the Revered James Laserre 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
being first duly sworn by Commision only to administer