The will of Benjamin Grant of Scamblesby, written in 1842 and proved in 1844. This provides much useful information about his family – it names an Uncle as ‘William Grant of Brinkhill‘ and his son as John Grant, allowing us to identify them.

This is the last Will and Testament of me Benjamin Grant Scamblesby in the County of Lincoln Gentleman I give and devise all that my Manor or reputed Manor or Lordship of Oxcomb with the rights royalties and appurtenances thereto belonging also the perpetual advowson of the Rectory Vicarage or Parsonage of Oxcomb aforesaid with the right of presentation donation and patronage of the Parish Church of Oxcomb aforesaid and the several rights and appurtenances thereto respectively belonging also all that my capital messuage or dwellinghouse with the yards gardens outbuildings and appurtenances thereto belonging situate in Oxcombe aforesaid and also all and singular my Cottages Barns stables closes plots pieces and parcels of arable meadow pasture plantation and woodland situate in Oxcomb aforesaid and all other my estate in the said parish of Oxcomb with the several rights members privileges and appurtenances unto and to the use of David Briggs Chapman Briggs and Benjamin Briggs (the sons of the late David Briggs) and to their respective heirs and assigns for ever as tenants in common in equal undivided third parts or shares I give and devise all those my leasehold manor or reputed manor of Scamblesby aforesaid with the appurtenances and all those my leasehold messuage or farm house with the outbuildings yards gardens closes and pieces or parcels of land and hereditaments with appurtenances in tenure of Mr Thomas Reading Grantham and others and all my leasehold estates lands tenements and hereditaments with their appurtenances in Scamblesby aforesaid now respectively held by me under or by virtue of a lease from the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln or which may at the time of my death be held and enjoyed by me under any renewed lease or leases from or granted to me by the said Dean and Chapter or otherwise and all my farm estate and interest therein unto and to the use of Maurice Searle and George Searle the younger (the sons of Mr George Searle the Elder of Louth in the said County of Lincoln Gentleman and of my niece his late wife) respectively and to their respective executors administrators and assigns in equal undivided moieties share and share alike to take as tenants in commmon for all such term estate rights and interest therein as may be posessed of or entitled unto at the time of my decease with all benefit of renewals and other benefit and advantage whatsoever relating to the said leasehold estates and the lease or leases under which the same now are or may be held I give and devise all those my freehold messuage with the outbuildings yards gardens plantations closes and pieces or parcels of arable meadow and pasture land situate in Scamblesby aforesaid wherein I now dwell and in my own occupation and also all other my freehold messuages farm cottages lands tenements and hereditaments situate in Scamblesby aforesaid with the several rights members and appurtenances thereto belonging unto and to the absolute use of my housekeeper Miss Sarah Dobbs her heirs and assigns for ever subject nevertheless to and I do hereby charge the same freehold lands tenements and hereditaments so devised to the said Sarah Dobbs with the payment of one annuity or annual sum of twenty pounds payable half yearly which I hereby give to Jane Crow the daughter of my late Man Servant George Crow and her assigns for and during the term of her natural life for her own sole and separate use and benefit free from the control debts or engagements of any husband she may happen to marry and her receipts alone under her own hand to be sufficient discharges for the same the first payment of such annuity to commence and be made at the end of six calendar months next after my decease and I give to the same Jane Crow and her assigns the ususal powers of entry distress and sale as in cases of ?? in arrear in case the said annuity or any part thereof shall at any time be in arrear for fourteen days next after the same shall become due and I direct that a proportionable part of the said annuity shall be paid to the executors administrators or assigns of the said Jane Crow from the last half yearly day of payment preceding the death of the said Jane Crow up to the day of her decease I also give and bequeath to the said Sarah Dobbs for her own absolute use all my household furniture plate linen china horse Carriage live stock wines spirits goods chattels personal estate and assets which belong to or which may be in use upon or in or about my house outbuildings grounds and lands in Scamblesby wherein I reside or which may be in my occupation at the time of my death except only my money and securities for money and I direct my executors to rauster? and deliver the same to the said Sarah Dobbs accordingly immediately after my decease I give and devise all my closes pieces and parcels of land situate at Thorpe in the Marsh in the County of Lincoln with their rights members and appurtenances unto and to the use of William Grant of Withern in the said County farmer his heirs and assigns for ever I give and devise all my closes pieces and parcels of land situate at Winthorpe in the said County of Lincoln with their appurtenances unto and to the use of John Grant (son of my late Uncle William Grant of Brinkhill in the said County deceased his heirs and assigns for ever I give and devise all that my close of land at South Somercotes in the said County with its appurtenances lately purchased by me of Mr David Briggs unto and to the use of my Cousin Lucy Hill her heirs and assigns for ever I give and bequeath unto David Briggs of Oxcombe aforesaid and to the said Maurice Searle or the survivor of them the sum of five hundred pounds upon trust that they or one of them pay the same to the Treasurer of a Society who call themselves Governors of the County Hospital of Lincoln which sum I charge upon such part of my personal estate as does not consist of chattels real and order that it shall be paid out of the same within six calendar months after my decease and applied to the charitable uses of the said hospital for which on payment the Treasurers receipt shall be a sufficient discharge I give and bequeath to the Treasurer of a Society who call themselves Governers of the Lincoln Lunatic Asylum the legacy or sum of five hundred pounds which sum I charge on such part of my estate as does not consist of chattels real and direct it to be paid by my executors within six calendar months after my decease and applied to the charitable uses of the said Asylum for which on payment the Treasurers receipt shall be a sufficient discharge I give and bequeath to the several persons hereinafter named by me the several legacies or sums of money following with the interest thereon that is to say to Elizabeth, Margaret and Charlotte Searle (the three daughters of the said George Searle the older and of my said niece his late wife) two thousand pounds each to Thomas Curtois Grant and Jane Grant the son and daughter of Mrs Martha Susanna Grant Widow two thousand pounds each to the said Mrs Martha Suasanna Grant five hundred pounds, to James, Benjamin, William and John Holden and to Mary Thompson Widow their sister (the sons and daughters of the late John Holden formerly a warrener at Withcall and in the service of my late Father and brother) five hundred pounds each to frederick and Fanny Fawcett the grandson and grand daughter of the late David Briggs of Oxcomb aforesaid one thousand pounds each to Thomas Grant the younger of Louth in the said County Solicitor two thousand pounds, to John Bartholomew Parker and Elizabeth Ann Parker the son and the daughter of Mr Lysimachus Parker the younger of Louth aforesaid one thousand pounds each, to Mrs Susannah Briggs the wife of Mr David Briggs of Oxcomb aforesaid five hundred pounds, to the said William Grant of Withern aforesaid one thousand six hundred pounds, to Miss Charlotte Furness of Hull two hundred pounds, to the said Chapman Briggs and Benjamin Briggs one thousand pounds each, to the said Maurice Searle and George Searle the younger one thousand pounds each, to Mrs Spratt the wife of David Spratt of Scamblesby aforesaid five hundred pounds, to Thomas Robinson my Man Servant one hundred pounds, to Richard Dobbs Robinson the son of the said Thomas Robinson five hundred pounds, to Susannah Glentford of Gayton le Marsh the wife of Robert Glentford one hundred pounds, to William Rhodes of Scamblesby aforesaid my tenant one hundred pounds and to my brother Richard Grant one thousand pounds all which said several legacies I will and direct shall be vested legacies in the respective legatees above named and to be paid by my executors hereinafter named at the end of six calendar months next after my decease with lawful interest thereon from the day of my death to such of the said legatees as shall then have attained the age of twenty one years and to such of them as shall not then have attained that age when and as they severally attain such age with lawful interest thereon in the mean time from my death and I give and bequeath all the rest residue and remainder of my moneys and securities for money personal estate and effects unto the said David Briggs and Maurice Searle to be equally divided between them for their own absolute use share and share alike and for the better enabling my said executors hereinafter named to get in recover and receive the several sums of money due and owing to me as mortgagee I do hereby give and devise unto the said David Briggs and Maurice Searle their heirs and assigns all and singular the messuages cottages closes lands tenements and hereditaments whether freehold or copyhold with their appurtenances now held by me as such mortgagee or trustee thereof to hold the same unto the said David Briggs and Maurice Searle their heirs and assigns according to the several natures and tenures respectively whether freehold or copyhold subject nevertheless to such equity of redemption and such trusts as are now subsisting in the same respectively according to the several natures and qualities of the same estates respectively and lastly I hereby revoke every former will by me made declare this only to be my last will and Testament and appoint the said David Briggs and Maurice Searle Trustees and joint Executors hereof they paying all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and all the several specific and pecuniary legacies and interest thereon as above by me given and bequeathed In Witness whereof I the said Benjamin Grant the testator have to this my last will and Testament and to a duplicate thereof contained in this and the four preceding sheets of paper set my hand this twenty sixh day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty two – Benjamin Grant – Signed declared and acknowledged by the said Benjamin Grant the said testator as his last will and Testament in the presence of us present at the same time whoat his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have inscribed our names as witnesses – Lys. Parker Westgate Louth – Corn^s Parker Westgate Louth.