THE WILL OF STEPHEN KNIGHT
OF ST. JOHN 'S 1812

In the fear of the Lord. I STEPHEN KNIGHT, formerly of Shaftsbury in Dorsetshire England but now residing in St. John's Newfoundland being through God's mercy in good health in ? perfect use of my intellect knowing the uncertainty of all earthly things the certainty of mortality desirous of preparing as much as possible for that awful thing? Do consider it expedient to make my will and I do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament ? the Lord for the sake of his beloved Son to receive my Soul having a firm ffaith in all the Divine attributes of Christ ? under a sense of my total unworthiness and the unvaried mercies of God towards me all the days of my life so that I am now a monument of his unbreakable goodness, ffirst I give and bequeath unto CHARLES JAMES FFOX BENNETT two hundred pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be paid him at the expiration of his apprenticeship together with the balance of his amount which may be then due to PARKER KNIGHT and ?BULBY?? Secondly I give and bequeath unto JOHN MARCH who saved his apprenticeship with no? two hundred pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be paid to him as soon as possible. Thirdly I give bequeath unto JAMES MARCH of OLD PERLICAN all my right title and interest in and to the premises which he now occupies in Old Perlican aforesaid to be his for ever. Ffourthly I give bequeath to STEPHEN MARCH son of STEPHEN and ANN MARCH all my right title and interest in and to a room or plantation in OLD PERLICAN aforesaid lately occupied by his ffather at the death of the said STEPHEN MARCH to be the property of his children or if he dies without issue to be the property of his sister ANN MARCH and her heirs forever. Ffifthly I give and bequeath unto ANN MARCH my wife's niece now living with us two hundred pounds in trust with my Executors to be paid to her on the day of her marriage provided she marries with the consent and approbation of my Executors in this place or at any other period my Executors may judge proper if she does not marry. Sixthly I give and bequeath unto MARY MARCH the sister of ANN MARCH before named one hundred pounds under the same restrictions as the proceeding bequest to her Sister in that event of her decease before the money is paid to them it is to become the property of my wife. Seventhly I give and bequeath unto my sister ANN KNIGHT in England two hundred pounds. Eighthly I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife ANN KNIGHT the Daughter of STEPHEN AND ANN MARCH all my right title and interest in and to a certain premises or plantation known by the name of ALLWARDS situated between the rooms now occupied by PHILIP BAULAU? And JOHN CODNER east and the GABIES?Room leased to me by the Governor West in the Harbor of St. John's together with all buildings and improvements the room ? at this time the dwelling house and garden occupied by myself the shop counting house stores and wharves occupied by PARKER KNIGHT and BULBY the house occupied by GEORGE ? a ? occupied by MARY FFREEMAN? And JAMES NOUNAN? A fflake and my interest on a lease of part of the garden or ships room west to be hers during her life if she remains unmarried and at her decease to become the property of my daughter ANN KNIGHT and her heirs unless my wife should have another child born within nine months after my decease and then this property shall at my wife's death become the property of such child for ever but if my wife has not another child within nine months after my decease and should marry again then it shall be at the option of my daughter ANN KNIGHT to have the premises now divided and given up to her ? or my trustees paying my wife three thousand pounds for her life interest in them or if she does not choose to purchase with interest the premises on the death of my wife with all improvements shall become the property of my daughter ANN KNIGHT for ever ? ? under every ? the right of to the branches of my family in the Northeast Corner of the Land. Ninthly I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved daughter ANN born of my wife ANN KNIGHT now in England twelve hundred pounds sterling money of Great Britain now at interest to my brothers THOMAS and JEREMIAH securities whereof are with my ffriend ANTHONY (STARRY?) of London together with the sum of nine thousand pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be raised out of my stock in Trade and the effects goes which monies shall be shared out at Interest on good ? security by my Trustees in England and do much of the Interest ? therefrom as may be necessary shall be for the maintenance and bringing up my said daughter ANN unto she is of age when her principal and unappropriated interest shall be her own and at her own disposal for ever. Tenthly I give bequeath unto my daughter ANN aforementioned all my books drawings? Instruments globes and papers provided she returns to Newfoundland otherwise my papers only and I do desire that she may be educated liberally but plan and for that purpose I by all means ? ask her to remain in England until she be seventeen years of age I also ? and her to the Society of Ffriends whose principles are in my opinion the best ? to promote her temporal and everlasting ? and provided my said Daughter ANN should die before she be of age then the property now bequeathed to her shall be disposed of as follows one hundred pounds sterling to each of my brothers JAMES THOMAS JOSEPH AND JEREMIAH KNIGHT one hundred pounds to my sister ANN KNIGHT one hundred pounds each to JOHN MARCH ANN MARCH AND MARY MARCH before named five hundred pounds to CHARLES JAMES FFOX BENNETT the remainder to be the property of my wife for ever provided that my wife should have another child born within nine months after my decease and my daughter ANN should die before she be of age then all the property devised to my daughter ANN shall become the property of such child and in the event of such child's death all the property to be disposed of as before provided for the event of my daughter ANN's death. Eleventhly I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife ANN KNIGHT the daughter of STEPHEN and ANN MARCH of OLD PERLICAN all the residue and remainder of my property of every description after my debts and bequests are paid and I hope she will be careful of her mother and her UNCLE WILLIAM and make them comfortable while they live I hope she will never forget the cause of the poor ? withdraw her assistance from the charity school I desire that I may be interred in my own garden next to the remains of MR. MARCH in the plainest manner or as a ffriend ? no mourning be given for me or even for ? Lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my friends SAMUEL BULBY my present partner and RICHARD LANGLEY of ST. JOHN'S, Merchant to be my Executors and trustees with full power and authority to act as such in this Island in every ? as thought there were no others and I do constitute and appoint my worthy friends BENJAMIN (BIRKLEY)? Esquire of Bristol Merchant and GEORGE REAVE? Of Poole, Dorset Merchant to be my Executors and Trustees for my will in England or otherwise out of this Island and request all of them to ? the welfare of my Daughter in a particular manner and to see my will executed according to the ? interest and ? hereof and I do ratify and confirm this and no other to be my last will and testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fourth day of the second month called Ffebruary in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred (twelve)? Stn Knight. Signed sealed published and pronounced and declared by the said STEPHEN KNIGHT on his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his ? and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names. Pat Murphy wm Langley Robert Job.

In the Probate Court Newfoundland. Saint John's to wit. Personally appeared PATRICK MURPHY of Saint John's aforesaid Gentleman one of the subscribing witnesses to the will of STEPHEN KNIGHT late of St. John's Merchant hereunto annexed who being sworn on the Holy Evangelists to depose the truth ? oath and saith that he was present and did see the said STEPHEN KNIGHT sign seal publish pronounce and declare the said will hereunto annexed to be his last Will and Testament in the presence of WILLIAM LANGLEY and ROBERT JOB the other subscribing witnesses to the said Will who in the presence of each other and in the presence of the said Testator severally signed their respective names hereunto as witnesses and this deponent further saith that the said STEPHEN KNIGHT at the time of his signing the aforesaid Will appeared to this deponent to be of a sound disposing mind memory and understanding and that the signature of Stn Knight hereunto put and affixed is of the proper handwriting of the said Stephen Knight and that the signature Pat MURPHY Wm LANGLEY and ROBERT JOB is of the proper handwriting of them the said PATRICK MURPHY, WILLIAM LANGLEY AND ROBERT JOB. PAT. MURPHY. Sworn at St. John's Newfoundland this 16^th July 1813

PROVED at London 2^nd December 1814 before the Judge by BENJAMIN BIRKLEY? And GEORGE REAVE? The Executors for England limited as to the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased in England or otherwise except in the Island of Newfoundland but no further or otherwise the said BENJAMIN BIRKLEY having been first sworn and the said GOERGE REAVE? having first made a solemn and sincere declaration or affirmation avowing to Act of Parliament (By ?) duly to administer.

From London Public Records Office, Wills Archives