Cox - Hartley-Kent: Covering Hartley, Longfield & District

“This is the last will of me Solomon Penury Cox, esquire of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, London and proprietor of Middletons in the parish of Longfield Kent.  I desire to have some surgical performed on my body to insure my not being buried alive and as I have for the last 26 years when riding in a carriage and having my right shoulder in a corner felt a most severe and distressing pain in my left kidney downwards to the thigh, the cause of that pain might then be ascertained.  I wish to be buried in the least expansive manner, according to my station, and with but few followers.  I prefer to be buried at Eynsford Kent, where the ashes of my paternal ancestors deceased, during the last 100 years and more repose, but as they may be inconvenient in some cases, I state further that should I die in London and my executor find it inconvenient to take my body to Eynsford then I wish to be buried in the cemetery in the Harrow Road, and not in any Church or Churchyard of London to contaminate the air, as the bodies there do to the prejudice of the health of the living.  I desire not to be buried in any vault but in a common grave without any brickwork to receive the coffin.  When I am once buried, say at Rome, Paris, Brighton or the like, I have no wish my body should be moved through another hand, I do not object to it should my executor desire it.  I desire my executor to repair all the tombs of our family at Eynsford and also to see that the vault of the Penurys at Ash next Ridley Kent and the Burrs at Farningham are also put in the most complete order.  I desire my executor immediately after proving my will to record the day and place of my death, and the day and place of my interment, stating also the court in which my will is proved, on the family pedigree in the College of Arms, London, contained in the books Norfolk volumes, Norfolk volume 7 and 1391.  I think the first named book best adapted for the entry

I give and devise unto my dear and eldest brother Henry Cox of [?????] in the parish of Limpsfield Surrey, esquire.  All that capital messuage, two barns, a stable, two cowhouses and all other the buildings, yard, garden and the several parcels of land to the same belonging and use therewith, situate in the parish of Longfield Kent, formerly in the occupation of Solomon Penury, [??????], since of Mr Cuckow, Mr Sparks, Mr Thorpe and perhaps of some others, and now of Mr John Bennett my tenant.  In ancient time called Middletons, but now more commonly or exclusively called or known by the name of The Red Cow Farm.  And now or late in the following parcels and containing as follows: The Synnakers containing 13 acres 3 roods and 16 perches; Old Down containing 4 acres 3 roods and 21 perches; Middle Down containing 3 acres 3 roods and 5 perches; Long Down containing 5 acres 1 rood and 6 perches; Upper Homefield containing 13 acres 3 roods and 24 perches; Shaw adjoining Upper Homefield containing 1 rood and 4 perches; Orchard and Cherry Garden Field containing 1 acre 1 rood and 32 perches; Lower Homefield containing 11 acres and 27 perches; The Crofts containing 11 acres and 10 perches; Kitchen Wood containing 2 acres 2 roods and 19 perches; Wood Field containing 3 acres 2 roods and 39 perches; Dammaske Croft containing 4 acres 2 roods and 19 perches; The Reeds containing 10 acres 1 rood and 3 perches; Nuffield Shaw containing 2 roods and 39 perches; Shaw in Middle Down containing 1 rood and 12 perches; Shaw in Long Down containing 1 rood and 30 perches; shaw in the Crofts containing 31 perches; garden, yard and buildings containing 3 roods and 21 perches; and with half the high roads being 1 acre 1 rood and 30 perches, contain in the whole 90 acres 3 roods and 28 perches.  Bounding on the north to lands now or late of Robert Burrowe esquire and Mr John Middleton, on the east to the highway leading from Stansted to Longfield, to the said lands now or late of Mr John Middleton and to the lands now or late of Mr Mordecai Andrus and Richard Garow esquire, on the south to lands now or late of the honourable Thomas William Coventry, Mrs Mary Goldsmith and the said Mr John Middleton, and on the west to part of the said lands now or late of the said Mrs Mary Goldsmith and _____ Sauxy esquire.  All which hereditaments at Longfield, I am possessed of absolutely in fee simple.  To hold the same with their and every of their appurtenances unto my said dear brother Henry Cox, his heirs and assigns absolutely forever.  Having thus devised my said Longfield Estate absolutely and free from all conditions, I cannot in this my last will help remarking how much I should lament to think that the same should ever be sold or left away from the family so long as anyone remains of our blood to whom the same can be wisely give, and disposing of it as I have done without limitations which I might have made, I have no doubt that my said dear brother on the other hand will act as far as it may appear to him right to do, in accordance with my constant wish which will only cease with the last pulsation of my heart.   The said Longfield Estate was valued in April 1815 at £2,100 and the timber at £142 12 shilling, and was then let at £84 a year. It is now let at £65 a year, a statistical fact illustrative of the price of the same estate at those two periods.  I have never paid any quitrent for my estate at Longfield, and I was told from excellent authority that there were no court rolls or in short the least reason to believe that any manor (if there ever were one) would now be proved to exist.”

To brother Joseph, estate at Cranford, Middx.  To brother John, proprietor of the Black Eagle Brewery, Bermondsey, his estate at Penshurst.

His share of Charton Manor, Farningham, and of West Yoke Farm (detailed description, 139a 1r 36  perches in Ash, 62a 2r 12p in Fawkham and 48a 3r 3p in West Kingsdown); and of Pollyhaugh, Eynsford; land at Waterside Street, Dartford; and estate at Horton Kirby to be divided amongst brothers Henry, Joseph and John equally.  He says they have no sister, and he and his brothers have no children, he says he recites this for the interest of genealogists, a subject he is very interested in because he doesn’t want such information to be lost.

He lists in detail the thousands of pounds he has in government stocks which he leaves to the following: (1) cousin John Colyer of Colyersleigh in New South Wales to which he emigrated from Southfleet in August 1827 - £400, detailed genealogy of John’s family; (2) to kinsman John Tilden, he requests executor to spend £25 of stock to buy a silver tankard and inscribe it with quarterings of arms of Penury, Middleton and Miller with inscription “Bequeathed to his kinsman John Tilden esquire by SP Cox esq of the Inner Temple”, genealogical information added; (3) similar bequest of tankard to kinsman and friend John King, genealogical information added; (4) Very detailed description of monument he wants for himself in Farningham church, he describes Middleton of Longfield arms as “argent a pale nebuly gules on a canton of the last a cross flory argent”, the inscription thereon to mention he left £200 for the poor of Farningham and that he was born there 8 April 1794; (5) He leaves £200 to build new school for the poor at Farningham currently in Vicarage Field.  He leaves £50 each to Longfield, Eynsford and Ash for education of the poor children.  He mentions Eynsford has an existing school; (6) To County Hospital Maidstone £100, to Marine Society of London for training boys for sea £100, to Royal Free Hospital £100; (7) to Sir Nicolas Harris Nicolas of Torrington Square, Strand, London £100; (8) To dear friend Charles George Young of the College of Arms £100; (9) Remainder (detailed) to be divided equally between his three brothers Henry, Joseph and John.

He has a long list of his personal estate, including paintings, books, plate, porcelain, a bust of himself, a 7th century reliquary, which he leaves to brother Henry or brother John if Henry is not living at the time of his death.  He says of his William Corbett books “the most able writer that any age or country has yet produced and in heart and action truly an Englishman”.

He appoints brother Henry sole executor.  “And lastly beseeching Almighty God to bless my brothers and praying that we may all of us through the mediation of our Lord and Saviour at the last day meet again and behold in the fulness of glory our forefathers, benefactors and friends. This my loving and beloved brothers my last earthly adieu …..”

Dated 26 April 1842.

Codicil dated 7 May 1848. He is now at present in Limpsfield Surrey.  He leaves an annuity of £60 to be charged on his lands to William Cooper “now my attendant in illness.”  Also gifts of £50 to William Cooper and Thomas Potter Taylor of the same place “in consideration of their kind attentions to me in sickness.”

Proved at London 5 March 1850