James Reed

From The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1843. His death:

Jan. 10. At Eversholt, Beds, the Rev. James Reed, B.D. Rector of that parish, Vicar of Hampstead Norris, Berks, one of her Majesty’s Chaplains in Ordinary, and a magistrate for Bedfordshire. He was presented to Eversholt in 1810 by tbe Marchioness of Downshire, and to Hampstead Norris in 1819 by the Marquess of Downshire.

Clergymen Deceased

Jan 10, at Eversholt, near Wooburn, the Rev. James Reed, B.d. Rector of Eversholt, Bedfordshire, one of her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for that County, Vicar of Hampstead Norris, Berks, and one of her Majesty’s Chaplains in Ordinary.

From the Eton College Register:

James Reed (s. James), b. Barnstaple, bap. 6 July 1768, M. Merton 20 Oct. 1787 and held an Eton postmastership : Reynolds exhibitioner 1789; Dev. 1792, res. 15 Ap. 1811, the mother of his pupil the Marquis of Downshire having pres. him to the R. of Eversholt, Beds, instit. 16 Ap. 1810 ; the Marquis pres. him to V. of Hampstead Norris, Berks 1819 ; chaplain to her Majesty at S. James’ 1803 ; B.A. 22 June 1791, M.A. 30 June 1794; B.D. 22 Jan. 1803; el. C. of Merton, Oxon 30 June 1793 for the next year; d. Eversholt 10 Jan. 1843 5 Gent. Mag. 1843 xix. 327.

In the churchyard are deposited the remains of The Reverend JAMES REED B.D. One of the chaplains of the Kings GEORGE III, GEORGE IV,and WILLIAM IV and of Her Majesty QUEEN VICTORIA Vicar of HAMPSTEAD NORRIS, COUNTY BERKS and for 32 years rector of this parish who died on the 10th day of January in the year of Our Lord 1843 aged 74 and whose Christian memory his executrix thinks she most fittingly honours by inscribing here the beginning of his last will.

I, JAMES REED, Rector of EVERSHOLT, BEDS die in charity with all men. and with a contrite sense of the manifold sins and negligences of my past life humbly imploring forgiveness of Almighty God and earnestly praying that of his infinite mercy he will grant me admission into his kingdom in Heaven. Not thro’ any merits of my own for I have none to plead but thro’ the atonement and mediation of my Redeemer JESUS CHRIST our Lord to whom with the Father and the HOLY SPIRIT be praise and thanksgiving and glory for ever and ever Amen

This snippet (literally) from Papers by Command – Volume 100 – Page xlvi apparently from the House of Commons in 1905:

I James Reed Rector of Eversholt Beds die in charity with all men and with a contrite sense of the manifold sins and negligences of my past life Humbly imploring forgiveness of Almighty God earnestly praying that of his infinite mercy he will grant me admission into his Kingdom in Heaven not through any merits of my own for I have none to plead but through the atonement and mediation of my Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the father and the Holy Spirit be praise and thanksgiving and glory for ever and ever Amen. By this my last will and testament I constitute my cousin Mary ?Tucker of Bramford Speke my sole Executrix to whom the residue of my fortune furniture and effects shall belong after the legacies hereinafter nam’d shall be paid and all my lawful debts discharged. ?? ?? to each of my cousins now surviving daughters of my late uncle the Revd. Peter ?Tucker I give one hundred pounds. I give one hundred pounds to my cousin Mrs. ?Vellarot of Framington near Barnstaple Devon. I give ten pounds to the Revd. John Sp??y of Tiverton Devon. I give ten pounds to my cousin Captain John May of Broadgate House Pilton in the County of Devon. I give one hundred pounds to the Revd. Edward Moses Griffith fellow of Merton College Oxford. I give my gold watch made by ?Barroise and chain attached to it to the Marquis of Downshire whom for his many virtues I sincerely love and esteem and to each of his brothers Lord Sandys Lord Marcus Hill and Lord George Augusta Hill one hundred pounds to Miss Louisa Inglis sister of my excellent friend Sir Robert Harry Inglis Bart I give one hundred pounds as a token of my regard and friendship for her and for all her worthy family. I give to the Lady ?? Fitzpatrick ten pounds and ten pounds also to her sister the Lady ?? Fitzpatrick to be laid out in the purchase of ?such ?? as they in their friendship for me shall most approve. I give to the Revd. John Blissard my Curate at Hampstead Norris one hundred pounds. To each of my domestic servants who at the time of my decease shall have serv’d me two years I order one years wages to be paid over and above what shall be due to them at the time of my decease and also a suit of mourning to each of them. To my labourer James Smart I give twenty pounds. To David Stevens who ?? serv’d me as footman I give one hundred pounds. I give to the Lord Charles Russell Son of His Grace John Duke of Bedford one hundred pounds. I give to the trustees appointed for the time being to the management of the endowment fund of Trinity Chapel and which is hereafter to become a perpetual Curacy at Hermitage in the parish of Hampstead Norris in the County of Berks three thousand pounds Sterg. now standing in my name in the three per cent consols. I give to the vicar and churchwardens for the time being of the parish of Hampstead Norris in the county of Berks two hundred pounds for the purchase of a suitable piece of land and for the building thereon a parish School and to be used also as a Sunday School for the benefit of the said parish and it is my desire that the scholars should receive religious instruction according to the principles and tenets of the Church of England and that they should be regular in their attendance at the Parish Church on the Lord’s day. I do also give to the vicar and churchwardens for the time being of the parish of Hampstead Norris in the County of Berks one hundred pounds to be vested in the public funds or in the purchase of land the interest or rent thereon to be applied to the purchase of a substantial great Coat to be given from time to time to some labourer of good report belonging to the said parish and who shall have serv’d ten successive years upon the same farm therein. I give to the Rector of Eversholt in the County of Bedford and to the Patron of the Rectory of Eversholt aforesaid for the time being on hundred pounds for the purpose and towards the restoring the east window in the chancel of Eversholt Church to its proper character of architecture I give to the Rector and Churchwardens for the time being of the parish of Eversholt aforesaid two hundred pounds towards the building and establishment of a good parish School and to be used also as a Sunday School and it is my desire that the scholars should receive religious instruction according to the principles and tenets of the Church of England and that they should attend the parish Church upon the Lord’s day.

I give one hundred pounds to the society for promoting Christian Knowledge. I give one hundred pounds to the Bedford Infirmary. I give one hundred pounds to the Berkshire Infirmary lately established at Reading. I give all the volumes of general Statutes in my Library to the Board of Magistrates attending petty sessions at Woburn Beds and to be plac’d in the Town Hall of the said town for their use I desire that the legacies stated in this my last will and testament may be paid after the expiration of one year from the time of my decease In witness of the above I do hereby set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine – James Reed [seal] – witnesses Border ?? Smith Salford Beds. Clerk – Willm. Cole Lieut. R.N. Aspley Woburn Beds

B Since the decease of both the Ladies Fitzpatrick I do hereby revoke the clause in this my last will and testament relating to them and have also eras’d the same
witness my hand and seal
James Reed [seal]
this seventh day of January 1843.
Witnesses Daniel Daniel Eversholt Farmer
Edward Randall Eversholt Farmer.

C I give to Sir Robert Harry Inglis Baronet of the parish of Milton Bryan in the County of Bedford three thousand pounds sterg. 3 pr cent consols being a part of property standing in my name in the said three per cent consolidated annuities
Witness my hand and seal
James Reed [seal]
this seventh day of Jany. 1843
Witnesses Daniel Daniel Eversholt Farmer
Edward Randall Eversholt Farmer.

In the Prorogative Court of Canterbury In the Goods of the Reverend James Reed Clerk deceased.

Personally Appeared William Cole Lieutenant Royal Navy of Aspley Woburn in the County of Bedford and Daniel Daniel of Eversholt in the same county Farmer and having respectively viewed and perused the last will and testament and two codicils thereto of the Reverend James Reed late of Exeter College in the University of Oxford Rector of Eversholt in the County of Bedford and Vicar of Hampstead Norris in the County of Berks Clerk deceased contained in two sheets of paper and now hereto annexed to wit the said will now marked A beginning thus “I James Reed Rector of Eversholt Beds die in Charity with all men” ending thus “In witness of the above I do hereby set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine” and thus subscribed “James Reed” the first Codicil thereto now marked B beginning thus Since the decease of both the Ladies Fitzpatrick” ending thus “and have also erased the same witness my hand and seal this seventh day of January 1843” and thus subscribed “James Reed” the second Codicil now marked C beginning thus “I give to Sir Robert Harry Inglis Baronet” ending thus “in the said three per cent consolidated annuities witness my hand and seal this seventh day of Jany. 1843” and thus subscribed “James Reed” made oath as follows And first the said William Cole for himself saith that he is one of the subscribed witnesses to the last will and testament of the said deceased hereto annexed and beginning ending and subscribed as aforesaid And that the said Reverend James Reed the testator signed his said name the said will in the manner now appearing thereon at the foot or end of the same namely at the bottom of the fifth page thereof in the presence of him the deposant and of the Revd. Border Chanorke Smith with the other subscribed witness thereto on the day of the date thereof they being then present together at the same time And also that he the deposant and the said Reverend Border Chanorke Smith did severally in the presence of the deceased attest ?such the execution of the said will by subscribing their respective names thereto in the manner now appearing thereon And the said Daniel Daniel for himself made oath that he is one of the subscribed witnesses as well to the first Codicil marked B as to the aforesaid Codicil marked C respectively beginning ending and subscribed as aforesaid and that the said reverend James Reed the testator signed his name at the foot or end of each of the said codicils on the day of the dates thereof to wit on the seventh day of January now last past in manner now appearing thereon respectively in the presence of him the deposant and also of Edward Randall the other witness subscribing they being at such times of the deceases signing the said codicils present together and that he the deposant and also the said Edward Randall did severally in the presence of the said decease attest the separate executions of the said codicils by him by subscribing their names to each of the same in the manner now appearing thereon – Willm. Cole – Daniel Daniel – On the sixteenth day of February 1843 the said William Cole and Daniel Daniel were duly sworn to the truth of this Affidavit by virtue of the Commission Acts annexed before me W. P. Pinckney Commissioner

Proved at London with two Codicils the 25th February 1843 before the Judge by the oath of Mary Tucker Spinster the sole Executrix to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn by Commission duly to administer.

It’s remarkable that he gave away at least £8200. The MeasuringWorth Site says the value of that in 2015 is anything from £750K to £26M. He was a rich man. And he gave nearly all of his wealth to other rich people, and almost none to charity. The closest he came to charity was giving away an occasional coat. And this, after the Susan Deacon Affair.

[More to come: disentangle the relationships between the people in the will, and the Sandys family. Reed was related to the Sandys family. And was the Pinckney mentioned here any relation to the Pinckneys of Church End? Yes, it looks like it – William Philip Pinckney.]