Jane Cadogan widow must’ve been an incredible character. Her will is the only time we hear her voice, so it’s worth reading in full. She is committed to her family, the church and to being good with money. She invests in Government Stock at three percent, and leaves £1,200 between her servants – to be paid first – her family, and a midshipman who’s decided to become a vicar, with £350 to good works. She leaves William’s portrait and a locket with his hair to his sister, and her gold watch to her niece. She seems to have carried on in her husband’s work. Her Trustees the Earl Rocksavage and Henry Weyland MP were leading Evangelicals. Remembering her sister-in-law suggests she wasn’t a Puritan tho – the Angleseys’ marriage had been a Regency scandal.

National Archive PROB 11/1724/214

The Honble Jane Cadogan

 A

I Jane Cadogan widow of the late Honourable and Reverend William Bromley Cadogan Do make publick and declare this my last will and Testament revoking all former wills and Testamentary papers by me at any time heretofore made I desire that I may be buried by my dear husband under the Altar of the parish Church of St Giles Reading Berks and that the expence of my Funeral may be upon the most moderate scale I direct that all my just debts and funeral and testamentary expences be fully paid and satisfied after payment whereof I dispose of my Estate as follows I give and bequeath to my Servant Ann Snell a clear annuity of ten pounds per annum for her life to my late Cook Ann Davies I give and bequeath a clear annuity of ten pounds per annum for her life these two annuities of ten pounds each to be purchased by my Executrix and Executors hereinafter named for and in the names of the said Ann Snell and Ann Davies and for their use and benefit in Government or any other good security that my said Executrix and Executors may think proper I direct that the two legatees above mentioned shall be paid in priority to any other contained in this my will I give and bequeath to Mrs Elizabeth Wells Clark the Wife to the Reverend Mr Clark Curate of Hustingfield Cambridgeshire the sum of one Hundred pounds I give and bequeath to the Right Honourable Baron Newburgh commonly called the Earl of Rocksavage the sum of fifty pounds I give and bequeath to Compton Reade the son of John Reade of Ipsden House Oxfordshire Esquire the sum of fifty pounds I give and bequeath to my Nephew John Graham Esquire the sum of fifty pounds I give and bequeath to my sister in Law the Marchioness of Anglesy the miniature picture of my dear husband and the Gold Locket with his hair I give and bequeath to my brother Alexander Graham of Ballagan in Scotland Esquire my Gold Repeating watch and whereas on or about the 30^th day of January 1822 I did by a certain Instrument in Writing by way of making provision for William Milner Slade (therein described as Mr William Slade here Midshipman in the Royal Navy authorize and direct the said Earl of Rocksavage and John Weyland of Hawthorn hill Berks Junior Esquire forthwith to lay out or invest in their names in Government security a certain sum of six hundred pounds then my property in the hands of the said John Wayland is to stand possessed thereof upon trust to pay all dividends and interest thereof to the said William Milner Slade until he should from other sources have an interest for his life in certain to the amount of one hundred and fifty pounds per annum or upwards exclusive of the present provision or be possessed of property equal in value to such life income And upon such event or upon the decease of the said William Milner Slade then upon trust to apply the same principal sum to such religious charitable uses as the said trustees might think proper without rendering an accompt of the same And in the event of the said William Milner Slades taking Holy Orders before he should be possessed of such income or the value thereof as aforesaid coellusive of that provision that upon trust immediately to apply the said principal sum to or towards obtaining for him by such lawful means as the said trustees should devise some Living or Church preferment And until such Living or Church preferment could be obtained upon trust to continue to pay him the said Dividends and Interest It being the intent and meaning of the said Instrument that in the event last aforesaid the said trust as to religious or charitable uses was to be void / Now I do hereby as far as may be here party in point of law for giving effect to the said provision or declaration of trust continue and repeat the same and desire that the same may be taken as part of this my last will and Testament/ Also I request my Executrix and Executors to pay the said Earl of Rocksavage and Edward Hawker Captain in the Royal Navy so much money as will at the time be sufficient to purchase three hundred and fifty pounds Stock in the Consolidated 3 Per Cent Annuities to be by then applied or given as they may see proper to the promoting to the Cause of God by any of the properties that they may judge proper to be most useful and to be most [—-] of and And I direct that the legacy duty on all the above legacies [—-] with such duty be paid out of the residue of my personal estate And I make and appoint my niece Caroline Montague Graham residuary legatee of my personal estate And I bequeath to her all my goods Chattels effects and personal property of whatever description not before bequeathed in this my Will and I appoint the said Caroline Montague Graham the said John Graham and James Stephen of Hendon Middlesex Junior Esquire the Executrix and Executors of this my Will In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eighteen hundred and twenty six Jane Cadogan Signed sealed published and by the within named Jane Cadogan as and for the last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in the presence of her and of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses John Nunn No.2 Grosvenor Street West Pimlico /-/ James black 2 Princes Row Pimlico

 This is a Codicil to my above Will In lieu of the pecuniary legacy of £350 by my said Will bequeathed to the Earl of Rocksavage and Captain Hawker upon the trusts therein mentioned I give and bequeath to the same trustees upon the same trusts the sum of £350 Stock now rested in my name in the 3per Cent Consolidated bank annuities But it is my intention that in case of deficiency of assets the said stock legacy shall abate in proportion to the pecuniary legacies given by my said Will And I direct that the same shall bear its own legacy duty In all other respects I confirm my said Will In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 12^thDay of February in the year of our Lord 1827 Jane Cadogan Signed sealed and published by the within named Jane Cadogan as and for a Codicil to her last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in the presence of her and of each other have subscribed our names as witness Henry S Stephen; Temple Mary St Stephen Kennington Gore

B

This Indenture made the 31^st day of January in the year of our Lord 1822 between Jane Cadogan Widow of late Honourable and Reverend William Bromley Cadogan deceased of the first part and The Right Honourable the Baron Newburgh commonly called the Earl of Rocksavage and John Weyland of Hawthorn Hill in the County of Berkshire Junior Esquire of the other part Whereas the said Jane Cadogan did formerly deposit with the said John Weyland the sum of six hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain the property of the said Jane Cadogan for which said sum the said John Weyland is now accountable to the said Jane Cadogan as he doth hereby admit and acknowledge And whereas the said Jane Cadogan is desirous that the same should be invested as hereinafter mentioned upon the trusts hereinafter declared Now this Indenture witnesseth and it is hereby declared and agreed by and between the parties hereto that the said Earl of Rocksavage and John Weyland shall forthwith lay out and invest the said sum of six hundred pounds in the joint names of them the said Earl of Rocksavage and John Weyland /in such government Security as they shall think proper and that they the said Earl of Rocksavage and John Weyland/ and the survivor of them and the executors and administrators of such survivor and their assigns shall stand possessed of and interested in the said sum when as laid out and invested and the dividends and interest thereof upon the following trusts that is to say upon to pay all such Dividends and Interests from time to time as the same shall arise or grow due to Mr William Slade late Midshipman in the Royal Navy, for his absolute use and benefit until such time as he shall from other sources or means have an income for his life in certain to the amount of one hundred and fifty pounds per annum or upwards exclusive of this present provision or be possessed of property equal in value to such life income and upon such event or upon the decease of the said William Slade then upon trust to apply the said principal sum to such religious or charitable uses as the said trustees may think proper without rendering any account of the same to any person or persons whatsoever And in the event of the said William Slade taking Holy Orders before he shall be possessed of such income for his life or the value thereof as aforesaid conclusive of this present provision Then upon trust immediately to apply the said principal sum to or towards the obtaining for the said William Slade by such lawful ways and means as the said trustees shall devise some Living or Church Preferment and until such Living or Church Preferment can be obtained upon trust to continue to pay him the said trust as to religious or charitable uses is to be void and of none effect In Witness whereof the said Parties have hereunto set their respective hands and seals the day and year first above written Jane Cadogan, Rocksavage, John Weyland Sealed and Delivered (being first July stamped) by the said Jane Cadogan in the presence of Charles Campbell of St Andrews St Edinburgh /-/ Mary Ward Servant of the named Jane Cadogan Sealed and Delivered by the Earl of Rocksavage in the presence of William Mulford /-/  William Brown Sealed and delivered by the said John Weyland in the presence of W Houghton 161 New Bond Street/-/ CE Bailey 161 New Bond Street

This will as contained in 2 paper Writings marked A and B with a Codicil was Proved at London 11^th April 1827 before the Worshipful John Daubeny Dr of Laws and Sworn by the Oaths of Caroline Montague Graham Spinster the Niece and John Graham Esquire the Nephew two of the Executors to whom Administration was granted being first sworn duly to Administer Power reserved to James Stephen Esquire the younger the other Executor