412
french protestant exiles.
We find the marriage in the Register of the Artillerie French Church in London, of Le Sieur Moyse Delahaize, to Marie Alavoine, on 26th October 1715; he was the father of Philip Delahaize, Esq., whose will diffused so much happiness, and laid the foundation of so much prosperity. Mrs. Delahaize’s sister, Marguerite Alavoine, was the wife of Ayme Garnault, senior, and her daughter, Margaret Garnault, became Mrs. Romilly. [Judith Alavoine was married in 1719 in Artillerie French Church to Jaques Godin, of Spital Square. Samuel Alavoine, who died in 1746, had a daughter, Ester Deheulle, and another daughter, Mary (died 1767, aged seventy-two), wife of John Terron (died 1776, aged ninety-one). Mr. Abraham Deheulle, who died in 1763, was the father of Esther (died 1782), wife of Richard Dalton, Esq.]
Mr. Delahaize died in 1769, when Samuel Romilly was aged twelve; he was a gentleman of great wealth and benevolence, and by his judicious bequests to his circle of relations he set a number of refugee families upon their feet in a nation in which their ancestors had retired to voluntary poverty, “preferring conscience to affluence.” “He left,” says Sir S., “to me and to my brother £2000 a-piece; to my sister, £3000; to my father, my mother, and Mrs. Facquiere [called in the Will ‘Miss Margaret Farquier,’ Aimé being spelt Amy, and Ouvry, Ouvery] legacies of about the same amount, with remainder to my brother, my sister, and myself, and to each of us a share of the residue of his fortune equally with the rest of his legatees. The whole property bequeathed to us amounted together to about £14,000 or £15,000. Blessed be his memory for it! But for this legacy . . . I should have engaged in business; I should probably have failed of success in it,” &c. The other families benefitted by the Will were, like the Romillies, connected with the Garnault family. A learned correspondent has presented to me a copy of the Will.
In the name of God, Amen. — I, Philip Delahaize, of Tottenham High Cross, in the county of Middlesex, Esquire, being of sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding, praised be Almighty God for the same, do make and declare this to be my last will and testament, in manner following — that is to say — I will that I may be decently interred, as my relations have hitherto been, in my family vault at Tottenham High Cross aforesaid, and do direct that, as soon as may be after my decease, the present Ledger-Stone over such vault be removed, and in the room thereof a new one be put there, with the same inscriptions thereon as on the present one, together with the names and deaths of such other persons of my family as have been since buried there, and my own name and time of my death, and otherwise as is usual so to do. Item, I give and devise unto Mr Peter Romilly, Mr. Walter Dench, and Mr. Fenwick Lyddal, and their heirs, executors, and administrators, all and every of my freehold and other my real, and all also my leasehold messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever and wheresoever, with their and every of their rights, members, and appurtenances, and all other my personal estate whatsoever, in trust nevertheless, to and for such uses, intents, and purposes as hereinafter mentioned — that is to say — in trust within eighteen calendar months after my decease, or sooner if convenient so to do, absolutely to sell and dispose of all such freehold and other real and leasehold estates for the best price or prices that can or may be had or gotten for the same, and to convey and assign the same respectively to, and to the use and behoof of, such person or persons who shall so purchase the same, his, her, or their heirs, executors, administrators, and assignees, according to my right and interest therein, and to receive the respective consideration moneys to be paid therefor, and all and every part of such moneys, as also the rents and profits of such freehold, real, and leasehold estates till such sales can or may be had and compleated. And all my other personal estate and effects whatsoever I give and dispose of as follows — that is to say — In the first place, I order that all my just debts and funeral expenses be fully paid. Item, I direct that the sum of two thousand pounds of lawful money of Great Britain be laid out in Government Securities, and the interest or dividends thereof paid to Mr. Aimé Garnault of Bull’s Cross, in the parish of Enfield, in the county of Middlesex, during his life, and at his decease the principal to be divided among his three daughters, Francisca, now married to Mr. Peter Ouvry, and Ann Garnault and Sarah Garnault, or such of them as shall be then living; but if they shall then be all dead, I give the same to the executors or administrators of the survivor of them. Item, I give unto Mrs. Sarah Garnault, wife of the said Aimé Garnault, a diamond mourning ring of fifty guineas value. Item, I give unto the said Francisca Ouvry the sum of £2000, and unto the said Ann Garnault the sum of £2000, and unto the said Sarah Garnault, the daughter, the sum of £3000. Item, I give unto Mrs. Mary Garnault, widow of Daniel Garnault, for her life the dividends to arise from the sum of £2000, which I direct to be invested in Government Securities, and at her decease I give the principal thereof to and among all such her children by the said Daniel Garnault as shall be living at the time of her death, equally to be divided among them, except that her eldest son shall have no share thereof. Item, I give unto Samuel Garnault, one of the sons of the said Mary Garnault, the sum of £2000; to Joseph Garnault, one other of her sons, the sum of £2000; and to Mary Detull [Deheulle], one of her daughters, the sum of £1000; and to Elizabeth Vautier, one other of her daughters, the sum of £2000; and to Aimée Garnault, the other daughter of the said Mary Garnault, the sum of £2000. Item, I do direct that the
