WILLIAM BRACEWELL WILL (OF COATES) 1819 AND CODICIL 1830

[Stanley]

BRACEWELL. WILLIAM. (1756-1830) WILL
OF 1819 AND CODICIL OF 1830.

[This transcription by Stanley Challenger Graham is from a copy supplied by Ann Battersby. There are some alterations in the text. Where these occur I shall insert the redundant or inserted words in square brackets]

This is the Last Will and Testament of me William Bracewell of Coates in the Parish of St Michael le Gill in the County of York, Gentlemen. In the first place I will order and direct that all my just debts funeral expenses and the costs and charges of preparing and proving this my will be paid by my executor hereinafter named and appointed. In the next place I give and devise unto my son William Bracewell his heirs and assigns for ever all my messuages, lands, tenements, [and] hereditaments, machinery, cotton and stock in the mill and premises situate and being in the township of Coates aforesaid. To hold the same to him my said son William his heirs and assigns for ever. [Inserted text. Subject to the life estate of my wife in the house in which I now dwell hereinafter mentioned. Also reserving to my son Christopher Bracewell the cotton goods which may be in or about the warehouse adjoining my house or which may be on the weavers or any other person’s possession.] And all the rest and residue of my messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments personal estate, securities for money debts dues and demands owing to me and all other my estate and effects whatsoever and of what nature or kind soever. [Inserted text. Except the furniture of my house which is hereinafter devised to my wife.] I give devise and bequeath unto my son Christopher his heirs, executors, administrators and assigns according to the respective natures or tenures thereof subject to and chargeable with the payment of the legacies and sums of money hereinafter mentioned. Vizt. Unto my daughter Sarah the wife of Thomas Snow of Bradford the sum of Five hundred pounds to be paid by my executor hereinafter appointed at the expiration of six months next after my decease. But though the same is not directed to be paid until that time yet I will that the same be a vested interest in her at the time of my decease. Also unto my daughter Mary Bracewell the sum of one thousand three hundred pounds to be paid to her [Deleted text. Upon the death of my wife of the] in manner hereafter mentioned Vizt. The sum of five hundred pounds part thereof to be paid to her at the expiration of six months next after my decease. And as to the remaining eight hundred pounds it is my will and mind that my wife have the interest thereof from my decease during her natural life and from and immediately after the death of my wife the said sum of eight hundred pounds to be paid to my said daughter Mary if she so long lives but if not, the same to be considered as residue and to go along with the same to my said son Christopher. And I also give to my said wife during her natural life the house in which I now dwell with the appurtenances thereto belonging. Also absolutely all my household furniture, implements of household goods chattels and effects in or about the same. Also I hereby give order and direct that the sum of fifty pounds apiece shall be paid by my executor hereinafter named unto my nephew and niece Christopher and Margaret Bracewell when and as they shall respectively attain the age of twenty one years. And the interest thereof until that time to be appropriated towards their maintenance and education. But should either of them, the said Christopher and Margaret happen to die before they attain that age the share of him or her so dying to go and to belong to the survivor. But if both should happen to die before that time the same to sink into and be considered as residue. And further, I will, order and direct that the provision hereby made for the maintenance of my said wife shall be considered and taken as in full for her dower and thirds(?) which she shall or may be entitled to out of my real or personal estate or otherwise howsoever. And lastly, I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my said son Christopher sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me at any time heretofore made. In testimony whereof I have to this my last will and testament consisting of two Brieff sheets of paper, to the first sheet whereof I have set my hand and to this second and last sheet hereof my hand and seal this fifteenth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nineteen.

Signed sealed published and (?) by the said William Bracewell the Testator as and for his last will and testament who in our presence at his request and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto.

WILLIAM BRACEWELL

JOHN PRESTON OF SKIPTON
THOMAS BROWN HIS CLERK
HENRY FOORT



This completes the main will. Made in June 1819 when William (1756-1830) was in his 63rd year. He was to live another 11 years and made a codicil to this will in January 1830 at the point of death.


CODICIL TO THE 1819 WILL MADE 28/01/1830.

This is a codicil to the last will and testament of me, William Bracewell of Coates of Coates in the County of York gentleman bearing date of the 15th day of June [January deleted and initialled by witnesses] one thousand eight hundred and nineteen. I give devise and bequeath unto my friend John Cockshott of Bracewell in the said county gentleman and his heirs executors and administrators respectively according to the nature thereof all and every messuages mill lands tenements hereditaments machinery and personal estate and effects which by my said will I have given to my son William (then living [then deceased deleted] but now deceased) and his heirs (by whose death such gift hath become void) to hold the said messuages mill lands tenements hereditaments estate effects and premises unto the said John Cockshott his heirs executors and administrators upon the trusts following, that is to say upon trust for the four children of my said deceased son and their respective heirs executors and administrators as tenants in common and not as joint tenants in the following shares and proportions that is to say. As to two sixth parts thereof for the eldest son of my said deceased son, as to three other sixth parts thereof for the second and third sons as tenants in common, and as to the remaining sixth part thereof for the daughter of my said deceased son and for the respective heirs executors and administrators for the said sons and daughters as tenants in common in the above mentioned shares and proportions. And I direct that in case any one or more of the said children shall die under the age of twenty one years the share of such child or children so dying shall go and belong to and be in trust for the survivor and survivors of such children equally amongst them and their respective heirs executors and administrators as tenants in common. And I do hereby authorise and empower my said trustee and his heirs to pay and expend the rents and proceeds of or belonging to any child being under age in the maintenance and education of such child till he or she shall attain the age of twenty one years, and that the surplus savings arising from such share shall be suffered to accumulate during the minority of such child and shall be paid to such a child on attaining the said age of twenty one years. And I direct that the legacy of thirteen hundred pounds which I have bequeathed by my will to my daughter Mary shall be reduced to the sum of one thousand pounds, having paid her in part of the said legacy three hundred pounds. I revoke the two legacies of fifty pounds apiece which I have given by my will to Christopher and Margaret Bracewell and do direct that my trustee and his heirs executors and administrators shall be answerable only for such money as shall actually come to his hands by virtue of the trusts and not for any accidental loss or omission. And that he shall have full power to reimburse himself out of his trust funds all costs charges and expenses which he shall sustain in the execution of the said trusts and also a reasonable allowance for his loss of time and trouble. And in all other respects I ratify and confirm my said will. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty eighth day of January one thousand eight hundred and thirty.

Signed in an infirm hand: WILLIAM BRACEWELL

Signed sealed and delivered by the said testator as and for a codicil to his will and by him published and declared as such in our presence who in his presence and in each other’s presence have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses.

HENRY BOLTON. Solicitor, Colne.
WILLIAM PINDER. Surgeon, Colne.
THOMAS DODGWELL(?) MD, Skipton.


SCG’s first comments on seeing this will and codicil.

These two documents are a revelation to me. I have been guilty of a false assumption for years which was that William of Coates was a simple yeoman farmer who saw an opportunity at the turn of the eighteenth century, went into water spinning and set his sons on the road to fortune.

It is apparent now that William of Coates was a major capital holder as early as the turn of the century, before he went into water spinning. This could not have been from farming, such profits were not to be made and there is no suggestion that he received his fortune by legacy. We have to consider the strong possibility that what we are looking at is profit gained from manufacturing under the Domestic System. In 1819 the stocks of cloth in the warehouse adjoining his house at Coates are described as cotton. This could well be the reason for his apparent success, in that he could have embraced cotton manufacture very early when many of his contemporaries were still pursuing the old wool based trade looking to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for their trading links (See Barcroft Papers for a typical example of this)

This warehouse itself is intriguing. Bearing in mind the scale of his operation at Earby and the warehouse/mill at Green End it’s a fairly safe assumption that we are talking about a considerable building. Certainly not just a loft or small adjunct to a house. As his home base was always Barnoldswick we are fairly safe in making the assumption that his Barlick operation was at least as large as the one in Earby. The interesting thing about this is that there was a warehouse on the bank of the canal at Coates Bridge which also has vague suggestions of bobbin mill clinging to it. This became part of Coates New Shed when it was built in 1865 or thereabouts. This raises the possibility that William’s house as described in the will might not be the Home Farm at Coates Hall.

There are a lot of assumptions here I know. I had a word with Chris Aspin about this as he is one of the foremost authorities on the early water spinning industry and he thinks that the assumptions about the source of William’s wealth are sound and worth running with. One thing is certain, it shifts the roots of the Bracewell Family’s major involvement in the textile trade back at least fifty years. This is one of the reasons why these documents are so important.

Another parallel feature is that it is quite obvious that in 1819 the split of the real estate was seen as somewhere approaching parity. There is no evidence he favoured one son above the other. The reason why Christopher was made executor seems to me to be perfectly natural, he was the eldest son, he was running both the Barlick and Earby putting out operations and in 1814 William had married into the Grimshaws and his business interests were mainly in Barrowford. It is true that he had the prospect of the ownership of the Barnoldswick real estate and mill but there is nothing to suggest that he took any interest in what would eventually come to him but was still being run by William.

William the son, in Barrowford, died in November 1827 and the main business of the codicil is recognising this fact and appointing Cockshott as the trustee for William of Barrowford’s sons who eventually ran Old Coates Mill and had other major interests in Barlick until their partnership crumbled under pressure of bad trade at the Cotton famine, open animosity from William of Newfield Edge and perhaps a certain lack of business acumen on their part. At the time of the codicil, William of Barrowford’s children were aged: William 12 years, Thomas 8 years and Christopher 5. So it would be 1839 before William could take control of his share and when he did he would be working in virtual partnership with his grandfather’s trustee, Thomas Cockshott and whoever (if anyone) Thomas had appointed to manage the mill. We have to consider here the possibility that Christopher of Earby the uncle, could have been involved.

I’m not going to go any further with this kite-flying at the moment, I want to let all this settle in my mind and do some serious digging in the index to see what comes up.

Two final points.
Looking at the scale of William of Coates’ possessions in 1819 it is quite clear that he was a bigger operator than Billycock. The assumption in Barlick history is that he was the giant, his shadow bestrides the whole of the period 1835 to 1885. However, the Bracewell’s seem to have had a strong territorial streak and I begin to see now a glimmer of light in the reasons why Billycock chose to start his business career with Smallpage and in Burnley. I think it is highly significant that he muscles in on the Barlick Domestic System in 1835 when he takes 24 Church Street and starts employing weavers. This would be while the Coates interests in Barlick were being run by the Trustee and competition would be at its lowest level. This in itself is a fascinating tack and opens up a completely new appreciation of Billycock’s career.

Again, if one looks at the relative values and more importantly the current condition of the two estates, William of Coates in 1819 and William of Newfield Edge in 1885 there is little doubt in my mind that Coates was the greater and healthiest. The big problem with the 1885 will of Billycock is that we only have assumed values of the fortune based on no proper accounting in 1879. What the true value was after the Bank had stepped in and sold everything off is anybody’s guess. Certainly a lot less than the £90,000 suggested by the figures in the will. In real terms, William of Coates had an equally large estate and as I keep saying, a far healthier prospect for the future.

The Bracewell story in Barlick is living up to its publicity. Here we have another surprise and a quantum shift in the extent and timing of their activities in the textile trade. Isn’t history wonderful!

SCG/31 January 2004

[Stanley]

On 19th May 2102 Wendy added this information about Bracewell which gives a clue about Cockshott of Bracewell:

"I did a quick search for Bracewell in the on-line newspaper databases and came up with a few bits of information that might be of interest.
The London Gazette of June 23rd 1716 has a sale notice for the Bracewell Estate -"late of the estate of Christopher Wilkinson Esq." being sold by decree of Chancery.

The York Herald of 1801 shows a Game Duty Certificate being granted to John Cockshott for the manor of Bracewell. Following years show Thomas Cockshott Esq., appointed by Lord Grantham, being granted a Gentleman's Game Certificate for Bracewell.
In February 1815 the Rev.W.A.Wasney was instituted by His Grace the Archbishop of York to the Vicarage of Bracewell presented by Lord Grantham.
The Lancaster Gazette of 27th January 1816 reports the death of Thomas Cockshott Esq. of Bracewell Hall on 19th January 1816.

I didn't have time to look any further, but it looks like Lord Grantham could have been the owner following William Weddell.

I have missed a vital piece out....
St James Chronicle December 23rd 1788
William Weddell Esq. has been pleased to present the Rev. Mr Robinson M.A. Master of the Grammar School in Ripon to the Vicarage of Bracewell near Gisburn Park". [Posted by Wendy on OG 19 May 2012]

One more snippet. The bridge over the canal next to the Marina is called Cockshott Bridge so he must have had land holdings near there as well.