Grace Coombs was baptised on April 17, 1750 at Cerne Abbas, Dorset, England the daughter of Robert Coombs and Martha Nutt. On May 25, 1772 at Cerne Abbas, Grace married John Strange. The couple had 7 known children. At the time Grace wrote her will on June 7,1811 she was a widow. The following is a transcript of that will, plus a codicil proved at London on October 15, 1811.
THIS IS THE LAST WILL and testament of me Grace Strange of Cerne Abbas in the County of Dorset Widow touching the settling and disposing of all such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me first I will that all my just Debts funeral Expenses and the Costs of proving this my will be fully paid and satisfied by my Executor herein after named and from and after the satisfaction thereof I give devise & bequeath unto my Son Robert Strange his Executors or Administrators the Sum of fifty pounds also I give devise and bequeath unto my friend William Palmer of Cerne Abbas aforesaid surgeon the sum of thirty pounds upon trust to place the same out at interest on Government or some other good & sufficient security and the money arising therefrom to pay and apply in manner following that is to say the interest of the Sum of twenty pounds part of the said Sum of Thirty to pay and apply for & towards the maintenance & support of of Richard Buckland my Grandson son of Richard Buckland late of Beaminster in the said County Currier until he shall attain the age of 21 years & from & after the attainment of such age then in trust to pay the said sum of twenty pounds unto him to and for his own sole & proper use and benefit but in Case the said Richard Buckland should die before he attains the said age of 21 years then in trust to pay five pounds part thereof unto my Daughters Martha Hodges & five pounds the other part thereof unto Elizabeth Strange to & for her & their own sole & proper use and benefit & as to the other ten pounds other part thereof in trust to place the same out at interest with the remaining Sum of ten pounds of the said thirty pounds and the interest arising thereof to pay & apply for & towards the maintenance & bringing up of Elizabeth daughter of George Hodges of Cerne Abbas aforesaid Shoemaker until she shall attain the age of 21 years or Day of marriage & from & immediately after her attainment of such age or Day of marriage then in trust to pay the same unto the said Elizabeth Hodges her Executors administrators or assigns to & for her or their own sole & proper use and benefit and also I give devise and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Hodges my Gold ring & as to all the rest & residue of my personal Estate whatsoever & wheresoever I give devise and bequeath the same equally unto & amongst my three Children share & share alike and do direct that the said William Palmer shall not be answerable or accountable for any loss that may happen for or on account of the said sum of thirty pounds or any part thereof unless the same happens by or through his wilful neglect or default and I do hereby nominate constitute & appoint my said Son Robert Executor of this my Will hereby revoking all former & other will and wills by me at any time here before made declaring this only to be my last will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & seal this seventh Day of June 1811
- Grace Strange -
Signed sealed published & declared by the said Grace Strange the Testatrix as & for her last Will & Testament in the presence of us who in her presence & in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto the interlincation[sic] between the fifth and sixth lines of the bequest of five pounds to her Daughter Martha being first made -
Thos. COOMBS – Elizth. COCHRAN
WHEREAS I omitted in the within written will to mention that it was my desire that my said son Robert should take to himself the saddle press in the Shop the bath? stove in the room & other parts of the furniture which I have purchased since the decease of my late husband now I do hereby give & devise the same & every part thereof together with all the household furniture and utensils belonging to me at my decease unto my said Son Robert to and for his own proper use benefit and disposal and declare this to be a part of my within written will dated the said seventh day of June one thousand eight hundred & eleven
- Grace Strange -
Signed sealed published and declared by the said Testatrix as & for a Codicil to this her will in the presence of us who in her presence & in the presence of each other have subscribed our names as Witnesses
Thos. COOMBS – Eliz. COCKERAN
Brian Tompkins said,
August 24, 2007 at 5:32 am
Grace (Coombs) Strange was my 5th great grandaunt
Alice Cox-Steele said,
June 23, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Hi, I’m looking for relatives of Samuel Coombs, he married Grace LaBelle(Lavi). They are my Great Grandparents.any info would be great
Alice Cox-Steele said,
June 25, 2012 at 8:20 pm
wondering id grace had a daughter or son that moved to NewFoundLand Canada, she would have been born somewhere around 1811-1820
Alice Cox-Steele said,
June 25, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Also she would have married Samuel Coombs , Samuel died and she married Connolly
Alice Cox-Steele said,
June 25, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Samuel would have been my great grandfather