Last Will and Testament, Will
LAST WILL, AND TESTAMENT, OF THE Late REVEREND And RENOWNED GEORGE WHITEFIELD, Who Departed this Life, at Newbury-Port, Sept. …th 1770. Aet. 56.
Written by Himſelf at Georgia, on his laſt Tower through America; and Publiſhed by Order of his Executors in London.
LONDON Printed: BOSTON: Printed and Sold, next to the Writing School in Queen-Street, and oppoſite to the Seat of WILLIAM VASSALL, Eſq. … 1771.
This Day Publiſhed, And to be Sold at the Printing-Office oppoſite, William Vaſſal, Eſq in Queen-Street.
POEMS, upon ſeveral Sermons preached by the late Reverend and Renowned GEORGE WHITEFIELD while in BOSTON.
By JANE DUNLAP, in BOSTON.
THE Laſt Will, &c.
AS it is not doubted the numerous friends of the late Reverend Mr. GEORGE WHITEFIELD will be glad of an opportunity of ſeeing a genuine copy of his laſt Will and Teſtament; his Executors have favoured the Public with a copy of the ſame, tranſmitted to them from the Orphan Houſe in Georgia, and which they have proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. And as it was Mr. WHITEFIELD's conſtant declaration he never meant to raiſe either a Purſe or a Party, it is to be remarked, that almoſt the whole money he died poſſeſſed of, came to him within two or three Years of his death, in the following manner, viz. Mrs. Thompſon, of Towerhill, bequeathed him 500l. By the death of his Wife, including a Bond of 300l. he got 700l. Mr. Whitmore bequeathed him 100l. and Mr. Winder 100l. and it is highly probable, that had he lived to reach Georgia from his late nothern tour, he would have much leſſened the above ſums, by diſpoſing of them in the ſame noble and diſintereſted manner that all the publick or private ſums he has been intruſted with have been.
Georgia.
By his Excellency James Wright Eſq Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief of His Majeſty's ſaid Province of Georgia, Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the ſame.
To all to whom theſe preſents ſhall come, greeting; Know ye, That Thomas Moodie, who hath certified the annexed copy from the original, in the Secretary's Office, is Deputy Secretary of the ſaid Province, and therefore all due faith and credit is, and ought to be had, and given to ſuch his Certificate.
In teſtimony whereof, I have hereunto ſet my hand, and cauſed the great Seal of this, his Majeſty's ſaid Province to be put and affixed, dated at Savannah the tenth day of December in the year of our Lord 1770. and in the eleventh year of the reign of his Majeſty King George the Third.
By his Excellency's Command. J. Wright. THO, MOODIE, D. Secretary.
IN the name of the Father, Son, and Holy-Ghoſt, three Perſons, but one God; I GEORGE WHITEFIELD, Clerk, at preſent reſiding at the Orphan-Houſe Academy, in the Province of Georgia, in North America, being through infinite mercy in more than ordinary bodily health, and a perfectly ſound and diſpoſing mind, knowing the certainty of death, and yet the uncertainty of the time I ſhall be called by it to my long wiſhed for home, do make this my laſt will and teſtament, in manner and form following, viz. Imprimis, In ſure and certain hope of a reſurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, I commit my Body to the Duſt, to be buried in the moſt plain and decent manner; and knowing in whom I have believed, and being perſuaded that he will keep that which I have committed unto him, in the fulleſt aſſurance of faith I commend my ſoul into the hands of the everloving, altogether lovely, never failing Jeſus, on whoſe compleat and everlaſting righteouſneſs I entirely depend, for the juſtification of my perſon and acceptance of my poor, worthleſs, though I truſt, ſincere performances, at that day when he ſhall come in the glory of his Father, his own glory, and the glory of his holy Angels, to judge both the quick and dead. In reſpect to my outward, American concerns, which I have engaged in ſimply and ſolely for his great name's ſake, I leave that building, commonly called the Orphan-houſe, at Betheſda, in the Province of Georgia, together with all the other buildings lately erected thereon, and likewiſe all other buildings, lands, negroes, books, furniture, and every other thing whatſoever which I now ſtand poſſeſſed of in the Province of Georgia aforeſaid, to that elect Lady, that mother in Iſrael, … mirror of true and undefiled religion, the Right Honorable Selin, Counteſs Dowager of Huntingdon, deſiring, that as ſoon as may be after my deceaſe, the plan of the intended Orphan-houſe, Betheſda College, may be proſecuted, or, if not practicable, or eligible, to purſue the preſent plan of the Orphan-houſe Academy, on its old foundation and uſual channel; but if her Ladyſhip ſhould be called to enter into her glorious reſt before my deceaſe, I bequeath all the buildings, lands, negroes, and every thing before mentioned which I now ſtand poſſeſſed in the Province of Georgia aforeſaid, to my dear firſt ſtraveller, and faithful, invariable friend, the Honourable James Haberſham, Eſq Preſident of his Majeſty's Honorable Council: and ſhould he ſurvive her Ladyſhip, I earneſtly recommend him as the moſt proper perſon to ſucceed her Ladyſhip, or to act for her during her Ladyſhip's life time, in the affairs of the Orphan-houſe Academy. With regard to my outward affairs in England; whereas there is a building commonly called the tabernacle, ſet apart many years ago for divine worſhip, I give and beneath the ſaid tabernacles, with the adjacent houſe in which I uſually reſide, when in London, with the ſtable and coach-houſe in the yard adjoining, together with all books, furniture, and every thing elſe whatſoever, that ſhall be found in the Houſe and premiſes aforeſaid, and alſo the building commonly called Tottenham-court Chapple, together with all the other buildings, houſes, ſtable, coach-houſe, and every thing elſe whatſoever which I ſtand poſſeſſed of in that part of the town, to my worthy, truſty, tried friends, Daniel Weſt, Eſq in Church-ſtreet, Spitalfields, and Mr. Robern Keen, woollen-draper, in the Minories, or the longeſt ſurvivor of the two. As to the monies, which a kind Providence, eſpecially of late, in a moſt unexpected way, and unthought of means, hath vouchſafed to intruſt me with; I give and bequeath the ſum of one hundred pounds ſterling to the Right Honourable Counteſs Dowager of Huntingdon aforeſaid, humbly beſeeching her Ladyſhip's acceptance of ſo ſmall a mite, as a pepper corn of acknowledgment for the undeſerved, unſought for honour her Ladyſhip conferred upon me, in appointing me, leſs than the leaſt of all, to be one of her Ladyſhip's domeſtic chaplains. Item, I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved friend the Honourable James Haberſham aforeſaid, my late wife's gold watch, and ten pounds for mourning; to my dear old friend, Gabriel Harris, Eſq of the city of Glouceſter, who received and boarded me in his houſe, when I was helpleſs and deſtitute, above thirty five years ago, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds; to my humble faithful ſervant and friend, Mr. Ambroſe Wright, if in my ſervice and employ, either in England or America, or elſewhere, at the time of my deceaſe, I give and bequeath the ſum of five hundred pounds; to my brother, Mr. Richard Whitefield, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds; to my brother, Mr. Thomas Whitefield, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds, to be given him at the diſcretion of Mr Robert Keen; to my brother in law Mr. Jame Smith, hoſier, in the city of Briſtol, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds, and thirty pounds alſo for family mourning; to my neice Mrs. Francis Hartford, of Bath, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds, and twenty pounds for Family mourning; to Mr. J. Crane, now a faithful ſteward at the Orphan-houſe Academy, I give and bequeath the ſum of forty pounds; to Mr. Benjamin …, in acknowledgement of his paſt ſervices at Betheſda, I give and bequeath the ſum of ten pounds for mourning; to Peter Edwards, now at the Orphan-Houſe Academy, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds; to Mr. William Trigg, at the ſame place, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds; both the ſums aforeſaid to be laid out, or laid up for them, at the diſcretion of Mr. Ambroſe Wright; to Mr. Thomas Adams, of Redborough in Glouceſterſhire, my firſt fellow laboorer, and beloved much in the Lord, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds; to the Reverend Mr. Howel Davis, of Pembrokeſhire, in South Wales, that good Soldier of Jeſus Chriſt; to Mr. … Joſs, Mr. Cornelius Winter, and all my other dearly beloved preſent ſtated aſſiſtant preachers at Tabernacle and Tottenham-court Chapel, I give and bequeath ten pounds each for mourning; to the three brothers of Mr. Ambroſe Wright, and the wife of his brother Mr. Robert Wright, now faithfully and ſkilfully labouring, and ſerving at the Orphan-Houſe Academy, I give and bequeath the ſum of ten pounds each for mourning; to Mr. Richard Smith, now a diligent attendant on me, I give and bequeath the ſum of fifty pounds and all my wearing apparel which I ſhall have with me in my journey through America, or on my voyage to England, if it ſhould pleaſe an all-wiſe God to ſhorten my days in either of theſe ſituations. Finally, I give and bequeath the ſum of one hundred pounds, to be diſtributed at the diſcretion of my executors herein after mentioned, for mourning among my old London ſervants, the poor widows at Tottenham-court Chapel, and the Tabernacle poor, eſpecially my old truſty, diſintereſted friend and ſervant, Mrs. Eli…abeth Wood. All the other reſidue, if there be any re…due, of monies, goods and chattels, or whatever profits may ariſe from the ſale of my books, or any manuſcripts that I may leave behind, I give and bequeath to the Right Honorable the Counteſs Dowager of Huntingdon, or in caſe of her Ladyſhip's being deceaſed at the time of my departure, to the Honorable James Haberſham, Eſq before-mentioned, after my funeral expences and juſt debts … diſcharged, towards paying off my arrears that may be due on account of the Orphan-Houſe Academy, or for annual prizes as a reward for the beſt three orations that ſhall be made in Engliſh on the ſubjects mentioned in a paper annexed to this my will. And I do hereby apppoint the Honorable James Haberſham, Eſq afore…aid to be my executor in reſpect to my affairs in the province of Georgia, and my truſty tried dearly beloved friends Charles Hardy, Eſq Daniel Weſt, Eſq and Mr. Robert Keen, to be executors of this my laſt will and teſtament, in reſpect of my affairs in England, begging each to accept of a mourning ring. To all my other chriſtian benefactors, and more intimate acquaintance, I leave my moſt hearty thanks and bleſſing, aſſuring them that I am more and more convinced of the undoubted reality, and infinite importance of the grand goſpel truths which I have from time to time delivered; … am ſo far from repenting my delivering them in an itinerant way, that had I ſtrength equal to my inclination I would preach them from pole to pole, not only becauſe I have found them to be the power of God to the ſalvation of my own ſoul, but becauſe I am as much aſſured that the Great Head of the Church hath called me by his word, providence, and ſpirit, to act in this way as that the ſun ſhines at noon day. As for my enemies and misjudging, miſtaken friends, I moſt freely and heartily forgive them, and can only add, that the … and tremendous day will ſoon diſcover what I have been what I am, and what I ſhall be, when time itſelf ſhall … no more; and therefore. from my inmoſt ſoul, I cloſe all, by crying, Come, Lord Jeſus, come quickly, even ſo Lord Jeſus, Amen and Amen.
GEORGE WHITEFIELD
This was written with the Teſtator's own hand, and at his deſire, and in his preſence, ſealed, ſigned, and delivered, at the Orphan-Houſe Academy, in the province of Georgia, before us witneſſes, Anno Domini, March the twenty-ſecond, one thouſand, ſeven hundred and ſeventy.
Signed, ROBERT BOLTON, THOMAS DIXON, CORNELIUS WINTER.
N. B. I alſo leave a mourning ring to my honoured and dear friends, and diſintereſted fellow-labourers, the Reverend Meſſieurs John and Charles Weſley, in token of my indiſſoluble union with them in heart and chriſtian affection, notwithſtanding our difference in judgment about ſome particular points of doctrine.—Grace he with all them, of whatever denomination, that love our Lord Jeſus, our common Lord … ſincerity.
Georgia, Secretary's Office.
A true copy taken from the original in this office examined and certified: And I do further certify that the ſame was duly proved, and the Honourable James Haberſham, Eſq one of the executors therein named, was duly qualified as executor before his Excellency James Wright, Eſq Governor and Ordinary of the ſaid Province this tenth Day of December 1770.
THOMAS MOORE, D. Sec.
End of the text · George Whitefield, Last Will and Testament (1771)