The Will of Andrew FitzHenry (Rock, Worcester)

I downloaded the Will of Andrew FitzHenry from the National Archives website. It's a scan of the original copy that the clerk made when the will was proved by the executors and as such the handwriting is very different to modern written English. It took me quite some time to transcribe it but here's the gist because it turned up some really interesting new stuff. (For the story so far here's the original post)

The Will was written in February 1830 and proved on 2nd June 1830.

Andrew had moved away from Rock in Worcester and is described as "being formerly of Clare in the County of Mayo, afterwards of Bordeaux in France and late of the City of Dublin."

He had seven surviving children
Andrew Richard - his eldest son named as his heir
Charles - who inherited his medical books
Thomas
Anne Elizabeth who was now Mrs Carey. She has a daughter Georgina Carey. No mention made of the husband.
Catherine who was now Mrs Cassidy
Maria Rosetta
Sarah

He asks his executors to make sure that the money going to his daughters is for their use only and for the benefit of their children, and to keep the money away from their husbands and the husbands' creditors!

He has a sister, Matilda. She is found in Pallot's Marriage Index as marrying Matthew Walsh at St Anne's Soho in 1802. Matilda was left fifty pounds annd her daughter Mrs Matilda Gardiner was left twenty five pounds.

There is also the Finn Family. Charles Finn is Andrew's nephew and he has three daughters Catherine, Maria and Eliza who share ninety pounds. There is a seperate bequest of ten pounds a year for his neice Elizabeth Finn. I assume this is via another of Andrew's sisters, as there were no Finn families on his wife's side that I've found.

Andrew's brother Thomas is already deceased and Andrew has to make sure that some of his bequests are continued.

The Roman Catholic parish of Colooney in the County of Sligo has annual payments for the relief of the poor. (On modern maps it's spelt Collooney)

Andrew askes that if he dies in Ireland, that he is buried in the same grave as his "dearly beloved wife Anne at Ballinsmally in the County of Mayo." As he died in Dublin, it is quite likely that he got his wish. (The modern spelling is Ballinsmaula, and it is very close to the town of Claremorris which used to be named Clare. This is where Andrew was said to be originally from.)

He appointed Major Thomas Bradgate Bamford (a soldier in the British Army, highly decorated and mentioned in dispatches) and John Hampden Gladestanes (his long term friend, financial advisor and wine merchant of Regent Street in London) as executors.

So if anyone is in the Ballinsmally area and has a chance to look round the parish churchyard, could they drop me a line if they find Anne and Andrew residing there?


Why not subscribe to this blog and get the updates sent to your inbox? Or send us an email about your Fitz(-)henry family links.