Wills and probate

This is the last will and testament of me Susannah Frances Stokes of Queen's Gardens Ilford in the County of Essex Widow whereby I revoke all testamentary dispositions heretofore made by me I appoint my son Frederick Lewis Stokes sole executor and trustee hereof and I give devise and bequeath unto him all those my three freehold houses situate in Wakefield Street East Ham in the County of Essex upon trust after payment of all outgoings in respect thereof (including interest on a mortgage for one hundred and fifty pounds on part of the said property) and any other mortgage or charge existing thereon at my decease to sell and dispose of the said houses and divide the net proceeds of sale after the payments above mentioned unto and equally between my nine children videlicet James Stokes, Charlotte Fanny Cocks wife of Alfred Cocks, Catherine Alice Bourn wife of Richard Frank Bourn, Susannah Lambert wife of John Evan Lambert, Emily Jane Louth wife of James Louth, Frederick Lewis Stokes, Edward Stokes, Bessie Legassick wife of Francis Legassick and Anne Edith Brett wife of William Brett in equal shares as tenants in common. I direct my said trustee to pay the said ninth share of my said son James Stokes by monthly instalments of one pound each and I declare that should my sons and the said James Stokes and Frederick Lewis Stokes predecease me leaving their respective present wives living at my death then I direct that their said wives shall take the said ninth share so bequeathed to them as aforesaid. And I further declare that should any of my said children die in my lifetime leaving a child or children still living at my decease the eldest surviving child of each of my said children so dying as aforesaid shall respectively be entitled to the share his or her deceased parent would have taken if living. And in case any of my said children shall have died without leaving issue as aforesaid the share of him or her so dying shall go and belong to the others of them or their respective eldest child equally in like manner as their original shares. As to all the rest and residue of my property and effects whatsoever and wheresoever both real and personal I give devise and bequeath the same unto my three said children Frederick Lewis Stokes, Edward Stokes and Bessie Legassick or such of them as may be living at my death in equal shares as tenants in common in addition to the shares already bequeathed to them as aforesaid. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this Thirteenth day of December one thousand nine hundred and three.