Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 541

31
JUNE, 1923]
THE SCATTERGOODS AND THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
That is to say first, I commend my soule unto Almighty God and my body to the earth to bee buried in decent and Christian manner at the discretion of my executors hereunder named.
And as touching my worldly estate wherewith God hath blessed me in this present world, I dispose thereof as followeth.
Imprimis. I give and bequeath to my deare and Loveing wife Elizabeth Scatter. good after all debts and Legacies paid one Moyety of my Estate with all her jewells plate household necessaries and Slaves and the other Moyety of my Estate I give and bequeath to my only Sonn whome I desire may bee Baptized John154 and that he bee left to the care and tuition of his Mother untill he comes to the age of four or five years when I desire hee may bee sent home to my friends in England.
Item. I give and bequeath to my Loveing Mother Catherine Scattergood166 thirty pounds sterling with what money shall bee due to me from the Honble. the East India company upon account of my sallary payable in England, and in case of my Mother's decease I give the same to my loveing Father Roger Scattergood and to my Brothers and Sisters to be divided amongst them at the discretion of my Father.
Item. I doe order and appoint one hundred and forty Rupees to be paid unto Mr. John Evans Minister at Hugly166 it being upon an accompt known to my wife.
Item. It is my desire if it please God to take me out of this world that my Executors build a tomb over mee167 so that the cost thereof may not exceed Sixty Rupees.
Item. I doe hereby appoint and make my loveing freinds John Byam 158 and John Evans my Executors and overseers of this my last will and Testament and for their trust and care in the due performance of all things required of them I doe give and bequeath to each of them one hundred Rupees apeice.
Item. I doe declare that whereas I have given and bequeathed to my sonn whose name is to be John Scattergood the one halfe of my Estate it is to be understood that all debts and Legacies is first to be paid and that in case of my son his mortality before he come of full age then that such part of my Estate as properly belongs to him by virtue of this my last Will and Testament doe fall to my loveing wife Elizabeth Scattergood And I doe hereby declare this to be my last Will and Testament.
In Witnesse whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seale in Ballasore this Eleventh August in the yeare of our Lord one Thousand Six hundred and Eighty
one.
Signed and sealed.
JOHN SCATTERGOOD.
154 From this it would appear that John Scattergood Junior was very young at the time of h father's death, but as there was no resident chaplain at Balasor, he may have been any age between a few days and several months.
155 See ante, p. 6 n.
156 John Evans, curate of Thistleworth (Isleworth), afterward Bishop of Bangor, elected chaplain for Bengal on the 2nd Nov. 1677. There are frequent references to him in the correspondence of John Scattergood Junior. His first wife was a sister of Richard Trenchfield, Mrs. John Scattergood's second husband.
157 There is no record of the carrying out of this clause of the will.
158 John Byam entered the Company's service in 1670 and died at Balasor in 1683. He was also brother-in-law to Richard Trenchfield.