The Will of Joseph Lowes Thompson 1886 - 1929         Dated 3 July 1914
(Note: Some Punctuation, Highlighting, and space added for clarity.)


This is the last Will and Testament of me, Joseph Lowes Thompson of Stratford House, East Boldon, in the County of Durham, Shipowner.

I appoint my dear Wife Mildred Thompson, my brother Charles Elliott Thompson, and William Kirk Hewson, of 55 John Street, Sunderland, in the said County of Durham, Chartered Accountant (Hereinafter called "my Trustees) to be the Executors and Trustees of this my will, and I give to the said William Kirk Hewson, twenty fife pounds for his trouble in acting as one of my Executors and Trustees.

I appoint my Trustees, after the death of my said Wife, to be the guardians of my infant children.

I give all my furniture and other household effects and my motor car to my said Wife absolutely, and I also give to her the sum of one hundred pounds, to be paid within one calendar month after my death.

I devise and bequeath all my real and personal estate, not hereby otherwise disposed of, unto my trustees Upon Trust, that my Trustees shall sell, call in, and convert into money, the same or such part thereof as shall not consist of money, and shall, out of the money produced by such sale, calling in, and conversion, and out of my ready money, pay for my funeral and my testamentary expenses, debts, and the legacies bequeathed by my Will, or any Codicil hereto, and shall, with the consent in writing of my said Wife, during her life, and after her death, at the discretion of my Trustees, invest the residue of the said moneys, with power for my Trustees from time to time with such consent, or at such discretion as aforesaid to vary the investments, and shall stand possessed of the residue of the said moneys, and the investments, for the time being representing the same (hereinafter called my residuary trust fund) Upon Trust to pay the income thereof to my said Wife during her life, if she shall so long remain my widow, and if she shall marry again, and after her second marriage, In Trust, to pay to my said Wife during the rest of her life, one half of the net annual income to which she would have been entitled, had she not remarried, by equal half yearly payments, the first payment to be made at the expiration of six calendar months from the date of such marriage.

And as to the said residuary trust fund, after the death, or second marriage, subject to the said payment, In Trust, for all my children, who being sons, attain the age of Twenty-one years, or being daughters, attain that age, or marry under that age, in equal shares,

And if there should be only one such child, the whole to be in trust for that child

PROVIDED ALWAYS that if a child of mine shall die in my lifetime, leaving a child, or children, living at my death, who being a son, or sons, attain the age of Twenty-one years, or being a daughter attain that age or marry, then and in every such case, the last mentioned child or children, shall take (and if more than one equally between them) the share which his, her or their parent would have taken in the residuary trust fund, if such parent had survived me, and attained the age of Twenty-one years.

I declare that my Trustees may, with the consent in writing of my Wife during her life, and after her death, at their discretion, raise any part or parts not exceeding together one moiety of the vested or presumptive share of any child or grandchild of mine under my Will and apply the same for his or her advancement and benefit as my Trustees shall think fit.

And I declare that my Trustees shall have power to continue and carry on for such time as they may think expedient any business or businesses in which I may be engaged, concerned, or interested, at the time of my death or to discontinue the same at anytime and to wind up the affairs thereof and to adjust and settle all accounts and transactions relating thereto and this either according to the provisions of any deed or document relating thereto or upon such other terms and in such manner as may be agreed upon and with power for my Trustees to refer to arbitration or settle any question that may arise in such manner as they shall think fit and with liberty for my Trustees if and so long as they shall continue any such business to employ therein the whole or any part of the capital which shall be employed therein at my death and with liberty also to employ such managers, assistants, agents, servants, or clerks, and also to admit any person or persons as partner or partners with them in any such business.

And I declare that my Trustees may postpone the sale and conversion of any part of my real and personal estate or any part thereof and in particular, may continue any investments whether the same are of a nature authorised by my Will or not for so long as they shall think fit without being answerable for any loss arising thereby, and that the rents, profits, and income to accrue after my death, from each part of my estate, as shall for the time being remain unsold and unconverted, shall after payment thereout of all incidental expenses and outgoings and howsoever invested be paid and applied to the person or persons, and in the manner to whom and in which the income of the proceeds of such sale and conversion would for the time being be payable or applicable under my Will if such sale and conversion had been actually made.

I declare that all moneys liable to be invested under this my Will may be invested in or upon any stocks, funds, or securities from time to time sanctioned by law, for the investment of Trust Funds, or in the stocks or funds of any British Colony or dependency or in or upon the debentures or debenture stock of any Public Company, or in or upon the preference share of any Building Society which shall have been established for forty years at the time of such investment or in or upon the stocks, shares, or securities of any Railway or other company in Great Britain incorporated by Special Act of Parliament or Charter or of any municipal or other corporation, trustees, or commissioners authorised by Special Act of Parliament, to borrow money or in or upon the preference stock or shares of any public company which shall for each of the ten years immediately prior to such investment have paid a dividend upon it's ordinary stock or in or upon any securities, the payment of the principal whereof is guaranteed by any Insurance Company of good repute or in the purchase or upon mortgage of freehold or copyhold property in England or Wales.

And I also declare that the power of appointing new Trustees conferred by statute shall for the purpose of this my Will be vested in my Wife during her life, and that the personal representatives or representative for the time being of the last surviving or continuing trustee may act as the Trustees or Trustee of my Will until the appointment of a new Trustee or Trustees.

I revoke all former wills by me at any time heretofore made, and declare this to be my last Will and Testament

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand this third day of July one thousand nine hundred and fourteen
- J. Lowes Thompson

Signed by the said Joseph Lowes Thompson, the testator as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us both being present at the same time who in his presence and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses:
Reginald A. Shepherd, Solicitor, Sunderland
Norman R. Shepherd, Solicitor, Sunderland

This is a First Codicil to the last Will and Testament of me Joseph Lowes Thompson
formerly of Stratford House, East Boldon, of the County of Durham, but now residing at 2 The Lawn, Sunderland, in the said County of Durham, which Will bears date the third day of July one thousand nine hundred and fourteen.

Whereas by my said Will I have appointed my brother Charles Elliott Thompson to be an Executor and Trustee thereof, together with my Wife, Mildred Thompson, and my friend William Kirk Hewson.

Now, I hereby revoke the appointment of my said brother as an executor and trustee of my said Will and I declare that my said Will shall be construed as if the name of my said brother had not appeared therein as an executor and trustee, it now being my desire that my said Wife and the said William Kirk Hewson should act alone as executors and trustees of my said Will.

And I declare that the said William Kirk Hewson, being an Accountant shall be entitled charge and be paid all professional and other charges for any business or act done by him or his firm in connection with the trusts of my said Will, including acts which a trustee could have done personally.

In all other respects, I confirm my said Will.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of January one thousand nine hundred and twenty one
- J. Lowes Thompson

Signed by the said Joseph Lowes Thompson, as and for a first Codicil to his last Will and Testament in the presence of us, present at the same time, who in his presence at his request and in the presence of each other, have hereunto set and subscribed our names as witnesses:

Reginald A. Shepherd, Solicitor, Sunderland
Edward O. Worthy, 31 Cato Street, Southwick on Wear, Solicitor's Clerk

On the 1st day of November 1929 Probate of this will, with one codicil was granted to Mildred Thompson, of Stanpit, Christchurch, Hants., Widow, the relict of the deceased, and William Kirk Hewson, of 55 John Street, Sunderland, Accountant, the Executors.

Joseph Lowes Thompson, of 8 Field Court, Bronxville,
New York, in the United States of America,
Formerly of 2 The Lawn, Sunderland, County Durham,
Died 27 June 1929