Last Will and Testament of Mrs. Anne Bonfoy (nee Eliot)

I CONSIDER all the little property which I may die possessed of as belonging in law, justice and gratitude to my dearly beloved and exemplary daughter, Anne, Countess of Ely, and I desire to appoint her to be my sole executrix and residuary legatee. But I request her to give one hundred pounds to my very old friend, Katherine Grace Proby, as a legacy from me.

My nearest and dearest relations, God be praised, are in circumstances above any pecuniary assistance that I could offer them, but, desirous of leaving them some little memorial of my affection, I wish my dear Lord Eliot, Lord St. Germans, to accept of the Crayon Picture of Lord and Lady Ely, copies from a large picture painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds; my landscape drawings in watercolours taken by my late sister (Mrs. Neale) in or near Petersburg; my father's miniature in enamel; and, generally, all my pictures, prints, drawings not otherwise disposed of; with the gold ring with one small diamond which I am accustomed to wear.

And that Lord Somers will accept of my English translation of the Tragedies of Eschylus and Euripidus; my fine edition, in two volumes folio, of Thomson's Seasons.

And that my nephew, the Honorable William Eliot, will, in like manner, take my six volumes of Asiatic Researches.

To my dear niece, the Honorable Harriot Cocks, I desire to give my ebony tea box and all its furniture; my silver tea pot, tea kettle and lamp; my coffee and chocolate pot; my cream ewer and ladle belonging to it; and, likewise, the locket with my mother's hair and initials, and the black and white drawing of Lady Ely when a child.

To my brother, the Marquis of Abercorn, I desire to be given my silver bread basket. It was bequeathed to me by our dear Mother and, I believe, had belonged to his honored father, on which account I hope he will accept and regard it.

To Lady Pringle (born Eliot), I wish to be given my diamond earrings with their drops and my spotted beaver tippet.

To Lady Eliot, my six small Japan boxes which usually stand on my dressing table, recollecting to have heard her praise them.

To my friend, Miss Goldsworthy, my dressing table and all the other boxes standing on it.

To Lady Somers, the pocket book given me by the Queen.

To Mrs. Margaret Moore, fifty pounds; the gold ring given me by the late Benjamin Langlois, esquire; and the small locket with Lord and Lady Ely's hair and initials.

I further request my dear Lady Ely to give to Elvana[?] Chipman two hundred pounds over and above what wages may happen to be due to her, and [Lady Ely] to dispose of my wearing apparel as she thinks proper, hoping that she will be so good as some times to wear my sable muff herself and the little paberin[?] of stained ermine give to me by her late Lord.

My three diamond buttons I give to my three dear nieces (Miss Eliots), one to each, and my gold toothpick case to their brother, Edward Granville Eliot, esquire.

I wish a ring to be given to Mrs. Penwarne of the value of ten pounds.

And five pounds to Betty the housemaid, as a small acknowledgement of her unremitting, good-natured attentions during my illness.

I earnestly desire to be buried in the nearest convenient spot to where I shall happen to be, at the least possible expense and in the most private manner – no gloves, seals, hoods, rings or hatbands.

I wish the Marquis of Ely to have my miniature picture of his Uncle Henry, Earl of Ely.

And to Mr. Marsden, the mourning ring that I am accustomed to wear in memory of him, the said Henry Earl of Ely.

Anne Bonfoy

I DIE an unworthy member of the Church of England in an humble hope of a happy resurrection through the merits of my blessed Redeemer. I repeat my request that my burial may be conducted with the greatest privacy and economy but with a present to be made to Mr. Willi.

Anne Bonfoy
23rd of February 1816

Copied with very few variations from a paper done some years ago.

Witnesses to the handwriting being that of Mrs. Bonfoy:
James Cocks of Charing Cross, Middlesex
Stephen Skinner, servant to the Countess Dowager of Ely, Lower Grosvenor Street, Middlesex

PROBATE
30 Apr 1816