In the name of God Amen. I Robert Ballard of the town and county of Southampton Merchant do hereby in writing make publish and declare this my last will and testament in manner following that is to say I will that all my just debts and funeral expenses shall be fully paid and satisfied. Item I give to my son Edward the sum of £1500 and all my household goods linen, China and plate except what is hereinafter otherwise disposed of. Item I give to my nephew John Ballard fellow of Winchester College and my sons Robert Ballard and Edward Ballard the sum of £1500 in trust that they do as soon as they have received the same of my executor invest it in their own names in such parliamentary funds as they shall think fit in trust for the use of my daughter <Lucy> Ballard and pay the interest or dividends thereof as they shall receive the same to her during her natural life whose receipt under her hand shall be a good and sufficient discharge to them for the same my intent being that the said  interest and dividend shall be for the separate use and peculiar benefit of my said daughter and no ways in the power of any husband she may hereafter have nor the subject to his control or intermeddling or subject to the payment of any of his debts and from and after the decease of the said (Lucy) Ballard then in trust that the capital in the said funds together with the interest or dividends thereof from time to time to be added thereto and be made capital shall be paid or transferred to all and every of the children of my said daughter <Lucy> Ballard if more than one in equal shares and proportions when and as they shall respectively attain the age of one and twenty years but if there shall be one such child only who shall live to the age of 21 years then the said capital together with the increase of the said interest or dividend shall all go to the child when he or she shall attain the age of one and twenty years but in case there shall be no child of the said <Lucy> Ballard that shall live to the age one and twenty years then in trust that the whole capital and produce thereof shall be divided between my other children vizt one half part thereof to my son Edward Ballard one fourth part thereof to my son Robert Ballard and the other fourth part thereof to my grandson John Butler Harrison and in case either of them shall be dead and leave any child or children such child or children shall be entitled to their <parents> share and share alike as they shall respectively attain the age of one and twenty years. Item I give to my grandson John Butler Harrison the sum of £1500 to be paid to him when he shall attain the age of one and twenty years and in case he shall die before the time then I give one fourth part thereof to my son Edward Ballard and his representatives and one fourth part thereof to my nephew John Ballard and my sons Robert Ballard and Edward Ballard in trust for my daughter <Lucy> Ballard and her children in the same manner as the above £1500 both which parts to be paid by my executor within twelve months after the decease of my said grandson. Item I give to my son Robert Ballard for his sole and absolute use that plate and other things hereinafter mentioned vizt one case of silver handled knives and forks and the case of dessert and ditto both which were my late brother John’s twelve tablespoons belonging to the other case the dessert spoons the silver coffee pot the two large silver sauce boats the large silver sauce pan the two small waiters with a <cruet> one silver tankard four silver salt sellers and four salt spoons one Silver pepper Box six silver <S??> spoons one strainer a one pair of silver tea tongs six silver tablespoons marked ID a dozen glass castors with silver <heads> one silver <grain> pail and ladle with their glasses one gilt pan and marrow spoon six silver bottle labels one silver trowel one silver marrow spoon all my writings and books of account and other books and bonds and other securities for money and all such things which are in the little room or counting house (except the part of the mahogany dining table) and all things which are in the bureau or bookcase in the fore parlour and all shelves cupboards locks and bolts all covers grates and other suchlike things which are fixed to the house I now live in. Item I give to my daughter <Lucy> all her late mother’s wearing apparel linen woollen and silk and <s?r?> her late mothers gold watch and appurtenances her late mothers diamond hoop ring and her wedding ring also the beds bedding and furniture of the room she now lives in except the three pictures therein which I give to my son Robert. Item I give to my nephew John Ballard the gold watch which was my late sister Dorothy Newman’s and lastly I give and devise unto my son Robert Ballard and to his heirs his executors administrators and assigns all the rest residue and remainder of all my real and personal estates and effects whatsoever and I do hereby revoke all and every former wills or will by me made and do hereby appoint my said son Robert Ballard sole executor of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Southampton the sixth day of August 1774. Robert Ballard

This is a codicil to my foregoing the will whereas by the foregoing will I have given to my nephew John Ballard and my sons Robert Ballard and Edward the sum of £1500 in trust for the use of my daughter <Lucy> Ballard and her children and directed the interest or dividend thereof to be paid to her during her natural life my will now is that the said interest or dividend shall not be paid to her but that it shall from time to time as it is received be paid out in purchasing stock to be added to the principle purchased by the said £1500 and be disposed of as the said principal is directed to be paid after her decease my will nevertheless is that in case any or either of a lives by which she hold or at anytime shall hold her share of the parsonage of Tisbury shall die by which means there will be a considerable exposure to renew or fill up lives in the lease of the said parsonage then and as often as any life shall drop my trustees for the £1500 shall pay all my said daughters share of the exposure of the said renewal or renewals out of the said principal and accumulated principle so that she may steal have the <neat> produce of her own money now in the stocks and the neat annual produce of her share in the parsonage of Tisbury without any reduction for the renewal or filling up of the lives in the said <?????>. Witness my hand this 28^th day of August 1776 – Robert Ballard

This is a second codicil to my forgoing will whereas I have since making that my said will by the sale of my estate at Fawley and by living frugally increased my substance and as I have never yet given my son Edward Ballard any thing towards forwarding him in his trade or business I do hereby give and bequeath unto him my said son Edward Ballard the further sum of £500 to be paid him and by my executor within the six months after my decease. Witness my hand Southampton this fifth day of December 1778 – Robert Ballard

The thirteenth day and April 1782

On which day appeared personally John Martin of the town and county of Southampton gentleman and Thomas Ridding of the same Towne and county gentleman and severally made oath on the Holy evangelists as follows to Witt and they were very ill well acquainted with Robert Ballard late of the town and county of Southampton Esquire deceased for several years next before and to the time of his death during all such time and they have frequently seen him write and subscribe his name and thereby became well acquainted with his manner and character of handwriting and now seen and carefully looked at the paper writing hereunto annexed purporting to be the last will and testament of the said Robert Ballard deceased beginning thus “in the name of God Amen I Robert Ballard of the town and county of Southampton and merchant and do hereby in writing make publish and declare this my last will and testament” and ending thus “in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Southampton and the sixth day of August 1774” and do say and depose that they verily and in their consciences believe that the said paper writing and the whole series thereof and also the name “Robert Ballard” set or put at the end of the said paper writing were totally wrote and subscribed by and were the proper hand of the said Robert Ballard deceased and these deponents further say that they have looked at the two several paper writings now underneath the said last will and testament purporting to be two codicils to the said will the first of which codicils begins thus “this is a codicil to my foregoing will” and ends thus “ witness my hand this 28 day of August 1776” and the second codicil begins thus “this is a second codicil to my foregoing will” and ends thus “ witness my hand at Southampton this fifth day of December 1778” and they verily and in their consciences believe that the said two several paper writings and the whole series of them to each of the said two codicils were totally wrote and subscribed by and with the proper hands of the said Robert Ballard deceased – John Martin – Tho Ridding the said John Martin and Thomas Ridding were sworn to the truth of the <Pr?????s?s> the day and year above written before me Owen Davies commissioner.

This will was proved at London with to codicil the 18^th day of April in the year of our Lord 1782 before the right worshipful Peter Calvert Doctor of laws Master keeper or Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury <??????> constituted by the oath of Robert Ballard Esquire the son and sole executor named in the said will to whom administration was granted of all and singular the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased having been first sworn by commission duly to administer.