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Not Brentford
Will of Hugh Ronalds, 1834
Abstract of will
I Hugh RONALDS, of Brentford, nurseryman... shares in Grand Junction Canal to my son John RONALDS
... to Revd John S GEARY £10
... to executors £50
... two messuages, gardens etc in Brentford
... to sons John RONALDS, George Naircut RONALDS, Robert RONALDS and (daughters) Mary RONALDS and Elizabeth RONALDS
... James MONTGOMREY of Brentford timber merchant
... Edmund RONALDS of Thames Street London, cheese dealer and Henry Clark RONALDS (M ?) of Kensington, executors
Dated 28 August 1833
Witnesses Henry SEXTON of New Brentford, draper & Joseph SEXTON of New Brentford draper, Luke CHERRY assistant to Messrs SEXTON & Sons drapers, Brentford
Proved at London 28 August 1834
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The testator
Hugh RONALDS was the son of another Hugh Ronalds who died in 1788.Hugh RONALDS junior married Elizabeth CLARK on 9 September 1784 in New Brentford (Pallots Marriage Index) and they had a number of children, as evidenced in this will. He and his family lived at numbers 137 and 138 High Street, known as 'Lamberts' (see above) and in 1841 four of his unmarried sons and daughters remained here.
Hugh Ronalds the younger was noted for fruit trees, growing 300 varieties of apple in 1829, and commemorated in his Pyrus Malus Brentfordiensis (1831). He supplied many plants to Kew Gardens from 1801 to 1816 and his firm provided 14,000 shrubs for Kensal Green cemetery. (From: 'Ealing and Brentford: Economic history', details as above)
More details of the Ronalds family tree.
The executors
An Edmund RONALDS, born around 1791 lived in Islington. He could be a cousin or son of the testor. Edmund married Eliza (-) and in 1841 was living in Islington with 6 children, working as a merchant. By 1851 he was widowed and had two sons at home aged 16 and 17, who were presumably in school in 1841. One was named Hugh after his grandfather/uncle/great uncle.Henry Clark RONALDS is presumably a son of Hugh Ronalds junior, taking Clark from his mother's maiden name. There is a marriage between a Henry Ronalds and Elizabeth Robinson in New Brentford on 6 April 1820 (Pallots Marriage Index).
TopThe legatees
Reverend John S GEARY: no record found, though it seems likely he was a local vicar.The witnesses
Joseph & Henry Sexton lived at around number 129/130 High Street, a few doors away from where the Ronalds family lived.Luke CHERRY is probably the 25 year old recorded at St James Clarkenwell in the 1841 census,in a household headed by Ebenezer Cherry, draper. At the time of the will being written he may have been serving his apprenticeship with the Sexton family, before returning to work in his father's business.
How to see this will in full
A copy of the original will can be downloaded from The National Archives Documents Online service, or it can be viewed free of charge by visiting TNA at Kew.Top