When this magazine receives enquiries, wills, or rather the lack of them, are one of the main topics of conversation. Most people "doing" the Stentifords, Stedifords, Stettifords et al have also searched for other families in other areas of the UK and in so doing, have found wills to be one of their most useful resources.

We can only refer our readers to our article in Issue 17.  Because of the destruction caused in Exeter by the blitz just a handful of Devon wills survive. We have them only because they were somewhere else when the City was bombed. We are committed to publishing all the surviving Stentiford wills over time if only to show what a great treasure was lost to us.

The will which follows is that of Mary "Stantiford" who lived in Dartington, a small village near Totnes. This was the spelling chosen by the person who wrote down her will for her - all the spellings listed below are used in the Dartington parish registers at various times in the entries for members of Mary's extended family!

STENTAVORD

STENTAVER

STENTAVOR

STANTAFORD

STENTAFORD

STANTIFORD

STENTIFORD

Dartington Church c1840

The existing document is, of course, a copy made of the original will for Income Tax purposes and it starts with a statement to that effect.

Then follows the naming of the Executrix. She is Grace Trist, described as the wife of Richard Trist of Dartington. A little research enables us to discover that she was formerly Grace Faremouth, that she was born on 27 Jan 1782, that her parents were John and Mary Faremouth and that she became Richard Trist's second wife on 9 Oct 1809.