The Minor Family of Somerset

The Priestleys page 21
second paragraph
He (John Priestley) left his son wholly to the care of his moth
er, and left him in land, I think, about 50 l. per annum, and, a
s it was thought, 1500 l. in personal estate. His mother, viz
, my brother's wife, was accounted a great wit as most of her se
x, so anybody would have thought to have heard her discours. Bu
t she acted foolishly;all her husband's friends advised her t
o put her son into his father's placeand employment, or some ot
her good trade in London, but would not be persuaded, but sent h
im to Lincoln's Inn, and there he fell into bad company with Joh
n Torp, and others, and so he spent several hundre pounds to n
o purpose, and never made any improvement in his learning.
He came into the country, andmarried one Jane Rawson of Shipley
, heiress to a good estate. He had one child by her, but it die
d young. He forced himself, contrary to his natural temper, t
o drink at the rate of his debauched companions, and died a youn
g man. His land at Mixenden, that was my grandfather Booth's, a
nd his land and miln at Wheatley, he left to be sold, either t
o pay his debt, or to Jane his wife.
A little before his death his mother concluded he was a dying ma
n, goeth over to Goodgreave to my brother Joseph, and told him h
e had some writings belonging to her, and desired him to let he
r have them. He, being a kind man, let her pick out all the wri
tings that did entitle him to my brother John's estate, and cu
t oof the entail in court, and persuaded her son to leave Boot
h Town, the finest seat he had, to his half sister that my broth
er's widow had with John Briggs her second husband.
Booth Town, of right, belonged tocousin John Priestley, of York
; for I have often heard that my brother Johnwould say "If my s
on die, brother Josepth, thou art my heir," Nothing did well wi
th my sister Briggs after sh had done this act; she died no lon
g afterher son. Elizabeth Briggs, her daugher, whether she dou
bted her title or noI cannot tell, but presently sold Booth Tow
n to Mr. Abraham Hall for 400 l.,and afterwards married Dr. Cro
wber, a non-juring parson is now. She is dead, notwithstanding
, I doubt not but my brother John hath a posterity to praiseGo
d with him in heaven, three sons that died before him.