Description:Sir William Leveson Gower died in 1691. His will tells us about the property he owned at the end of his life and also about his family and the places which were important to him.
William leaves ‘any right title property or interest’ to his ‘beloved only son John Leveson Gower Esq.’ This was Sir John Leveson-Gower (1675-1709) who would be created 1st Baron Gower in 1703.
Besides this, William’s will states ‘I give and bequeath to the Lady Jane my deare and loving wife one hundred pounds’. The will indicates that Sir William had two daughters, Jane and Katherine. He bequeaths one hundred pounds to both of his daughters. In addition, he leaves ‘unto every child’ that his daughters have at the time of his death ‘one hundred pounds apeece to be paid unto them...at their respective age and ages of foureteene yeares’. William also bequeathes one hundred pounds ‘unto my beloved sister Frances Gower’.
Sir William is also benevolent to tenants on his estates in Trentham and Lilleshall. He leaves ten pounds ‘unto such person who shall be Incumbent of the Parish Church of Trentham’. Sir William also made financial provision for ‘the poore people’ of Trentham and also ‘of the severall parishes of Lilleshall and Sherriffhales in the county of Salop and Stafford’ leaving them ten or twenty pounds each.
Sir William also left twenty pounds to his ‘Godsonne Mr William Grosvenor’, the son of his solicitor. Sums of ten and twenty pounds were also bequeathed to Sir William’s servants.