FLOOKS, George (aka George FLOOKSDOWN) - Extra Data
(member of BOWKER's Party)
Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council Record Office
George, base born son of Sarah FLOOKS was born February 19th and baptised June 8th 1800 in St.Mary's, Wilton, Wiltshire
[He appears as George FLOOKSDOWN in the settler returns, and on the muster roll of the Weymouth as G.H. DOWN. His age is wrong in The Settler Handbook]
Grahamstown Journal 19th December 1846
DIED at Graham's Town on Sunday 13th, George FLOOKS, aged 46 years, leaving an afflicted widow and five children to deplore his loss.
Nolene Lossau writes:
The Will of John Harris FLOOKS was signed 28 April 1841 with two codicils (last dated 11 March 1844) and proved in London on 17 June 1844. The will was very long with many bequests to all sorts of people. John Harris FLOOKS came from a humble background and was educated at the Wilton Free School – he went on to become a very successful builder and architect and he amassed a massive estate. John Harris FLOOKS was the uncle of George FLOOKS (1820 settler)
John Harris FLOOKS never married – he left the bulk of his estate to his young male friend (in trust) – this young man was renowned for his china collection! The properties and many of the bequests were only transferred to the family/friends after the death of this young man more than 50 years after the death of John Harris FLOOKS.
John Harris FLOOKS had a sister Sarah who was the mother of George FLOOKS, born 19 Feb 1800 and baptised 8 June 1800 in Wilton – he came out with the BOWKER party and married Hannah GREEN on 4 Feb 1830 in Grahamstown. Sarah went on to marry William TODD and is referred to as Sarah TODD in the will of John Harris FLOOKS.
The extracts from this will that have a South Africa connection are:
“I give and bequeath unto Mrs Sarah TODD the sum of fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to her within one calendar month next after my decease.
I give and bequeath unto the said Sarah TODD the sum of twelve shillings per week during the term of her natural life to commence on the first Saturday next after my decease and to be paid monthly, quarterly, half yearly or otherwise as my Executors and Trustees hereinafter named shall think most advisable and beneficial to the said Sarah TODD. “
“I give and bequest unto George, the son of the said Sarah TODD, now residing (if living) at Bathurst Town, Algoa Bay in the Cape of Good Hope, the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain.
I give and bequeath unto Archibald, another son of the said Sarah TODD, the sum of fifty pounds.”
There was obviously a close connection between the BOWKER family and John Harris FLOOKS as he also left a small bequest to two of Miles BOWKER’s sisters:
“I give and bequeath to each of the Miss BOWKERs now residing at Mrs STOFIELD's, Norton Stockton upon Tees, the sum of ten pounds.”
I believe that these sisters of Miles BOWKER were Elizabeth BOWKER (born 1755) and Catherine BOWKER (born cir 1762) – neither of these sisters married.
Another bequest in the will was:
“I give and bequeath unto the Resident Clergyman and the Churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the town of Wilton and the Resident Clergyman and Churchwardens and overseers of the Poor in the Parish of South Newton the clear sum of five hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain in trust that they do lay out and invest the same on Government Rail or other good and sufficient security or securities at interest with power to vary and alter the same as occasion shall require and apply the interest dividends and annual produce thereof in the purchase of bread to be given to the poor of the Parishes of Wilton and South Newton alternately one year to Wilton and the next year to South Newton alternately for ever such bread to be given away in their respective churches on Christmas Day the resident clergyman and churchwardens and overseers using their own discretion as to the number of families they may think proper to relieve.
I give and bequeath to the Trustees of the Wilton Charity or Free School the clear sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain upon trust to lay out and invest the same on Government Coal or other good and sufficient security at interest and receive the interest dividends and annual produce thereof forever hereafter and pay and apply the same for the benefit of that charity in giving each of the free boys a linen shirt yearly at Easter when they receive their free school clothes.
I give and bequeath unto the Resident Clergyman and Churchwardens and Overseers of South Newton the clear sum of fifty pounds upon trust to invest the same on Government security and receive the interest dividends and annual produce thereof and give and distribute the same annually forever to and amongst such of the poor widows of the said parish South Newton as they shall deem most deserving on Christmas Day.
I give and bequeath unto the Resident Clergyman and Churchwardens and Overseers of the Parish of South Newton aforesaid the clear sum of fifty pounds upon trust to lay out and invest the same on Government security and receive the interest dividends and annual produce thereof and layout and expend the same annually forever in the purchase of a gray clothe coat with ???? or plain iron buttons the first coat to be provided and paid for out of my personal estate and worn by the parish clerk of South Newton aforesaid at my funeral and the coat to be secondly provided to be given to the sexton of the same parish and so on to the Clerk and Sexton alternatively forever which said several and last mentioned bequests of five hundred pounds and one hundred pounds, fifty pounds and fifty pounds I charge on and direct to be paid by my executors and ??? out of my personal estate and my will further is and I so direct that my executors apply a sum above fifty pounds but not exceeding eighty pounds out of my estate and effects in erecting two marble tablets to my memory one in each of the parish churches of South Newton and Wilton and have inscribed thereon a particular of the legacies or sums of money I have given by my will to the poor of the parishes of South Newton and Wilton – to the Wilton Free School, the bequest to the poor widows and to the clerk and sexton of the parish of South Newton all which charitable bequests I direct to be paid free from legacy duty and without any deduction or abatement whatsoever.”
As can be noted from the above, one of the requirements for these bequests was that the church wardens had to erect marble tables in the Wilton and South Newton Churches regarding these bequests – This is a picture of the tablet in the South Newton Church.
John Harris FLOOKS never married – he left the bulk of his estate to his young male friend (in trust) – this young man was renowned for his china collection! The properties and many of the bequests were only transferred to the family/friends after the death of this young man more than 50 years after the death of John Harris FLOOKS.
John Harris FLOOKS had a sister Sarah who was the mother of George FLOOKS, born 19 Feb 1800 and baptised 8 June 1800 in Wilton – he came out with the BOWKER party and married Hannah GREEN on 4 Feb 1830 in Grahamstown. Sarah went on to marry William TODD and is referred to as Sarah TODD in the will of John Harris FLOOKS.
The extracts from this will that have a South Africa connection are:
“I give and bequeath unto Mrs Sarah TODD the sum of fifty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be paid to her within one calendar month next after my decease.
I give and bequeath unto the said Sarah TODD the sum of twelve shillings per week during the term of her natural life to commence on the first Saturday next after my decease and to be paid monthly, quarterly, half yearly or otherwise as my Executors and Trustees hereinafter named shall think most advisable and beneficial to the said Sarah TODD. “
“I give and bequest unto George, the son of the said Sarah TODD, now residing (if living) at Bathurst Town, Algoa Bay in the Cape of Good Hope, the sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain.
I give and bequeath unto Archibald, another son of the said Sarah TODD, the sum of fifty pounds.”
There was obviously a close connection between the BOWKER family and John Harris FLOOKS as he also left a small bequest to two of Miles BOWKER’s sisters:
“I give and bequeath to each of the Miss BOWKERs now residing at Mrs STOFIELD's, Norton Stockton upon Tees, the sum of ten pounds.”
I believe that these sisters of Miles BOWKER were Elizabeth BOWKER (born 1755) and Catherine BOWKER (born cir 1762) – neither of these sisters married.
Another bequest in the will was:
“I give and bequeath unto the Resident Clergyman and the Churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the town of Wilton and the Resident Clergyman and Churchwardens and overseers of the Poor in the Parish of South Newton the clear sum of five hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain in trust that they do lay out and invest the same on Government Rail or other good and sufficient security or securities at interest with power to vary and alter the same as occasion shall require and apply the interest dividends and annual produce thereof in the purchase of bread to be given to the poor of the Parishes of Wilton and South Newton alternately one year to Wilton and the next year to South Newton alternately for ever such bread to be given away in their respective churches on Christmas Day the resident clergyman and churchwardens and overseers using their own discretion as to the number of families they may think proper to relieve.
I give and bequeath to the Trustees of the Wilton Charity or Free School the clear sum of one hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain upon trust to lay out and invest the same on Government Coal or other good and sufficient security at interest and receive the interest dividends and annual produce thereof forever hereafter and pay and apply the same for the benefit of that charity in giving each of the free boys a linen shirt yearly at Easter when they receive their free school clothes.
I give and bequeath unto the Resident Clergyman and Churchwardens and Overseers of South Newton the clear sum of fifty pounds upon trust to invest the same on Government security and receive the interest dividends and annual produce thereof and give and distribute the same annually forever to and amongst such of the poor widows of the said parish South Newton as they shall deem most deserving on Christmas Day.
I give and bequeath unto the Resident Clergyman and Churchwardens and Overseers of the Parish of South Newton aforesaid the clear sum of fifty pounds upon trust to lay out and invest the same on Government security and receive the interest dividends and annual produce thereof and layout and expend the same annually forever in the purchase of a gray clothe coat with ???? or plain iron buttons the first coat to be provided and paid for out of my personal estate and worn by the parish clerk of South Newton aforesaid at my funeral and the coat to be secondly provided to be given to the sexton of the same parish and so on to the Clerk and Sexton alternatively forever which said several and last mentioned bequests of five hundred pounds and one hundred pounds, fifty pounds and fifty pounds I charge on and direct to be paid by my executors and ??? out of my personal estate and my will further is and I so direct that my executors apply a sum above fifty pounds but not exceeding eighty pounds out of my estate and effects in erecting two marble tablets to my memory one in each of the parish churches of South Newton and Wilton and have inscribed thereon a particular of the legacies or sums of money I have given by my will to the poor of the parishes of South Newton and Wilton – to the Wilton Free School, the bequest to the poor widows and to the clerk and sexton of the parish of South Newton all which charitable bequests I direct to be paid free from legacy duty and without any deduction or abatement whatsoever.”
As can be noted from the above, one of the requirements for these bequests was that the church wardens had to erect marble tables in the Wilton and South Newton Churches regarding these bequests – This is a picture of the tablet in the South Newton Church.
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