Vol 3 - Lackham Countryside Centre

The Manor of Lackham Vol 3 : The Montagu family
In her will Elizabeth left her gold watch and chain to her son John
“recommending it to him to keep as a memorial of his aunt Priscilla
Eyles' great kindness to him ” 289 “
Elizabeth’s will also includes a bequest to her “cousin Flower wife of Mr
Henry Flower of the Devizes 290 ” From James III’s will 291 it is known
that her name was Mary – he gave £30 to “Mary Flower as a small
acknowledgement for the many favours shown to my dear wife and
myself wife of Henry Flower 292 of the Devize “.
It has been said that a monument in St Mary’s Church, Devizes records
that Henry died in 1768 aged 51 and that Mary in 1748 aged 70 293 .
These details are incorrect in a number of ways; firstly the memorials
are actually at the west end of St James Church, at the north end of the
Green in Devizes, and Henry died in 1750 aged 85. These dates make
much more sense than those given by Waylen. From the memorials in St
James it is clear that Mary Flower was a daughter of Thomas Jones of
Usk 294 . Her younger sister Sarah Jones is also buried in St James (died
1743 aged 50) as is Henry Flower’s son Edward, who died in 1769 aged
51. Whether Mr Jones the Apothecary of Bristol and Thomas Jones of
289 W&SHC 212b/3671 Will of Elizabeth Montagu nee Eyles dated 2 November 1741
290 W&SHC 212b/3671 ibid
291 W&SHC 212b/3671 Abstract of the Will of James Montagu dated 2 April 1743.
292 Henry Flower was Mayor of Devizes 5 times, in 1719, 22, 27, 34 & 38 [Kite, E
(1858) The Guild of Merchants, formerly in Devizes WAM vol IV p173] and Receiver
for Wiltshire [Ide, I (1990) Wiltshire Members of Parliament and Their Involvement
with the South Sea Company WAM 80 p140]. His Mayoralty in 1827 was after Edward
Watton died in office [Bull, H ( 1859) A History, Military and Municipal, of the
Ancient Borough of the Devizes p579] .
293 Waylen, J (1839) The Devizes etc
294 Sherlock, P (2000) (ed) Monumental Inscriptions of Wiltshire : an edition,
in facsimile, of Monumental Inscriptions in Wiltshire by Sir Thomas Phillipps,
1832 WRS vol 57 p 370
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