Diary of Viscount Egmont afterwards Earl Egmont 1741 is in Georgian Books.
Monday, 30 [October 1738]. — I went to Court, being the King's birthday, but returned home to Charlton to dinner. I saw half the gentlemen in plain clothes, with silver and gold buttons only, and was told it was the fashion to appear so on the King's birthday in France, and that we have followed them in it.
Sir Orlando Bridgman [aged 60], who, instead of going to his Government of Barbadoes conferred on him last winter, made his escape (as he hoped) from the world, to avoid his creditors, by pretending to make himself away, and accordingly gave it out that he had drowned himself, was ferreted out of his hole by the reward advertised for whoever should discover him, and seized in an inn at Slough, where he had ever since concealed himself.
20th January 1741. Tuesday. This morning died my brother-in-law, Sir Philip Parker [aged 59], at 3 o'clock, choked by one of those fits he has for 12 weeks past had at sundry times. He was last night as well or rather better than at any time before. I spent a great part of the day with Lady Parker and my nieces. At night, the will and codicil were opened in presence of Mrs. East, Lady Parker's mother, Mr. Gilbert East, Lady Parker's brother, my 2 nieces, Mrs. Gosset and myself, wherein Lady Parker and my niece Martha [aged 25], the eldest, are left executors, and myself, Mr. Gilbert East and Mr. Kirk, the counsellor, who drew the will, are made trustees. The estate is divided between my nieces; the Wiltshire and what lies in some other places to my niece Martha: and the Suffolk estate to my niece Elizabeth [aged 24]. He left divers legacies and,among the others, 50Z. to my wife [aged 51], 20 guineas to my son [aged 29], 100?. to each of the Trustees, 101. to my cousin Fortrey and 500Z. to my niece Bering. He ordered to be buried at Arwarton, Suffolk. The will we judged very ill and confusedly drawn, but happily the persons concerned are only my Lady Parker and her two daughters. In case of my nieces' death without children, their estates go to the heirs general, which are my wife and niece Bering. It is surprising that he mentioned not the places in the Funds where his money lies, but only bequeathed his personal estate in general terms, and that he kept no book of receipts and disbursements whereby might be known where his ready money lies, which I have to reason to suppose is more than 30,000l, but Mr. Gosset believes it nearer 50,000?.
20th January 1741. This affair prevented my attending the committee at the Georgia Office, which met to consider of the powers for the President entered to be appointed at Savannah. I learned Sir Robert Walpole [aged 64] was not down at the House of Commons early enough to declare the King's consent to our petition for money, but that he came after the order of the day was called for, which was a sUght of the Trustees.
20th January 1741. The Committee present were: Mr. Ayers, Hen. Archer, Lord Shaftsbury [aged 29], Mr. Smith, Mr. Vernon, who made some progress in the affair and adjourned the affair to Friday.