General Chat

I have just found one of my rellies wills and am amazed by how he divided up his assets- to his eldest son he gave half of his estate, his three other sons got one third each of the remaining half, except for £50 for his eldest daughter and £30 for the younger daughter( I don't know what she did to get less) His poor old wife got 'household items' listed (umungst other things) as cutlery, paintings and (wait for it) an earthenware pot!! And that was only if she didnot remarry after his death. Would not exactly keep the wolves from the door- I hope she got a good price for the pot when she had to sell it to make ends meet. Not much to be left for 30 years of marriage and six children- and he was a successful business man so he was not exactly poor!!!

Well they say there's nowt as queer as folk! It's amazing what people did and still do in families! I think my great grandmother's will was a strange one. She left her estate, which includes property, to her grandchildren (my mum and her brother) but only on the death of her son (my grandad). My grandad is entitled to any rent earned on the properties. A bid morbid though - my mum can only get her share when her dad dies. I know which is most important to her, and it aint no money! Joanne

Ann I read recently that often people with a lot of assets gave stuff away before they died, which wouldn't be mentioned in a Will. It's possible his wife was provided for separately, or he knew the eldest son would give her a dower house. Maybe he assumed his daughters would marry into money and that their brother would give them a dowry? I've just been given a Will from a great-great uncle William, which is interesting because of the genealogical info - he mentions a lot of women and says they are his nieces so I am able to know their married names. Plus I think his wife (no idea he had married till then) was the sister of a man who married William's youngest sister Kate. This would explain why he gave the bulk of his property to Kate's children, as they were related to him via his wife as well as himself. nell

Oh well, maybe it was not so strange after all. This was in about 1830 and I know eldest sons were like Gods but I really can't imagine how you could favour one child over the others- all my children would have to get equal shares in my will. But then I am not passing on a business. As it happens the eldest son in question was a real slacker and I think one of his younger brothers stepped in eventually and saved the business from the brink of ruin.

Ann Eldest sons often got the largest share, if not all, as it was a way of keeping the estate intact. Nowadays we are more "sharing", but imagine the hoohaa if the Queen decided she wanted Charles and Anne and Andrew and Edward to share the throne! It seems elitist, but our ancestors would have accepted that the firstborn had privileges. And now I think about it all my friends have allocated the smallest bedroom in their houses to the youngest child. nell (nearly all of whose relatives were too poor to have anything worth leaving!)