Catherine Richards from Runcorn, Cheshire born 1866 and died 1918.
She married George LEACH born 1860 from Colne Lancashire but don't have a date for when they married.

Originally they had 2 sons GEORGE born 1896 Nelson and KIEREN EDWARD known as EDDIE born 1901 Burnley. There was mention of an adopted daughter MAGGIE WOOD born 1880 Preston.

We knew that their parents' had died and that the will was divided 3 ways but we were told by Kieren's elder daughter (my Aunt) that no one seemed to know who the 3rd person was and we assumed it was Maggie.

However, last week my niece discovered an abstract will and codicil in Catherine's name and a 3rd son in the name of WILLIAM FREDERICK was named in the will. We have managed to trace him in the birth records as registered in 1903 but someone has written on the will that he was born in 1902. We realise that he might have been born then but they were just late in registering his birth.

Catherine asked that her personal estate be converted into money and to be used for educational trusts for her sons - Xarvarian College at Whalley Range Manchester and in the Codocil also took insurance policies (2 - one for £250 and the 2nd for £150) out on her husband from the Prudential Insurance Company and asked that the premiums be paid from the estate. The will was written in 1918 but she died in 1920. Executors were her elder son and family solicitor in Preston.

We cannot find a death date for her husband and neither have we been able to trace what happened to the 3rd son. The adopted daughter turned up in
1901 as a housekeeper with Robert & Elizabeth Baldwin, listed as Robert’s sister-in-law. So she wasn’t an orphan. They were living at 55 Rock Street, Nelson.

She left £24,200 11shillings 8d (old pence) which we have worked out to be half a million quid in today's currency!

The story goes that my grand-dad KIEREN EDWARD went to the Xarvarian College as a boarder and then went into the army. We have no army number or regiment for him although the family story is that he was in Ireland in 1920-21 at the time of the troubles. But that might have been with the black and tans who were not the regular army. I thought i have have been able to trace him via his army pension but the powers that be at preston need his army number or regiment and we only have "stories". We know he married though in 1922.

Anyone any ideas?

We are also curious to how Catherine came by "personal estate" as well as why we cannot find any trace of the 3rd son.

Ally x
newbie Warrington

PS hope I have put this in the right category. Just re read it and wondered if it should be in the brick wall category as well ???