What can I 'assume' from these wills?

[Jane_Adams]

I've got the wills of my 4xgreat grandmother and her brother.

His will was proved 9th July 1828 and left (from what I can decipher) most of the money to his sister.

Her will was proved on 22nd May 1835. She is described as 'wife of Thomas'. She leaves everything to her 3 children, but there is no mention of Thomas.

I'm trying to work out what happened to Thomas, when he died, etc.

If she is described as 'wife of' do you think that means he was still alive at the time she made her will? I know her will was definitely made after the death of her brother as his will is referenced and he is described as 'late brother' and 'deceased'.

Or can I, as usual, assume nothing?!

[Neil Wilson]

A dig around the parish registers would assist in finding when Thomas died. 'Wife of' makes it sound like the Will was written before Thomas died, but he could have died before the brother and that he never updated his Will.
Does this makes sense?

[Jane_Adams]

A dig around the parish registers would assist in finding when Thomas died. 'Wife of' makes it sound like the Will was written before Thomas died, but he could have died before the brother and that he never updated his Will.
Does this makes sense?

Yep, makes sense. It does only say 'wife of' on her will, i.e. the later of the two wills.

I've been searching for his death and not found anything as yet, but need to make a visit to the local archives for the area.

I know on certificates you can take some of the information with a pinch of salt, but just wondered if wills tended to be more accurate.

[Geoffers]

Her will was proved on 22nd May 1835. She is described as 'wife of Thomas'. She leaves everything to her 3 children, but there is no mention of Thomas.

I'm trying to work out what happened to Thomas, when he died, etc.

Who were the executors?

How old were Thomas and his wife in 1835?

[Jane_Adams]

Who were the executors?

How old were Thomas and his wife in 1835?

Right. The people involved here are William Bentley (the brother), Keziah Estwick (the sister) and Thomas Estwick (the husband).

I know when Keziah was born, which makes her 57 in 1835. I am assuming Thomas was around the same age but I've yet to track down his birth.

Re executors, on Keziah's will it is someone (or a company?) by the name of Brown Collison of Fleet Street (not a name I have come across in the family). For the brother, it is Keziah and someone else whose name I can't quite make out. It could be another Estwick.

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...entleywill.jpg


ETA: Just doing a quick Google for the name Brown Collison throws up a link to insurance records (I think) on the National Archives website, for a Brown Collison from Hitchin. As the Estwicks and Bentleys were from that area I assume that's where the connection lies.

[Geoffers]

I know when Keziah was born, which makes her 57 in 1835. I am assuming Thomas was around the same age but I've yet to track down his birth.

I was wondering if his age might be such that he could have been expected to pop his clogs between the will being written and probate being granted.

Re executors, on Keziah's will it is someone (or a company?) by the name of Brown Collison

Acting as an executor or executrix is a personal duty and as such I would expect to see a named individual rather than a company.

For the brother, it is Keziah and someone else whose name I can't quite make out. It could be another Estwick.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...entleywill.jpg

"I appoint my said sister Keziah ESTWICK and the said Samuel LOMAX executrix and executor of this my will..........."

Just doing a quick Google for the name Brown Collison throws up a link to insurance records (I think) on the National Archives website, for a Brown Collison from Hitchin.

Access to Archives (now part of TNA's site) - returns some hits for Brown Collison relating to the Sun Fire Insurance I note that 'Brown Collison' is of a property called 'New England, near Hitchin' - the will you posted refers to "my sister Keziah ESTWICK housekeeper to Mr George COLLISON of New England near Hitchin".

[Peter Goodey]

Acting as an executor or executrix is a personal duty and as such I would expect to see a named individual rather than a company.

This is certainly the commonest situation but I wouldn't have said it was unknown for a firm of solicitors to be named as executors. I think banks offer a similar service.

[Geoffers]

This is certainly the commonest situation but I wouldn't have said it was unknown for a firm of solicitors to be named as executors. I think banks offer a similar service.

Very true and a good point - Although the references in Guildhall Library indexed on A2A don't make it clear in most instances - one entry:


[no title] MS 11936/446/823625 6 December 1808
These documents are held at Guildhall Library
Contents:
Insured: Brown Collison 22 Great Ormond Street gent

hints at one individual of the name. Though this may not be the same person (or company) as mentioned at New England, near Hitchin

On reflection I should perhaps have added that in all the cases that immediately spring to mind where a solicitor or bank acts as executor, the occupation is included after the name.

Perhaps the best advice to Jane is to keep an open mind at the moment as to whether this relates to an individual or company.


Edit - looking at the list again, there seems to be further evidence that in this case, the name does relate to an individual:

MS 11936/518/1098195 21 October 1829
These documents are held at Guildhall Library
Contents:
Insured: Brown Collison,New England, Hitchin, Herts, esq

[Jane_Adams]

Thanks for your replies.

I am inclined to think that Brown Collison was a person rather than a company. I found a birth for someone of that name in Hitchin, and also a marriage to an Eliza Portlock (name that doesn't mean anything either). There is also a death on FreeBMD of a Brown Collison in Hitchin in 1850.

I had missed the fact that it states that Keziah was housekeeper to George Collison. According to the IGI, Brown seems to have had a brother called George, so perhaps that is the connection.

[Jane_Adams]

The other thing I'm not sure about (I've not had a chance to completely transcribe the wills yet), but I'm guessing that William Bentley had money given that he was living at Berkeley Square. I was looking on the Times Archive last night for that address and found an MP living their in the 1840s and onwards.

Certainly Keziah's son, William (my 3xgreat grandfather) had money and from his will owned properties in Hitchin and also ran a tent manufacturing business so thought this might have come down the line (Keziah's will leaves money to her children).