unable to find MOLLOY will or admin

[Wilkes_ml]

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place!

My ancestors first husband Francis Porter MOLLOY (aka William Holmes Porter MOLLOY) inherited his uncle & aunt's house Stanhope House, East Street, {Old} Kent Road, Saint George Southwark in 1833 on the death of his Aunt Ann MOLLOY nee CRAGGS - her husband Francis MOLLOY already passing in 1825. The couple don't appear to have had any of their own children as another house on Cannon Street St. George in the East was passed onto their niece Mary SARSFIELD, wife of Dominick SARSFIELD leuit in the Royal Navy, and another nephew George CRAGGS also a leuit in the Royal Navy.

Francis Porter MOLLOY { b. 25 Mar 1792 bap. 1808 at Bermondsey} ran the Buffalo's Head at Chart Sutton in 1822, and had four children baptised at Maidstone by his first wife Lydia: Ann Craggs MOLLOY bap. 1815 at Maidstone, Francis Porter MOLLOY Bap. 1817 at Maidstone, Elizabeth MOLLOY bap. 1819 at Maidstone and William GREEN bap. 1820 at Maidstone.

I assume Lydia died sometime between 1820 and 1835, when the Surrey Electoral register shows Francis Porter owning freehold at East Street, Old Kent Road, Surrey but now living in Rye Sussex.

Francis Porter MOLLOY married my ancestor Jane SELMES in June 1836, had a son William Strand MOLLOY in 1837, before Francis Porter's death in 1839 at Rye, Sussex. Francis Porter is still listed in the 1840 Surrey Electoral register as owning the property in Old Kent Road.

Now I would have assumed that Francis Porter/William Holmes Porter MOLLOY would have left a will, leaving his freehold house and land to either his wife Jane or put in trust for any of his surviving children, but I can not find any will.

Both Francis (snr) and Ann left wills which are in the PCC wills collection..so is it possible that Francis Porter's will is held in a different collection?

Any ideas appreciated

Michelle

[Megan Roberts]

Michelle

This is a link to the National Archives index of guidance, which shows there are probably a number of places to look (more than I thought!)

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/h...search=probate

Megan

[Wilkes_ml]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

[Wilkes_ml]

I'm getting more confused now, as Francis Porter's uncle only appears to have had two siblings: Mary Molloy (mother of Mary SARSFIELD nee BALCOMB) and Featherstone MOLLOY.

A Featherstone MOLLOY married Elizabeth GREEN, and they had one child also called Featherstone born 25 March 1792, baptised a the non-conformist Presbyterian church at Maidstone. Same birthday as Frances Porter MOLLOY....so maybe at the age of 17, not only did Francis Porter change his religion from Presbyterian to Anglican, but he also changed his name from Featherstone to Francis Porter.

Francis Porter MOLLOY also named one of his sons William Green Molloy, so this ties in with his mother being Elizabeth nee Green.

Not that this helps me find his will! Or his marriage to his first wife Lydia!

[janbooth]

Can't find your Francis on the Death Duty Index, Michelle, but I think I may have found his first marriage:

21 August 1814 at St Margaret Rochester, Kent Francis Porter MELLEY & Lydia PILVIN - source Ancestry's Select Marriages.

Janet

[janbooth]

And is this likely to be Lydia's death. From Kentish Gazette dated 25 Feb 1834 "Feb 14 at Strood, Mrs Lydia MOLLOY, aged 47, wife of Mr MOLLOY, Cooper"

Janet

[Wilkes_ml]

Thanks Jan....you're a star! I had found Lydia's death at Strood in 1834, from the kent death Indexes, and further research showed that Francis was a publican at the King William IV, High Street, Strood in 1832-1834.

I'll Find francis & Lydia's marriage on city ark and see if it has been mis-transcribed, though it is quite possible it was spelt that way on the original.

I've also gone through the death duty register, and have now come to the conclusion that he must have sold his house in East Street, and passed it on to his family prior to his death. His second wife Jane didn't leave a will, though his eldest son, also Francis Porter, who died in 1867 did leave a will, so I may get that at some point.

[Wilkes_ml]

Now thinking about it, the property could have passed from Francis Porter Snr to Francis Porter Jnr, anytime prior to his death, because the Electoral Register to 1840 would not have shown anything to differentiate the two men if they were both living at Rye at the same time!

[Wilkes_ml]

Well, I finally managed to get into CityArk and the marriage is clearly of Francis Porter MOLLOY not MELLEY

[Wilkes_ml]

Incidentally for anyone who may be interested in the PELVIN family, Lydia's baptism at Boxley,Kent is under the surname PILVIN on FamilySearch (daughter of Peter & Lydia) whereas Lucy's baptism is under the name PELVIN (also baptised Boxley, daughter of Peter & Lydia)