Jobe Henry West's possible link to 2 peerages

[MemoryLayne]

I was doing research on my 4-times-great-grandfather Jobe Henry West, who it turned out was a gentleman. Despite the seemingly normal note on a few censuses of him being a brewer, he had a few live-in servants over the course of his adult life. I then discovered upon his death in 1880, his personal effects were listed as just under £21,000 in his will. That piqued my interest since it didn't seem like 'normal brewery money' to me. According to other researchers' stories, his mother Eleanor (whose maiden name was likely to be Farrell, but could be Birt) may have been the illegitimate daughter of a Duke of Norfolk and spent her childhood in the Duke's household, and Jobe's father John - who was on household staff - was the son of a peer somehow distantly connected to the Sackville-West family. This fragment comes from Jobe's brother's descendants. Overall I'm thinking this explains Jobe's fortune, being linked to two noble families, but it's just hearsay. That having been said, he clearly had a comfortable life and a pretty penny to leave behind. So I'm thinking that either Eleanor's or John's noble connection is likely, but I haven't found stone-cold proof yet. A drawing exists of Eleanor that apparently has a note on the back saying 'Mrs. West, daughter of a Duke of Norfolk and Lady Barrymore', and the figure in the sketch does vaguely resemble the 11th Duke, who had a number of children by various mistresses, but the circle isn't complete on this little piece of the puzzle. Attached in this post is an image of that drawing and the duke's portrait both cropped side by side to get others' opinions on the possible similarity - I think there's something. As far I can tell, John was born in 1762 and died in 1834, and Eleanor was born in 1768 in London and died in 1848. Can anyone help me knock down this brick wall and prove either link to 'good stock', as it's colloquially called?

[christanel]

Do you have Job West's will or just the probate notice which says he died with effects of under £21000. Anyway £21000 in 2005 was equivalent to £1,014,510.00 which was a lot of money.

This is a link to a post you made earlier this year on another site which gives a little more information.
Christina

[Peter Goodey]

The 1871 census lists him as a brewer employing 28 men so clearly not just a brewer's labourer. Why do think his will doesn't reflect what he made from his brewing business?

As Christina hints, you really need a copy of the will and generally do a bit more digging. There may be property that you don't yet know about. Also, the London Gazette mentions an earlier bankruptcy which you'll want to explore.

[MemoryLayne]

Do you have Job West's will or just the probate notice which says he died with effects of under £21000. Anyway £21000 in 2005 was equivalent to £1,014,510.00 which was a lot of money.

This is a link to a post you made earlier this year on another site which gives a little more information.
Christina

21 grand in 1880 is worth about £2.4 million in 2017, Christina, so even more of a fortune! Maybe I did miss out some of the information when posting it here, but I put it on this forum to hopefully get some fresh eyes to help me. And so far I have just the probate notice, but I'm trying to find the in-depth will.

[elsinore]

There may be property that you don't yet know about.

Electoral Registers for West Kent 1832-1932 (on Findmypast) indicate that a Job Henry West owned freehold land and houses in North Woolwich, adjoining the Railway Station.

Reference to a series of maps of the day does indeed show houses on land adjoining the railway station and, more intriguingly, a building called Victoria Ale Stores.

https://
www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/north_woolwich/

Peter

[Peter Goodey]

I'm trying to find the in-depth will.

You order the will here...

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills