Amanuensis Monday - Will of Mary Pickup (Walker) (1839-1916)

Mary is the wife of John whose will I extracted two weeks ago here. The two wills are extremely similar, but Mary has expanded in a couple of places.

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This is the last Will and Testament of me Mary Pickup of Rose Cottage Sherburn in Elmet in the County of York, made this fifth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and thirteen. I hereby revoke all Wills made by me at any time hereto fore.

Written three years before her death.

I appoint Joseph Thomas Jackson and James Beckett Jackson of South Milford to be my Executors and direct that all my debts and funeral expenses shall be paid as soon as conveniently may be after my decease, to be paid out of the money standing to my credit in the Yorkshire Penny Bank Ltd.

Live her husband, all expenses are paid first. The executors are also the same two people, however whilst James is still a Postman, Joseph is now a newsagent.

I give and bequeath unto Harriet Elders and Edith Pickup my two daughters the money standing at my credit in the Leeds Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd to be equally divided between the said two daughters.

This is a follow on from John's will - his wishes.

The amount of money standing to my credit in the Yorkshire Penny Bank Ltd I give devise and bequeath the sum of £100 to my daughter Edith Pickup and the rest of the money in the said Bank to be equally divided amongst my seven children namely as follows; Francis James Pickup, Mary Jane Pargeter, Fred Walker Pickup, Sarah Ann Thornton, Harriet Elders, Kate Pickup and Edith Pickup.

John's will stated all the money should be divided between the seven children equally, but it the Leeds Industrial Cooperative Society money was only to be given to Edith if she remained at home with her parents. The extra £100 (and the 1911 census) suggests Edith remained living with her mother until her death, and the money was a hard earned reward. Mary also lists all her children by name which gives me Sarah's middle name (I only knew the A), as well as married names for Mary Jane and Sarah Ann. It's interesting that they ran out of middle names after the first four children!

The testimonial service of my late husbands to be divided as follows, namely my son Fred to have the tray, my daughter Edith the teapot and the other articles of the service the other children must divide them amongst themselves.

Identical to John's will (this time with the correct transcription of tray - thanks Lauren!)

The furniture to be sold and the proceeds divided equally amongst all my seven children above mentioned with the exception of my bed, bolster and pillows it is my wish they be given to my daughter Edith Pickup in addition to her share of the furniture.

With Mary still alive, John's will gave the furniture to her. It's interesting that Edith gets the bed - perhaps she was eyeing it up before her mothers' death!

Mary Pickup

Signed by the said testator Mary Pickup in the presence of us present at the same time who at her request in her presence and in presence of each other have both entered our own names as witnesses.

Joseph Thomas Jackson.

James Beckett Jackson

On the 4^th day of November 1916 Probate of this Will was granted at Wakefield to Joseph Thomas Jackson and James Beckett Jackson the Executors.

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The value of this will was £977, £965 after the debts were paid, over £900 more than the value of John's will. I'm intrigued where she got her extra money from - perhaps a windfall from someone else?

Amanuensis Monday - Will of John Pickup (1836-1909)

John Pickup is my Great Great Great Grandfather on my dad's side. His daughter Harriet married John Elders, son of the Matthew listed in this post. 

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This is the last Will and Testament of me John Pickup of Rose Cottage Sherburn in Elmet in the County of York 18^th day of January in the year of Our Lord One thousand nine hundred and nine, thereby revoke all Wills and Codicils herebefore made by me.

The will was written 4 months to the day before his death.

I appoint Joseph Thomas Jackson of South Milford and James Beckett Jackson of South Milford in the County of _ and _ of _ in the County of York to be the Executors to this my Will.

As far as I can tell these two are unrelated to John Pickup. Perhaps just family friends? I'll probably do more research when I get chance.

I direct that all my debts, funeral and testamentary expenses shall be paid as soon as conveniently may be after my decease.

Sensible!

I give, devise and bequeath unto my wife Mary Pickup all my property, namely the money in the Yorkshire Penny Bank, the Leeds Industrial Cooperative Society and all the furniture during her life.

Had money dotted everywhere!

After her decease the furniture to be sold and proceeds divided amongst all my seven children, and the money in the Leeds Industrial Cooperative Society to be divided between my daughters Harriet Elders and Edith Pickup, owing to the latter stopping at home with her parents.

Harriet Elders is my great great grandmother, and she had been a widow for nearly five years at this point, with three children to take care of. Edith was the youngest of the seven and is in the 1911 census living with her mother Mary. It appears she was basically paid to care for her mother!

After my wife’s decease what amount is left in the Yorkshire Penny Bank is to be equally divided amongst my seven children absolutely.

So Harriet and Edith got first dibs, but all the children get something.

The testimonial service which I received on leaving the North Eastern Railway is to be divided as follows, namely my son Fred to have the hay, my daughter Edith the teapot and the other articles of the service the others of my children must divide them amongst themselves.

John worked as a station master at Gascoigne Wood Junction and Milford Junction. Fred gets the hay, which I may have mis transcripted. And that must have been an awesome teapot!

Signed published and declared by the said Testator as and for his East Wile (nonsense!) and Testament in presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subsided our names as witnesses.

Joseph Thomas Jackson.

James Beckett Jackson

On the 15^th day of July 1909 Probate of this Will was granted at Wakefield to Joseph Thomas Jackson and James Beckett Jackson the Executors.

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The value of this will was £55, £45 after the debts were paid.

Next Amanuensis Monday I'll transcribe Mary's will.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Matthew Elders (1849-1921)

I transcribed this will some time ago, but it is always good to revisit documents. My comments will follow each paragraph in italics. Let me know if you think there's something I've missed!

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THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me MATTHEW ELDERS of Bridlington in the County of York, Retired Engine Driver. I appoint my dear wife Jane Ann Elders and my Son-in-Law Arthur James Sigsworth of Bridlington aforesaid Decorator (hereinafter called my Trustees) to be the EXECUTORS and TRUSTEES of this my will. 

This gave me the name of Arthur James Sigsworth.

I give to my said wife absolutely all monies standing to the credit of my account, whether solely or jointly at any Bank, and all sums and bonuses payable on my death by virtue of any Policies of Assurance effected on my life. 

Jane Ann gets the money :)

I give my piano to my grandchild Alice Carr. 

A new name. Matthew had three daughters; Hannah Jane., Anne and Alice. So one married Arthur Sigsworth, and another married a man with the surname Carr. Turns out Alice is the daughter of Hannah Jane.

I give all my household furniture, linen, plate and plated goods, china, pictures, books, and all other articles of domestic use or ornament to my trustees, in trust to permit my wife to have the sole use and enjoyment thereof during her life and from and after her death. 

Jane Ann is well looked after

In trust in equal shares for my daughters Anna Jane Whiting and Alice Sigsworth upon the like trusts as are hereinafter declared concerning their shares of my residuary estate. And I declare that my trustees shall be under no obligation to make an inventory of, or to see to the preservation or insurance of the said furniture and effects, and shall not be answerable for any loss or damage occasioned thereto in the lifetime of my said wife. 

Hannah Jane appears to be mis-spelt here (perhaps she shortened her name as she got older, but it does seem odd to not have her legal name in a legal document). It also suggests that after marrying a Carr she married a Whiting. Alice is the wife of Arthur.  

I give, devise and bequeath all the residue of my estate, real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever to my trustees, in trust to sell, call in and convert the same into money, with power to postpone such conversion indefinitely, without being responsible for loss, and out of the moneys produced by such sale and conversion to pay my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, and to stand possessed of the residue in trust to invest the same in any investments allowed by law. 

Money stuff. Matthew was a shareholder in Elders Walker Ltd. - a paint and glass manufacturer based in Gateshead. My ancestor, John, was the clerk before his death. The company did very nicely, which explains why he was so wealthy.

In the case of trust funds with power to vary the same at discretion and to stand possessed of such investments, including any part of my residuary estate for the time being unconverted (hereinafter called my Trust Estate), in trust to pay the income there from both before and after such sale and investment as aforesaid to my said wife Jane Ann Elders.

Again, Jane is looked after.

During her life and from and after her decease I direct my Trustees shall hold the capital and income of my trust estate in trust in equal shares for all or any my children, or child living at my death and for all or any the issue living at my death who attain the age of Twenty one years, or being female marry under that age. 

Suggests a daughter that married under 21 would receive her share before her 21st birthday. 

Of any child of mine who may have died in my lifetime leaving issue to take through all degrees according to their stocks in equal shares the share or shares their parent would have taken if living at my death and so that no issue shall take whose parent is living at my death and so capable of taking, provided always that in the event of my daughter Alice Sigsworth dying in my lifetime without leaving any such issue, then my trustees shall hold the share that she would have taken under any of the trusts hereinbefore declared had she survived me, in trust for her husband, the said Arthur James Sigsworth absolutely. 

My great great grandfather John Elders had died in 1904, so his share would be split between his three children. This paragraph suggests Matthew was close to Arthur James Sigsworth as it ensures he would receive Alice's share had Alice died before her father.

IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of November One thousand nine hundred and nineteen – M. ELDERS – SIGNED and declared by the said Matthew Elders as and for his last Will and Testament in the presence of us both present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses – ALFRED W. WEST Solicitor Bridlington – J. F. Yates Clerk to Messrs West & Son Solicitors Bridlington.

ON the 6th day of May 1921 Probate of this Will was granted to Jane Ann Elders and Arthur James Sigsworth the executors.

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The net value of Matthew's estate was just over £2172. Using an online inflation conversion tool, that equates to £78,000 in 2010. Split between the 5 children, that's £15,600, then split again between John's three children, that is £5,200 in today's money (£144 then) that my great granddad John Redvers should have received - a pretty decent amount of money!