Sylvia

Sorry I ignored your supplementary question

Q.. In a Will dated 1902 the eldest son is only mentioned when being excluded from benefitting from one particular legacy and the mother/executrix, who is left the 'whole of my real and personal estate' 'to be disposed of by her as in her judgment may seem right', seems to have died without leaving a Will about 20 years later. I'm wondering if it's possible to work out where this leaves the eldest son!

A.. The trouble is we do not know the full picture with regard to a possible 'inter vivos' (i.e. lifetime) disposal, that is if mother set up the eldest son (or even another child) for example when he/she got married. This would fall within the contemplation of the father's will. If mother sat tight and did nothing, then as she died before 1960, the landed property (including any houses or shops etc) would pass on intestacy to the heir at law. The administrattion of her estate would exclude the land unless the personal estate was insolvent.

It would help if we knew what they owned. Browns Directory 1894 is pretty good in this regard.

NGC