Sidney Charles Riley Hawkins

[Phoenix]

Was so young when he died that I wouldn't have thought he would have left a will. But he did!

Please could sks tell me date of death, where he was living and who the executor was?

Probate was 1925, so I assume he is the 17yr old Sidney, dying in Salford.

[Merry]

HAWKINS Sidney Charles Riley of 144 Kilburn Park Road, Willesden, Middlesex died 11th October 1925 at Salford Royal Hospital, Salford. Administration London 23rd November to Mary Jane Elizabeth Hawkins widow. Effects £65 4s 1d

[Phoenix]

Thank you, Merry!

Goodness knows what was wrong with the lad, but he was in hospital - all by himself, aged 2! - in the 1911 census. His mother had abandoned him and was in a workhouse in another county.

Why she described herself as a widow in 1925, again goodness only knows - her husband wouldn't commit suicide for a few years yet. Possibly she wanted to lay her hands on her son's money to convert it into drink.

[Merry]

Who is this? (same page of the probate index)


HAWKINS Charles Riley of 20 Belmont Road, Grays Essex died 29th August 1906. Administration London 23rd November to Mary Jane Elizabeth Hawkins widow. Effects £65 4s 1d

Same figure as for Sidney.

[Phoenix]

Wow, thanks! That's a baby who only lived three months or so.

Mary's grandparents left money to her children. I'm told her daughter spent it on perfume, dresses and taxis! No chance of Mary getting her hands on that.

Ooh, and that explains why Mary called herself Belmont - she reinvented herself after the street where she lived!

[Merry]

I don't think I've seen an admin for a baby before, but I guess I would never have looked for such a thing! I happened to put Riley Hawkins into the search box which is how I came to see it.

[Phoenix]

That's fascinating, because the children appear to have been in line for the loot from the wills of either Cosmo William Darling (1902) or Ann Darling (1904) both of whom died before the children were even born.

[Phoenix]

It was always said that Mary was related to Grace Darling- a tale I've always doubted, but now I discover from an old thread on Rootsweb that Cosmo's parents married in Fife, so it's not so bizarre as I thought.

[Olde Crone]

Strictly speaking, these are not Wills of course, but admons. A minor cannot make a legal valid Will.

OC

[Phoenix]

Strictly speaking, these are not Wills of course, but admons. A minor cannot make a legal valid Will.

OC


I can just see the baby making a competent will:d

No, Mary was simply taking whatever steps were necessary to get the money. Clearly, it hadn't dawned on her until Sidney died that she could clean up on Charles too.