Administration 1729 Cousin??

[ElizabethHerts]

Yesterday I received six wills/administrations/inventories from Lincolnshire Archives.

One was the administration of John Wood who died in Hemswell in 1729.

I expected him to be John Wood with wife Ann.
Children baptised for this couple were:
Ann 1677
Mary 1678
John 1682
Thomas 1687
Ann 1691

However, the administrator is John Dewick and it says John Wood's estate is "For the use and benefit and during the minority of Wm Dewick and Sarah Dewick the Cousens of the sd deceased".


What signifcance could "cousen" have. Does it have a wider meaning than we understand?

I'm not sure who this John Wood is. It makes me think he was an unmarried man whose estate is passing to his nearest relatives, so not my ancestor.

Back to the drawing board.:(

[kiterunner]

Well, cousin could be used loosely to mean "some relative" but certainly it sounds as though he had no surviving wife or child.

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks, Kate. As I suspected, just some relation, not necessarily a cousin as we would understand it.

This John Wood must be connected to my family in some manner. It is only a small village.

[Olde Crone]

That's rather odd, are you sure you have the right man/Will?

Admon, then as now, followed strict rules and John Dewick must be a close relative, otherwise the estate would have gone to the Crown. Nor would the estate "jump over" him to his children, he would inherit before his children in an admon.

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

OC - Here is the transcription:

The Condition of this Obligation is such that if the above-bounden John Dewick Administrator of all and singular the Goods Rights and Creditts Cattle and Chattels of John Wood late of Hemswell deceased for the use and Benefit and during the minority of Wm Dewick and Sarah Dewick the cousons of the sd deceased do make or cause to be made a true and perfect Inventary of all and singular the Gooods Chattels and Creditts of the sd deceased wch have or shall come to the Hands Pssion of him the sd John Dewick or into the Hands or Possion of any Person or Psons for him and the same so made do exhibit into the Registry of the Archdeacon of Stow at or before the last Day of May next and further do make or cause to be made a true and just account of his said Administration when thereunto lawfully required that then this Obligation to be void or else to remain in full force
Sealed and delivered in the presence of
Rob: Rustat N:P:

[ElizabethHerts]

I was wondering if John Dewick were related through the female line - either wife's or mother's family.

[Phoenix]

Cousins often mean grandchildren: would that be possible?

[ElizabethHerts]

OOh, Phoenix, I did rather wonder/hope that might be the case.

I have been looking for Wood/Dewick marriages, but to no avail so far.

[ElizabethHerts]

I should say that I was hoping that the will was for John Wood, baptised at Harpswell.
All his children were baptised at Harpswell, but his son John (also my direct ancestor) moved over to Hemswell. They are only just over a mile apart.

John Wood filius Thomas Wood et An Wood bapt erat March 24th (1651?)

[kiterunner]

There is a Sarah Dewick baptised at Hemswell 7 Apr 1725, daughter of John and Sarah. But I can't find a William to go with her.

[Olde Crone]

Oh, I do think this is so odd! By right, his money should have gone in equal shares to his wife (if living) and his children, then grandchildren if children dead.

Two things occur, both of which may be way off beam and not worthy of any consideration!

1. Did the Archdeaconry of Stow have special rights in Admon cases? I have a vague idea that some Archdeaconries could appoint an Administrator who got benefits, nudge nudge, if the correct relations were too distant to inherit by law.

2. Is the Admon something to do with something which happened in the Interregnum? In other words, maybe he left a "valid" Will which was chucked out because of some misdemeanour he committed against the Church during the Interregnum.

As I said, not very useful thoughts, but you never know - if you cannot find the Dewick connection, might be worth investigating?

OC

[ElizabethHerts]

I think I might have found him earlier, Kate.

I'm in rather a rush with this as we are off to Lincoln at the end of the week. I'm trying to get my research together and have booked our slot at the Archives. They are very helpful and have ordered 6 items to be waiting for us. I just have to be organised.

I now have up to 7 generations of ancestors for my 3x great-grandfather Newbourn Wood.

[ElizabethHerts]

Oh, I do think this is so odd! By right, his money should have gone in equal shares to his wife (if living) and his children, then grandchildren if children dead.

Two things occur, both of which may be way off beam and not worthy of any consideration!

1. Did the Archdeaconry of Stow have special rights in Admon cases? I have a vague idea that some Archdeaconries could appoint an Administrator who got benefits, nudge nudge, if the correct relations were too distant to inherit by law.

2. Is the Admon something to do with something which happened in the Interregnum? In other words, maybe he left a "valid" Will which was chucked out because of some misdemeanour he committed against the Church during the Interregnum.

As I said, not very useful thoughts, but you never know - if you cannot find the Dewick connection, might be worth investigating?

OC


OC, thanks for your thoughts, which are always so welcome. I shall bear them in mind.

I'm used to transcribing wills now, but I know very little about the rules and regulations governing them.

I shall ask Lincolnshire Archives about your suggestions.

I have become very fond of this branch of my ancestors because I'm finding them easier to research because of the PRs on the Lincs to the Past website and the facility to search for wills. I have been exceedingly lucky. They might not have been wealthy in the grand scheme of things, but I have lots of wills etc now, which have been able to confirm the accuracy of my research. I'm able to tick of the "3 items of information" for many of the families for each generation.

[ElizabethHerts]

As far as I can see, my John Wood (I hoped it was his admon.) had three daughters - 2 called Anne and one Mary. Obviously, the first Ann died so I'll have to look for a marriage to see if there are any grandchildren. Only problem, the only Dewicks I can find are John and Sarah!

[kiterunner]

Apparently Duick is a variation of Dewick, but I can't find anything to help using that name either.

[Olde Crone]

(I'm just back from Lincoln - my two grandsons live there, with their parents of course! Take your vest, it was freezing).

Yes, I love my Green family, farmers mostly, but they all left Wills and various land transactions and so on. Even the one Green who didn't leave a Will (and I do wonder why not.....) had an admon with inventory which listed every teaspoon practically, wonderful information - and all for £3!

I was also very moved to find in one Will that my 4 x GGF left £200 (a fortune) to his granddaughter. She in turn, left me £200....

OC

[kiterunner]

There is a book on Google Books called "Hemswell: a Documentary History 1086-1901" but it is snippet view only. It has some information about John Wood and Newbourne Wood in it. It also says "The family of Dewick was here in 1721. John Dewick, blacksmith, was possibly parish clerk, as he wrote his name large in the parish register on 23 May 1761. In another place the following couplet occurs in his" - bother, can't get the next bit! I should think it would be well worth tracking down if you haven't already seen it.

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks for looking, Kate. Yes, I have seen Duick too.

I think there is nothing else to do but go through the registers and just hope I can find something.

[ElizabethHerts]

OOH, I cross-posted!

Yes, I've seen snippets of that book too!

I think I looked on line but it was mega-expensive (although my memory might be failing me!)

[kiterunner]

Maybe they will have a copy at Lincs Archives for you to look at.

[ElizabethHerts]

I have just found this, Kate:

Title: Hemswell: a documentary history,1086-1901.

License: - http://www.lincstothepast.com/buy-image/
Subject: History;
Type: Text;


This would suggest the Archives have a copy.

I have already sent them a very long list of things I want to consult and they have got 6 items waiting for me when we get there! Now will we have enough time....?

[ElizabethHerts]

Hemswell: a documentary history 1086-1901

Date: 1985 Collection: Library Research Reference: BRN0255526
http://www.lincstothepast.com/Hemswell--a-documentary-history--1086-1901/1284395.record?pt=S

[ElizabethHerts]

Update:

I purchased this book, and it is a little gem. I'm still studying it.

It says that John Dewick was a blacksmith and possibly parish clerk. He married Ann Codd - I have two lots of Codd women already in my tree, but it was probably the most common surname in Hemswell

They had a son called John who married Elizabeth Smith. He was born in 1773.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Well done Elizabeth.

[Uncle John]

Have you tried for an inter-library loan? It's surprising how valuable/rare some of the books are that some libraries are prepared to transfer.

[ElizabethHerts]

I've already got the book now, Uncle John, and it is well worth the money. My family are mentioned in some detail.

[ElizabethHerts]

Well, I still don't know who the John Wood admon 1729 is.

Today I received some more wills.

This one turned up trumps:

LCC Will
Wood, John Yeo.
Cadney, late of Hemswell, 1720/ii/345

It turns out that John Wood remarried a lady called Mary after his wife Ann died in 1715 (not that I have found the marriage).

He names in this will:

Mary my Dear and Loving Wife
Garthrope Wood my Grand son Eldest Son of John Wood my son
my Daughter Elizabeth the wife of Nicolas Wass of Ganesburgh
my Grand Child Robert Smith son of Robert Smith of Poolthorne by Anne his wife
John Smith his Brother
his Brother Samuell Smith
his Brother Joseph Smith
my Grandson John Wood and other of the children of my said son John Wood
his Brother George Wood
his Brother Edwd Wood
unto Sarah Wood and Elizabeth Wood Daughters of my said son John Wood
my Grand Children Mary Smith Daughter of the aforesaid Robert Smith
and
Elizabeth Wass Daughter of the said Nicholas Wass

This is a fantastic result as it gives me an extra child for John and his first wife Ann in Elizabeth who married Nicholas Wass.
It gives me a husband for Anne Wood, his daughter.
It mentions the children of my 6x great-grandfather John Wood. Interestingly it gives "Garthrope" Wood as the eldest son whereas both John and George were older than him. I can't find early burials for them nor other children baptised as John and George. Perhaps he got confused with them!

A very satisfactory will. :D

[Uncle John]

Where there's a Will there's a way!
*runs smartly off thread*

[ElizabethHerts]

Where there's a Will there's a way!
*runs smartly off thread*

That's very true, UJ!