will left unadministered

[anne fraser]

Has any one come across this before? Looking at the national probate calender I have John Burch dies in 1863. He was a butcher and leaves an estate valued under £600 with his widow Sarah Board Burch as sole executor. In 1886 probate was granted to someone else as estate unadministered. They had several children.

[Olde Crone]

Yes, I have this several times in my tree, the earliest being about 1686!

A widow refused to administer her husband's will for ten years and seems to have got away with it until she became pregnant, whereupon probate was granted to the sons of the deceased (she was second wife).

Another widow did not administer her husband's will and eventually probate was granted to the sons of the marriage. She was quite elderly and I think it may all have been a bit beyond her, although she did lose out under the terms of her husband's will, so may just have hung onto the status quo for as long as she could.

OC

[anne fraser]

thanks it is the first one I have come across. John was about 50 when he died and in the 1871 census Sarah is a farmer of fifty acres so I don't think she was too doddery. I have not worked out if the second executor was any relation. Sarah had died by then.

[Olde Crone]

Hah hah, Anne, both mine were farmers too! Both continued farming until forced to give the farm to the heirs.

OC

[JayG]

Anne this happened in my family in the 1970's!

My grandma was executor for her mother, grandma died before the estate was finalised so her neice then had to administer the estate after she had been granted probate.

[Uncle John]

I came across a farmer's wife one (not my family) which was administered about 6 years after the death by another family member.