Who was Maria Bertha Vincent?

[Nanna52]

In 1951 when my cousin Horace Thomas Mabley Vincent died he left everything to Maria Bertha Vincent, widow.
His first wife, Kathleen Fox, died in 1942, but I cannot find a marriage between then and his death.  I did wonder if she had been married to a child of his, or his brother Edward William Barratt Vincent, married Agnes Ursula Geoghegan.  I can only find Vera Ursula O'Neil Vincent born about 1910, the daughter of Edwin and Agnes.

Horace stayed around the Sculcoates and Hull area, but Edwin and Agnes were actors and moved around.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[avm228]

Have you got the will showing Maria as sole beneficiary, and if so did he describe his relationship to her in any way? Did he describe her as a widow?

If you are getting the information not from the will but from the probate calendar then it is important to remember that the probate calendar names the executor, not the beneficiaries.

[Nanna52]

I admit that I am only going by the information on the probate calendar avm228.  I have looked at getting the will, but I can only find places where it is very costly to get it.  It was proved in York.

[Pinetree]

I did a quick check of newspapers available online to see if there was an obituary for Horace that might explain the relationship or maybe a marriage announcement for Horace and Maria.  Unfortunately nothing came up but there were a couple of articles concerning the death of his first wife.  Do you know the circumstances of her death?  Would you be interested in these?

From these articles I see that Horace was in the Merchant Navy which made me wonder, if he was indeed married to Maria, whether the marriage may have taken place overseas.

The following link gives the official source for copies of post 1858 Wills.  The cost is £6 which can be paid by international money order.  This maybe more cost effective than commercial offerings.

http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills

All the best,

Pinetree

[Nanna52]

Thanks Pinetree.  Yes I have information on how Kathleen died.  Quite shocking really.

The marriage may have taken place overseas I may never know, that's the thing about chasing your ancestors isn't it.  Frustrating then triumphant.

[Pinetree]

It certainly is 

Unfortunately it looks as if the cost of obtaining a copy of a Will has been hiked up to £10 

Although the information page still says £6 on the request form it is £10 - that's certainly an inflation busting increase. I was going to order a couple for my own research - may have to be a bit more selective now.

Pinetree

[Nanna52]

From what I can work out an international money order will cost me $30.00 too.  So I think I will put it on the back burner.