Probate Eltham

[Jeffrey]

Thank you for your reply
Could have been lost BUT.............................

It was just made 8 days before his death and
Thomas was a bit of a wheeler dealer -in 1904 he was a divorcee, 1912 declared bankrupt, his 2nd wife left him and in 1917 his 3 younger children were neglected and were taken away to school. So how was it by 1924 he had accumulated £12,000. (over £600,000 today) Which he then left in a will to his common law wife. No mention of any children.

Just wondering if someone contested it. He had 3 older children too who had done rather well for themselves as they had been privately educated.

I am wondering if someone did contest it if there would have been a court case or what happened?

Judy

[dawnsh]

Try local newspapers?

Would it also have been newsworthy enough to make the likes of the Daily Mirror?

If you post his surname, I'll take a look.

Dawn

[Jeffrey]

Hi Dawn - thank you.
He was called Thomas Rees and lived at Glenesk Rd Eltham. Died 21 Mar 1924
Probate was awarded to Ellen Hawtin 123 Grangehill Rd Eltham on 11 Jul 1925.

The previous Letters of Admin was awarded to William Henry Browning an Estate Agent on 22 Aug 1924.

[dawnsh]

Can't find anything online (The Times, FindMyPast or Daily Mirror) so maybe they case wasn't that newsworthy and just took time going through probate.

[groom]

When the solicitor was dealing with my mother's will, we were asked whether there was anyone else who might have a claim ie any more children who hadn't been mentioned. Maybe this was asked and the answer was that he had children, so that held things up?