watson family in essex?

[avm228]

Apparently Paul the scrivener (scribe) did not teach Thomas the important lesson that a will must be witnessed in order to be valid!  An executor is also required.  You will have seen that in the absence of an executor the will was not admitted to probate, but administration was granted to Rebecca (with the will attached) on the basis of two independent people's testimony after his death that they believed the handwriting etc was his.

[avm228]

Thomas's burial record (29 Apr 1831, St Marylebone) shows his address as Old Cavendish St.

He was aged "59" at death - must have been at least 60 in fact (baptised 60 yrs and 10 months before burial). No big deal but it does suggest he was baptised as an infant rather than as an older child.

[queencorgi1]

Dear avm

Thank you for explaining the will! I was rather baffled when I saw it with the extra depositions on the end. Unless I am missing something, he doesn't actually state what he owns, does he? Anyway, no sign of any Essex connection, it's all north of England. Perhaps the newspaper obituary of his grandson (which is where the Essex quote given above) shows a family belief that Essex was posher?

[lizdb]

that Essex was posher?

Plenty of posh areas in Essex!

[queencorgi1]

I know, I went to school in Saffron Walden and grew up in Roydon!

[avm228]

The will is odd in many ways - it was dated 1829 so was not written on his deathbed (which often caused difficulties with formalities).  It was also not properly constituted as to the residual legacy after the deaths of Rebecca and George because it required George to "bequeath" the property.  It did not name any executors.  And as you say the will as transcribed in the PCC entry seems to start in the middle - it refers to "the interest and rents of the above" without stating what the "above" property was.  Perhaps there was a page or two missing!

Maybe a DIY job - still a problem to this day

[queencorgi1]

Indeed, very weird.
Still, as you say possibly DIY or perhaps very bored PCC clerk just skipped a bit ...

[lizdb]

Or a page fell out on to the floor at some point at ended up in the bin . . .  or put back in a different place and someone elses Will makes no sense at all because it has an extra page in it that doesnt follow on!

[queencorgi1]

A very good point ... and one could search a long time looking for where that (possibly) misfiled page has got to!