I wonder whether anyone with experience of C18th wills might be able to help.
Christopher Lea died a widower, aged 80, in 1729. He was a yeoman. I know from an estate document that he was also living, not long before, in the estate village and rented a very small farm there.
Christopher had two daughters (Anna-Rececca and Elizabeth) and four sons (Francis, Christopher, William and John) baptised there.
He left one shilling to Anne Lea, daughter in law, widow, £23-12s to daughter Elizabeth, £13-12s each to sons Francis and John, and £4-4s to son in law Richard Heath. (Francis was the oldest son, Richard Heath was a yeoman and the husband of Anna-Rebecca).
My questions are firstly, whether the one shilling left to Ann the widow was a token (in the C19th another will left £1 to a widower son in law when others got £200).
Secondly, this widow was clearly the wife of either Christopher or William. I am therefore assuming as the most likely scenario that both of the sons are now dead but that one did not marry. Reasonable?
Thirdly, Anna-Rebecca gets nothing in her own name. Was it normal to name the husband in a case like this at this time?
Lastly, Francis was executor and was left all the rest of the “cattles and chattels”. There is no specific mention of a farm. Can I assume that father Christopher had already passed the farm on to him? In 1759, when Francis left his will, he was a yeoman and had a farm (which was to be sold to provide for his four children, all under 21).
Sorry this is a bit long,
Dave