A family story about a will

[Tricia_2]

It sounds like one of those 'if grandpa hadn't sold the farm ...' stories to me.

If I don't research it, I'll never know.

[Tricia_2]

Can you post the census links for 1871 and 1881 for the family please.

Here they are

[Tricia_2]

The more I think about it, the more that story of Lord & Lady Coventry sounds too similar to be coincidental. It could be that David Neale helped by offering the use of his cart to convety Lady Coventry to safety. I don't know. But he would certainly have known the story. Even though Lady Coventry's death was not at the right time, I think I'll look into this further. Thank you

[Tricia_2]

There is a newspaper account of an accident in April 1873 concerning Lord and Lady Coventry who were riding round Bredon Hill and Ashton under Hill. ...

Hi
My family would have known about this incident, whether or not David Neale was involved. I would love to know more. Could you tell me, please, which publication this was in? Was it available online? Thank you very much

EDIT: I have now found an article on this accident in the 12th April 1873 edition of the  Bromsgrove & Droitwich Messenger

[JEB01]

I think the Lady Coventry link is a good one to follow up, even though the dates don’t seem to match up with events.

Some points about the family story occurred to me.

Firstly, to leave land and a mill in Wales to someone who helped briefly after a riding accident seems over generous. It might be true of course, but is it more likely the extent of any bequest grew over the years with the retelling of the story down the generations?

Secondly, as has been mentioned there would have been no need to go to London to make a claim.

Your g g grandfather would not know of any bequest in the lady’s will until after her death, at which time he would have been contacted by her executors, or by solicitors acting for the executors (the solicitors might well have been her executors).

If she was a titled lady it’s not unlikely that the solicitors dealing with her estate were a London firm (but that’s a guess, obviously).

In any event he would not have needed to travel to London to pursue his inheritance. It would have been common sense for him to ask a local attorney to sort it all out for him.

As you know, wills are a matter of public record once probate is issued, so the key is surely to try and identify the lady concerned, and then obtain a copy of her will. Easier said than done.

Ultimately, if a bequest or legacy is unclaimed, or in the event that your gg grandfather actually declined to accept the bequest (unlikely, but it happens), the property would revert  ultimately to the remainder of the estate and pass to the main (residuary) beneficiaries.

So clearly you are researching a possible titled lady’s estate for a death arising between the date of the newspaper article and your gg grandfathers death.

[arthurk]

If it is anything to do with Lord and Lady Coventry, then according to thepeerage.com they died 3 days apart in March 1930.

This is borne out by the probate index, where probates for both are listed in 1930; there's a note of a further grant relating to him in 1931.

[Tricia_2]

I think the Lady Coventry link is a good one to follow up, even though the dates don’t seem to match up with events.

Thank you. I agree.

I have been looking into this, further, and I cannot see how two such similar events could have happened around the same place, at the same time. This must be the story that my ggm knew. She would have been tiny when it happened, and both of her parents had died by the time reached her teens, so it is a case of relying on memories of what she heard, or was told, when she was a child.

Was her father involved? I was told that he was. That's all I can say. He lived in the right place at the right time and was a carter at some stage, but described as ag lab at other times. I have no doubt that any minions, who happened to be about, would have been expected to help - and a cart may have been useful. What I heard was that my ggm was quite certain that the injured woman told him: "I shan't forget you, David Neale."

He would not have needed to go to London for the reading of a will, and this couple didn't die until 1930, anyway. If there was a reward, then the alternatives are that, it was either bequeathed by someone else, who happened to be involved, or that it was not given as part of a will, but as a gift of gratitude from the living.

Alternatively, it may have been an offer that was totally unconnected to the story, but confused in the mind of a child. (However, one wonders how many landed people my gggf might have deserved a reward from.)

If the Coventrys did wish to reward David Neale, and they were very rich with lots of land, then they may have owned a small parcel, somewhere, that they didn't particularly need or want, and which may have been offered to my gggf. Then, he might well have had to go to London to sign for an exchange of Title.

Lots to think about
Thanks again for your input

[Tricia_2]

If it is anything to do with Lord and Lady Coventry, then according to thepeerage.com they died 3 days apart in March 1930.

Yes, they must have been a devoted couple

[Erato]

My great grandfather died in Gloucestershire in 1930.  He was a modestly prosperous businessman - not even remotely close to landed gentry.  When his will was approved in 1931, the terms were published in the Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic.  Look for a newspaper report on the bequests made by Lord and Lady Coventry.