1881 Burial in Camden.

[Althea7]

I got William Eglin Clayton's will.  Most of it goes on in labourious language about who gets odd items like the sideboard.  The writing is quite hard to read too.  I tried writing out what seemed like the important part.

"And as to all the rest residual and remainder of the real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever of which I shall die possessed of or entitled to or which I shall then have any power to appoint or dispose of by will or otherwise I give and bequeath the same unto my dear wife the said Elizabeth Ann Clayton absolutely but subject nevertheless as to trust and mortgage estates and to the equities affecting the same respectively."

Witnesses Geo B Whitehead, Cabinet Manufacturer, 30 Mintern Street, Hoxton, and J Townsend Thompson, 5 Manchester Street, Grays Inn Road, Solicitors Clerk.

I am still no clearer at all what Elizabeth Ann actually inherited.

[Althea7]

It sounds like William Eglin Clayton knew he was dying when he wrote his will, and it also sounds like he was very much in love with Elizabeth Ann. 

[cuffie81]

By the look of it, Elizabeth inherited just about everything except for a few items bequeathed to William's brothers. The probate entry listed the effects as £7,634. A not insignificant sum in 1881.

The National Archives have a Currency Converter which converts a monetary value in a historic year into a contemporary value, and what that amount could have bought.

For £7,634 in the year 1880 it calculates:

In 2017, this is worth approximately:
£505,254.00

In 1880, you could buy one of the following with £7,634:
Horses: 277
Cows: 787
Wool: 14137 stones
Wheat: 5964 quarters
Wages: 23133 days (skilled tradesman)

[Althea7]

By the look of it, Elizabeth inherited just about everything except for a few items bequeathed to William's brothers. The probate entry listed the effects as £7,634. A not insignificant sum in 1881.

The National Archives have a Currency Converter which converts a monetary value in a historic year into a contemporary value, and what that amount could have bought.

For £7,634 in the year 1880 it calculates:

In 2017, this is worth approximately:
£505,254.00

In 1880, you could buy one of the following with £7,634:
Horses: 277
Cows: 787
Wool: 14137 stones
Wheat: 5964 quarters
Wages: 23133 days (skilled tradesman)

So only half a million pounds, not as much as I thought it was, and it sounds like Elizabeth couldn't stay at that house, maybe there were mortgages or loans on it.