20th century will question

[Bogie]

Hi all,

I'm researching my friend's family history and I have acquired a copy of her great-grandmother's will from 1955.

Her great-grandmother had six children, who were all alive and well and married at the time of her will writing and subsequent death, and the eldest was named as the executor.

Her husband predeceased her by 10 years.

In the will, she names her son as the executor and but then leaves all of her "property" (which to be fair wasn't much - the probate amount was under £200) to her sister, sister's husband and their children.

Why would this be? Did she not like her own children?!

We're struggling to come up with reasons why this might have happened. 

If anyone has any suggestions, that would be great!

[CaroleW]

Perhaps she felt her sister & family needed the money more that her own family. 

If she knew how small an amount she was leaving - split 6 ways it wouldn't have amounted to much per child whereas it may have meant a lot to her sister.

[mazi]

I think it possible she had disposed most of her assets amongst her children in a tax efficient way before her death. Inheritance tax was punitive in 1955.

Mike


Added, or her late husband had done so, leaving her with an annual income, with the
capital to go to the kids after her death.

[Bogie]

Thanks very much, Mike and Carole. Good ideas and food for thought!