Posts in September 16, 2020

Token gifts to children in a will could be because the writer had already given the children money or because the writer and the child had a falling out. It can be difficult to determine which is the case if the only evidence of a falling out is a token bequest in a will. Sarah Turberville fortunately is believed to have listed all her sons in her will: John Willis, William Willis, Henry Wood, David Hudson, and Joshua Hudson. Some of the children had likely received money from their respective father’s estates (Sarah was married four times, outliving four husbands, and had children with the first three). In this case her mention of the sons, particularly the Willis and Husdon ones who received one or ten shillings, was […]