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Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 611
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 11:23 am: | 
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Nina Thomas has obtained a copy of the will left by Richard Stephenson, the father of RDS.
The Mother,Isabella,apparently did not have a will of her own and interestingly enough, the brother of RDS,Richard Jr.,seems to have been left out of the trust himself.
For the sake of space, here is the wording of the will. I will be happy to send jpeg copies to anyone who wants one, via e-mail.
Great work once again, Nina !!!!!
**************************************************
L A S T W I L L A N D T E S T A M E N T O F
R I C H A R D S T E P H E N S O N.
**************************************************
This is this last Will and Testament of me Richard Stephenson of the Borough upon Hull Gentleman, made this fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty four I appoint my dear Wife Isabella Stephenson and my Son in Law the Reverend Samuel Lord of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne Wesleyan Minister to be the Trustees and Executors of this my Will I give and bequeath unto my said Trustees all my household goods plate linen pictures and furniture Upon Trust to furnish my said Wife to use and enjoy the same for and during the term of her natural life And from and immediately after her death Upon Trust to divide the same equally between my two Daughters Elizabeth Ann Lord the Wife of the said Samuel Lord and Isabella Dawber Richardson I give devise and bequeath all my real estate and the rest and residue of my personal estate unto and to the use of my said Trustees Upon Trust to pay to or permit my said Wife to receive the annual income to arise therefrom respectively for and during the term of her natural life And from and immediately after her death Upon Trust to sell my said real estate and to convert and get in my said residuary personal estate and to divide the proceeds arising therefrom respectively between my said Daughters Elizabeth Ann Lord and Isabella Dawber Richardson in equal shares and proportions In Witness whereof I the said Richard Stephenson the Testator have to this my last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year first before written
Signed sealed and declared by the said Richard Stephenson the Testator as and for his last Will and Testament in the sight and presence of us who at his request in his sight and presence and in the sight and presence of each other (all being present at the same time) have hereunto subscribed our names as Witnesses.
R. Stephenson (SMALL STAMP)
Joseph Dawber, Solr-. Hull
Fred Jones, his Clerk
Proved at York the sixth day of July 1889 by the oath of the Reverend Samuel Wesleyan Methodist Minister one of the Executors to whom administration was granted Isabella Stephenson Widow the Relict the other Executor having ? The Testator Richard Stephenson was late of the Borough of Kingston upon Hull Gentleman and died on the fifth day of January 1889 at the said Borough of Kingston upon Hull.
Extracted by Tenny Dawber & Lord, Solr-. Hull.
(Under 44 Vict. Ch 12. Sect 33)
This is a true copy.
(STAMPED)
(SEALED)
HowBrown
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John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 421
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 7:48 pm: |
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Hi Howard,
Thanks for putting up the details of this will. Here, for what they may be worth, are my thoughts.
Interesting first of all to note the relationship of the names Dawber and Lord in the firm of solicitors, seems things were kept very much in the family.
That all household goods and real estate are left in trust could explain the low sum of the estate left in the will, as I guess they were not included.
The fact that the father left nothing in his will to either of his sons might suggest that he had given them each a capital sum during his lifetime, to pay for their education, setting them up in business or similar. It could also perhaps be that the setting up of the trust was a way of excluding an errant son (Donston)inheriting, but I am not a solicitor, so this is just a guess.
The real estate is to be sold upon the death of his wife, this might well have been by auction and there could be details of this in the local paper, which I can fairly easily search. Do we have a date for her death?
If you would like to send me an e mail of this will I would be interested to look, just in case I can find anything else that may help.
Rgds
John |
Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 616
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 8:13 pm: |
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John....Its a damned good guess,sir. Maybe Richard did leave ample money outside the will for Richard Jr. and Robert.
One thought that crossed my mind is that The Old Man may have cut both sons out for one of two reasons.
The first is that Richard may have fallen out of favor with the old man.
The second is that Richard may have been a "touch",as the Old Man feared Sudden Death's being able to wheedle money out of him and possibly damaging Richard's domestic situation. Its noteworthy that the daughter's weren't cut out of the will,as they had husbands who wouldn't have tolerated RDS' mooching ways.
The e-mail is on the way,buddy...
Send me a blank e-mail so I can attach it to the return e-mail at.......Donston1888@aol.com
(Message edited by howard on June 21, 2005)
HowBrown
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Jeffrey Bloomfied
Chief Inspector
Username: Mayerling
Post Number: 712
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 8:20 pm: |
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Hi Howard,
Query my friend - have you, Ivor, or the late Mr. Harris ever, in investigating the life of D'Onston, found what specifically was going on regarding him and his family in the year 1884? Is the date of this will, November 14, 1884, significant at all about his activities?
Best wishes,
Jeff |
Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 617
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 8:39 pm: |
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J.B.
Good question,sor. No,I haven't asked anyone about that time period. Apparently,no one is certain regarding the activities of RDS during that time. We'll get on it though,J.B.
HowBrown
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John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 423
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 9:00 pm: |
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Hi Howard,
It seems we are both thinking along the same lines, that for some reason the father cut the two sons out of the will on purpose. I can understand with Donston, marrying the servant (perhaps he had to), but I wonder if Richard Jnr. was also a bit of a dissapointment?
Rgds
John |
Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 619
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 - 9:43 pm: |
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I hear you,John. The fact that the other brother isn't "figured in" with the will could mean just that. You could be right on the money.
I think Nina had an idea that is worth mentioning,if she gets around to it...
HowBrown
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Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 622
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 7:50 pm: |
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J.B.
The only thing that I know of for certain close to that time is that he applied for a job [ about damned time...] with the City Police Orphanage job, the Secretaryship. Unfortunately,he didn't get it.
Did you have something in mind,J.B. ?
HowBrown
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Jeffrey Bloomfied
Chief Inspector
Username: Mayerling
Post Number: 714
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 8:38 pm: |
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Hi Howard,
No sor, I didn't. But I was struck at the date, so close to Whitechapel, but not quite there. Also the fact that both sons are omitted. On the other hand, Monty Druitt was not in his father's will either - he was considered as having been adequately taken care of when he was given his Oxford education and his support when becoming a member of his legal inn. It may be a habit (you are a grown man - they are your sisters - the world is yours to take on your own - they need the property and cash for their own protection).
But if we concentrate on that November 14, 1884 date, the following points would have to be considered:
Did old man Stephenson start declining in health
in the fall of 1884?
Did the two sons displease him seriously in that time?
Why was D'Onston interested in the Secretaryship at the City Police Orphanage? I never heard of his concern about children.
Nothing in mind, as you can see Howard, but generally how to push the fact about the creation of the will around.
Best wishes,
Jeff |
Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 623
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 11:03 pm: |
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J.B.
Pushing anything around regarding RDS activities during this phase [as well as the other ones in the threads on Stephenson that haven't been filled in until we get more information to satisfactorily "fill" one. That,Jeff,is why I tried to delineate RDS' life into 4 parts, because other threads regarding other suspects often have discussion started on one thing and winding up on a completely different theme.] is a good idea and one that needs to be worked on .
Nina told me that she considered the fact that neither son produced a child may have been one factor in doling out whatever was available in that will to the daughters. Thats a good reason.
In some ways,I detect a familial tragedy at work from the little information that we have,although more than what we had here to discuss before. An ambitious father,who rose to a level of prominence in his community...and then, voila ! essentially distancing himself from his living sons [ RDS lived another 27 years after his father died and in a workhouse,from cancer..].
Stepping back for a moment and looking at what could be the reason for the dissatisfaction with RDS by his father....we see a life full of promise at the beginning on the part of the obviously talented RDS. Allow me to elaborate..
Did his father finance his son's trip to Paris to meet with Bulwer/Lytton to study necromancy ? I think not. Where's the degree he is supposed to have obtained ?
Did his father finance his son's excursion to fight for Garibaldi [ remembering that the British Legion were volunteers, as well as the others from different nations who backed Garibaldi]...just to come back and take it easy at home? I think not. In 1861, he's living at home. No known job until 1863 and certainly not in medicine or doctoring....
Did his father finance his alleged trip [ and Jeff,thats all it is right now...alleged] to the USA to study in New York [ see Roots' mentioning of a degree from New York,as well as Paris..] and having RDS spend his time prospecting out West and not come back with a degree ? I think not. Why does it require his father getting him a job at the Customs House in 1863 ? Why not use one of those degrees in medicine Roots mentions 25 years later ? ..........
What we possibly have here is a case, indicative of many people even today,whom are scions of wealth who squander the hard earned money from their parent[s] and wind up on the fuzzy end of the stick, when its time to read the will.... This is what I feel happened on November 14th,1884 in document form.....but perhaps,a long time prior without the legality and formality of a will.
These threads will be here,hopefully,until the cows come home or even better....when we have the precise answers to the innumerable questions regarding RDS.
You always ask good questions,old bean..Thanks !
HowBrown
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Graham W.
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2005 - 11:07 pm: |
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Just a question arising from the death of Stephenson Snr - did the local newspaper(s) carry an obituary? These sometimes contain information regarding family members and may provide some clue as to RDS' relationship with the family at this time.
Graham W. |
John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 426
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 7:49 pm: |
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Hi Graham W,
A very good question sir, which had also crossed my mind.
I have checked the two local newspapers for the period 5th. Jan to 15th. Jan and can find no mention, let alone obituary, for Richard Stephenson; however they did see fit to mention another guy called Stephenson who was the deputy town clerk for Grimsby!.
Rgds
John |
Howard Brown
Chief Inspector
Username: Howard
Post Number: 628
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2005 - 8:06 pm: |
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John:
Just a note here on the local newspapers.
Is it possible that there was more than the two newspapers you perused that were in existence back in the 1880's?
Hello there, Graham ! Thanks for your input,sir...
HowBrown
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John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 427
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 4:46 am: |
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Howard,
I am not sure how many local newspapers there were available at the time, however I just checked the two that were available on microfilm at the local library. I shall be searching further into this as time allows.
Rgds
John |
Chris Phillips
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Cgp100
Post Number: 1097
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 6:52 am: |
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John
The British Library newspaper catalogue has a handy facility to search by place or date, which apparently turns up quite a number of local newspapers for Hull in 1889:
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/newspapers/datesearch.asp
Chris Phillips
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John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 428
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 24, 2005 - 6:57 pm: |
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Hi Chris,
Thanks for that reminder, as I say I shall be digging into this a little deeper as soon as I have the time.
Rgds
John |
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