Last Will & Testament Quiry

[lennon2011]

Is it possible for a handwritten will to have incorrect information? Or are they dictated rather than written by the people themselves?

Normally the Will's I've found online have been transcribed but not this time. I've read it enough to understand it but there's an error.

William Phillips married Jane Eggleston in Bishop Middleham Durham in 1793 and baptised a Son named William the next day. They also have Rebecca and John.

The Will is for Jane's father, James Eggleston, written in 1717 and he died in 1722, the same year as Rebecca. Now the curious part, he leaves money to Jane and to his Grandson William Eggleston, son of his daughter Jane Phillips and also leaves his Granddaughter Rebecca Eggleston money unless she dies it goes to someone else. There's no mention of John at all and with Rebecca dying the same year I'm wondering if she was already sick by then because it's only mentioned for her.

I've got the baptisms of all the children and there's no mention of Eggleston as a middle name until William Jr has a son in 1823. Is it possibly an error or are all of the children given the name Eggleston as a middle name and Phillips was missed off?

[Anne in Carlisle]

Wills are great when they mention names. However there are plenty that I have studied which, for some reason do not mention all the expected people. Maybe they died; maybe they fell out; maybe they had been given money while the testator was still alive. We can never know the reason for the names which ARE mentioned and those which are NOT mentioned.

Having said that I'm a bit confused with your dates. Maybe there is a typo? James couldn't leave something to a grandson who was born 60 years after he died.

Anne

[lennon2011]

1793, Bishop Middleham Marriage William Phillips & Jane Eggleston. The next day, William Jr is Baptised. Jane is the daughter of James Eggleston.
1802 Rebecca Phillips born in Bishop Middleham to Jane & William. No mention of Eggleston as a middle name and she died in 1822.
1806 John Phillips born in Bishop Middleham. Again no mention of Eggleston as a middle name.

1817 William Jr marries Sarah Lashley (previous searches for Pashley due to records in the area etc)
1818 John Phillips born in Bishop Middleham
1820 Mary Phillips born in Bishop Middleham
1823 Henry Eggleston Phillips born in Bishop Middleham, mother's maiden is apparently Eggleston but they were all Pashley on record, eventually found as Lashley.

1822 James Eggleston dies but the will was written in 1817 and he states: bequeath inte my Daughter Jane Phillips the wife of William Phillips of Cornforth Papermaker the Sum of sixty pounds also give devise and bequeath unto my Grandson William Eggleston son of my daughter Jane Phillips the Sum of sixty Pound. I also Give and bequeath unto my Grand daughter Rebecca Eggleston the Sum of Fifty pounds., But in case that my said Granddaughter Rebecca Eggleston should happen to Die before such Legacy and bequeath to her should become payable under the directions of my will the money is to go to any surviving parent of my Children and Grandchildren"

William & Rebecca are mentioned in the Will as the children of Jane but not John. William followed the Paper making route & had gotten married by then so perhaps that's why he got some of the money and Rebecca is an unknown reason, my thoughts are that she was ill at the writing of the Will. John didn't get married until 1835.

[teasie]

Sorry, if I'm missing something here, but I've had a read of the will and I'm a bit confused.

William is named as "my Grandson William Eggleston son of my said daughter Jane Phillips". Its not clear if Eggleston is his surname (because he was born pre-marriage) or his middle name. I see he names a granddaughter as "Elizabeth Eggleston daughter of the said Mary Moor" so either he routinely uses Eggleston for all his grandchildren regardless of their actual surname, or was Elizabeth also born pre-marriage?

There is nothing to indicate that the Rebecca in his will is the daughter of Jane Phillips. She is named as "my Granddaughter Rebecca Eggleston Goss", and the full name Rebecca Eggleston Goss is used again when stipulating that if she should die then her share goes to his son, Thomas.

He goes on to say that if any of his children or grandchildren should die before their legacies become payable then their share should go to their mother, son or daughter, as the nearest relations.

This seems very odd - why would Rebecca's share go to Thomas if all other failed legacies went to that person's "mother, son or daughter". Do you know where "Goss" comes from? Is it possible that the only named grandchildren are the ones born outside of marriage, and that 'Rebecca Eggleston Goss" is Thomas's illegitimate daughter?

[teasie]

Possibly answering my own question (again!) there is this baptism at St Mary, Acton, Middlesex:

3 Apr 1808 (born 9 Jan) Rebecca Eggleston daughter of George & Rebeccah GOSS

George GOSS married Rebecca EGGLESTON 29 Jan 1804 at St Saviour, Southwark

[kylejustin]

Teasie i was wondering the same. Weird to refer to eggleston as the surname when the mothers had different names and no evidence of eggleston as a given name for the phillips children- unless it wasn't said to the priest at baptism?

The family does sound quite complex.

[lennon2011]

Teasie i was wondering the same. Weird to refer to eggleston as the surname when the mothers had different names and no evidence of eggleston as a given name for the phillips children- unless it wasn't said to the priest at baptism?

The family does sound quite complex.

Very complex, they come from Settrington Yorkshire originally and may be the descendants of Francis Bigod. One of the earlier Egglestons are named Bigod and he moved to America but it certainly gives a different meaning to the term oh my god. I hadn't found Rebecca the daughter, just the Granddaughter so I guess I should have looked closely on that one.