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-   -   Who Do You Think You Are - Olivia Colman 9th Jul (http://genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=26790)

kiterunner 10-07-18 14:43

This is Harriot Elizabeth Slessor's will:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interacti...nSearchResults

There are several different Harriots mentioned in the will and codicil, and she didn't have it drawn up by a lawyer, so she had to figure out for herself how to distinguish them from each other. This is the wording of the bit of the codicil mentioning India Harriot:

The remaining £1000 I dispose of by leaving £300 to John Walsh brother to William Walsh and £50 to James Walsh for mourning To my Granddaughters Harriot Jane and Sophia Walsh I leave £100 to each and £200 to my Sons children To Charlotte Slessor I bequeath 50 pounds to India Harriot I leave 50 and the remaining 50 must be given to my daughter Louisa de Soza towards paying a Pension in a Convent in Portugal.

I wonder who Charlotte Slessor was?
Edit - it seems that she was the wife of Harriot Elizabeth's son John.

Ann from Sussex 10-07-18 18:00

I take your point about her not having a lawyer to draw up the will in the normal terminology but I still think India Harriot was a rather derogatory description. The two Harriots didn't even have the same surname so all she had to do was call her Harriot Slessor.

crawfie 10-07-18 19:08

Interesting to see that Margaret and Francois Dizi married in 1809. They don't seem to have had children either.

bit more info on Dizi

http://archmusicman.blogspot.com/201...is-joseph.html

Nell 10-07-18 19:50

An interesting episode. It was lovely to see Olivia discover she was more exotic than she'd thought but there's nowt wrong with Norfolk ancestry!

kiterunner 10-07-18 20:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann from Sussex (Post 351248)
I take your point about her not having a lawyer to draw up the will in the normal terminology but I still think India Harriot was a rather derogatory description. The two Harriots didn't even have the same surname so all she had to do was call her Harriot Slessor.

Harriot sr also had a daughter named Harriot Slessor.

Tom Tom 10-07-18 20:00

I really enjoyed this episode, but I also had to do a double take at the "wedding" photograph.

I wonder what Olivia's DNA testing would have shown. I thought that they might have done that. I also thought she would go and find Harriot's grave, but they didn't tell us what happened to her after that census in Reading.

kiterunner 12-07-18 16:09

Oh wow, I've just seen that Berkshire Archives say that they have found out that Harriot's mother was called Seraphina Donclere who died in 1810 and that they have a copy of her will:

https://www.facebook.com/berkshirere...91269454217038

Apparently there is also a copy of the will on FMP - I'll post a link in a minute if I can find it.

kiterunner 12-07-18 16:20

Here are some links on FMP.

India Office records:
Seraphina's inventory:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...-AG-34-27/4637
Accounts of her estate:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...-AG-34-27/4639
which says that Harriot was brought up by a Mordaunt Riketts Esqr after the death of Captain Slessor.

Seraphina's will:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco...-29/WILL/71765
(I'll type out a transcription in a minute)

and an entry in the Index to Death Duty Registers 1884, showing Harriet Bazett as administrator:
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/reco.../DDUTY/1824564

kiterunner 12-07-18 16:41

Kissengunge 8th October 1809
In the name of God Amen
I, Seraphina Donclere, do hereby Make and Declare this to be my last Will & Testament. To wit,
To my beloved Daughter Charlotte Hunter, I bequeath my Diamond Ring and gold Trichindpoly Chain.
To Mrs Bridget Watson at this time residing under the protection of Mordaunt Ricketts Esqr HC(?) Civil Service I leave the Sum of Sicca Rupees four Hundred (Scks 400)
To the Child of which I am now pregnant I leave, if a Boy, the Sum of Sicca Rupees one Thousand (Scks 1000) if a Girl, I desire that the whole of my Property real and personal be equally divided between her and my beloved Daughter Harriet Slessor; with the above mentioned exceptions - In the Event of the Death of either of the above Children, my property to Devolve to the Surviving one -
I hereby nominate and appoint Captn William Slessor, of the Bengal Army, to be my sole executor - Seraphina Donclere.
Signed and Sealed, where no Stampt Paper is to be had, in presence of us -
James Barnes, C A Munro, witnesses.
In the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal Ecclesiastical Side, In the Goods of Mrs Seraphina Donclere late of Kissengunge Deceased
To the Honourable Sir Henry Russell Knight Chief Justice and his Companions Justices of the said Supreme Court - The Humble Petition of William Blackstone of Calcutta Esquire - Register of the Said Court Humbly Sheweth That Seraphina Donclere abovementioned hath lately departed this life leaving Effects within the Provinces Countries or Districts of Bengal Behar Orissa and Benares or some of them having first made and published her last Will and Testament which is here annexed and thereof appointed Captain William Slessor her Sole Executor -
That the said William Slessor died Shortly after the said Seraphina Donclere without having proved the said Will -
Your Petitioner Therefore humbly prays your Lordships the Next of Kin and Creditors of the Deceased having been duly cited and not appearing or not having made their Claim to the Administration of the said Deceased that Letters ad Colligenda or of Administration with the said Will annexed as to your Lordships shall seem meet of the Estate and Effects of the said Seraphina Donclere Deceased may be granted to your Petitioner -
And your Petitioner shall ever pray - Wm Blackstone Regr.
(Name J A Simpson in the left hand margin next to the above.)

upon reading the annexed Certificate of the Register and William Blackstone having been duly Sworn before me I do order that Letters of Administration with the Copy of the Will annexed of the Estate and Effects of Seraphina Donclere deceased be granted to the said William Blackstone
Dated the 30th day of May 1810
H Russell.

kiterunner 12-07-18 16:42

A serious case of "did not do the research" on the part of the WDYTYA people!!!


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