Wicked step-mothers?

[Phoenix]

John Furneaux married his first wife probably in Brixham, Devon in the late 1640's. Elizabeth had three surviving daughters when she died in 1659. John then went on to marry Florence. Again, maiden name unknown and they don't appear to have had any children together. When John died, he made provision for his daughters, leaving them £100 apiece, and he named his son Richard executor.

Very shortly after John’s burial 12th February 1676/7 in Brixham, Richard said that there was a chest in his father's room which should have contained ready money and jewels to pay the girls, but he couldn't pay his sisters because there wasn't any money. Florence agreed she had nursed her husband in his final illness, but had no idea what had been in the chest, or what had happened to the money.

At about the same time, Richard married Grace Taylor, by whom he had one surviving son, Nicholas. Grace died young, and in 1689, Richard married Elzabeth Elston, a widow with a small daughter, Joan. Grace had been an only child, so when her father died, he left property to his only grandson.

Nicholas was in an unhappy position. He was executor of his grandfather Nicholas Taylor's will, but was still a minor, so had trustees, acting for him. He was treated badly by his family, with scarcely clothes to cover his nakedness, so he ran away from home to the trustees for shelter.

When Richard died in 1699, he left everything he could to his widow and his sons by his second marriage. Nicholas had to go to law to demonstrate the documents showing he had a right to the property. (Luckily, they survived. There was a suggestion that Elizabeth had tried to destroy them.)

The cottage was full of the widow's things. He had no objection to her taking them, but friends of hers turned up, knocking off padlocks and hinges to force their way into the house. Nicholas clearly won the case, as he remained in Brixham, while Elizabeth retreated with her children to Stoke Fleming.

So, two wicked women. Evil step-mothers determined to prevent their step-children getting their legacies.

But there is another court case. Nicholas Taylor had made his will in 1684, dying in November of that year. Nicholas Furneaux, his grandson and only living descendant is just 4. Richard, his son in law, had felt he was entitled to money and property absolutely, but by the crafty and subtle persuasion of Nicholas Taylor, he was induced to sign a bond and lost out on over £100.

While Grace lived, he did nothing. But she had died in March 1689, and in June of the same year he married Elizabeth Elston. In 1692, with Nicholas just 12, Richard went to law against his own son to try to change the situation.
Richard seems undeniably attracted to money. He was close to his wife’s brother-in-law, Giles Elston, who had borrowed money from various people, went to prison for debt and died indebted. Richard had promised to repay Giles’s debts, but then died without doing so.

In the first court case, no evidence is produced from Richard’s sisters, who would surely have been living under the same roof as their father and aware if something strange was going on. Meanwhile, a decent father would be grateful if his son had an inheritance, rather than try to take money from him.

Was Elizabeth the evil influence behind this, or were her actions exacerbated by her husband’s behaviour? I’d like to think the latter, as I’m descended: not from Grace, but Elizabeth!

[kiterunner]

Could be that John Furneaux wasn't as well-to-do as he told his family, and that he had emptied the chest himself to pay debts? Or Richard emptied it and lied about it?

[Phoenix]

That's also possible, Kite. Richard, when he died, was described as having a considerable estate, though some of it would probably have come to him through his wife, and much was probably tied up in land.