You never quite know where new data releases will lead you. Ancestry has recently extended the coverage of the National Probate Calendar up to 1966 – seemingly a dry record of the basic details of wills but occasionally giving a lot more than just an idea of how much someone was ‘worth’ when they died.
Great grandmother Amelia Scott nee Osborne died in 1964, at the age of 85 and some 20 years after husband Charles. As expected, probate was granted in Wales (Llandaff, nowadays part of Cardiff), and residence given as 15 Fern Terrace, Tonypandy. But she had died in Belvedere Kent, and the executor is named as Lily May Wright. Unexpectedly, that provides answers to both who daughter Lily May Scott had married, and where my eldest brother remembers visiting to be ushered into the presence of his ancient relation {1}. The likely conclusion is that 15 Lower Road, Belvedere was the home of Lily May, who most probably married Ivor Wright in 1950, Dartford district. Aged 40 at marriage, no resulting children were expected or found in the records (she had previously been the youngest daughter who stayed at home).
This also means that Amelia, having been born in Bournemouth (or Bonnymouth as the 1881 census has it), managed to die in England too, while spending nearly all of the time in between in south Wales.
And she left £1836, not a bad amount for a mining family.
The mystery that remains is how/where Lily May met Ivor and why they ended up in north west Kent. And why our side of the family, living not that far away, doesn’t seem to have been in much contact. It will need another large dollop of Cutlock and Co good luck to get any answers there.
Notes
1. Eldest brother has since reminded me that he remembers the visit as being to Aunt Phil’s house (Phyllis). Perhaps she moved to the area first, having married James Hendry in 1947.
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