Friday 15 January 2016

Week Two: Disinherited

So strange the things you find and the deductions that it can lead to.

Thomas Palin born in 1800 was farmer in Warmingham and died in 1874 but wrote a will in 1872. He lists his two sons as beneficiaries and a neighbouring farmer as executor.
James Palin  born 1830
Thomas Palin born 1837

The strange thing about this is Thomas also had 5 other children, four of them still living.

Sarah Palin born 1817
John Palin born 1821
Elizabeth Palin born 1824
Mary Palin born 1827
Ann Palin born 1832-1865



Now I can appreciate that he may not have given the money to his daughters since they were married.  And I belive it has been said that a woman back than had no property of her own and that it would all go to the husband.

Sarah Palin wed Thomas Chesters in 1836 and had 7 children.
Elizabeth Palin wed Samuel Chesters in 1844 and had 9 children.
Mary Palin wed John Parsons in 1849 and had 8 children.
Ann Palin wed John Cooke in 1855 and had 3 children.

So what is the story about his other son John?  Why did he not leave anything to John.

In the 1851 census, John is living with his parents along with his two younger brothers, Thomas and James, and working on the family farm.


In the 1861 census John is now living as a boarder at a young widow's home, which is not too far from his fathers farm.  His occupation listed is agricultaural farm labourer. The young widow, Martha Smallwood has 3 young children; Sarah age 12, Ann age 3 and Thomas age 1.



In the 1871 census John is still living with the widow but now showing as head of household and he is listed as unmarried and his occupation is agricultural labourer.  There are now other children showing up.  John Smallwood age 28, James Smallwood age 24, Annie Smallwood age 13, Thomas Smallwood age 11 and William Smallwood age 8.

William Smallwood was born well after his mother was a widow.  We can only assume that his father is John Palin.



In the 1881 census John and Martha are now showing as married and son Thomas is now showing as a Palin instead of Smallwood.




In the 1891 census John is now a widower and is living with son William Palin  age 30.  Both their occupations are listed as farm labourer.



The issue is, I can not find a wedding certificate for John and Martha, nor can I find a birth certificate for a William Palin around 1863 in the Warmingham area.  I have however found a baptism for a William Smallwood with the mothers name as Martha.

Could this be why John was not mentioned in the will?  Did his father not approve of Martha or not aprrove of John living there?  Did his father list a John Martin who was a neighbouring farmer as Executor because he knew there may have been trouble?

I guess we will never know the real answer.

You can find Thomas on the tree here.



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