Why was Caroline’s will also recorded in Scotland?
QCaroline Randle Jolliffe was born in Ryde, Isle of Wight, on 29 December 1828, and died there on 29 October 1901. I found probate records for her in the England and Wales index, granted 12 March 1902; and also in the records for Scotland: “Certificate endorsed by the Commissary Clerk on 3 April 1902.” The value of the estate was a little over £1,000. Caroline died a spinster and had no connections to Scotland, so can you suggest why her probate record appears in both places?
Geoff Parton
AThis is a real puzzle. I ordered a copy of the will via the Government’s website probatesearch.service.gov.uk, confident that the answer would appear in it. It cost only £1.50, and arrived within a few days. The will was written on 24 January 1900. I looked at the 1901 census (which was taken on 31 March/1 April) and found the beneficiaries named, all clearly living in the Isle of Wight. Caroline’s executor, Frederick William Sargent, was a printer, firmly established on the island. Caroline died in October and the will wasn’t proved until 12 March 1902, so perhaps a beneficiary moved to Scotland in the meantime.
Next I ordered a copy of the Scottish record via scotlandspeople.gov.uk, which was available to download immediately for £2.50. This did not contain the text of the will and revealed no reason for the registration. However, I noticed that a few other entries on the same page had a similar endorsement, so this was not unusual and it was always in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
My best guess is that the key lies in this specific wording in the will: “All the rest residue and remainder of my estate and effects… I give unto my nieces [named].” Maybe the executor discovered some shares or investments with a Scottish connection. Margaret McGregor