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Administration of Ann Bigg, 1724
Herts RO 161AW21
[summarised from Latin and English]
Jane Bigg of Winslow, single woman
Robert Gibbs of Winslow, gentleman
Joseph Turner of Winslow, surgeon
are bound to the Archdeacon for £300, 13 April 1724
Mrs Jane Bigg, daughter and administratrix of Mrs Ann Bigg, late of Winslow, deceased, is to present an inventory by 31 Oct and accounts by 31 Oct 1725.
sealed in the presence of
Will. Hunt
John Cole
[signed]
Jane Bigg
Robert Gibbs
Joseph Turner
Second administration, 1749/50
Herts RO 186AW17
[summarised from Latin and English]
Administration of goods unadministered
Ann Bigg, 23 Feb 1749
first grant April 1724
Strudwick appeared as proxy for Mary Goldsworth, wife of Peter Goldsworth, and alleged that Ann Bigg of Winslow, widow, died intestate. In April 1724 letters of administration were granted to her daughter Jane Bigg, who died leaving goods etc. unadministered. Mary Goldsworth is granddaughter and next of kin of Ann Bigg and resides in parts remote [from St Albans]. She will take an oath and give security to Revs John Rawbone, Purchase Denchfield and [blank] Coxhead, clerks.
Let administration and commission pass.
[signed]
Robt Chapman, surrogate
Notes
Ann Bigg was the widow of Benjamin Bigg (d.1707), q.v. for more information about the family. Their daughter Jane (b.1703) married John Turner. Mary was the daughter of Ann Bigg who married John Dudley. Mary Goldsworth was admitted to her grandparents' property by the manor court in 1749. She married Peter Goldsworth (jr) at Little Brickhill on 20 June 1740 when she was described as being of Stony Stratford.
The second grant of administration was part of a dispute between Peter & Mary Goldsworth and John Turner. Click here to read about the first lawsuit, brought by Turner against the Dudleys. They brought a suit against him at the same time. The parts which add something to the first suit are summarised below. Ann Bigg's estate was the main bone of contention.
National Archives, E112/1083/68
Michaelmas Term 23 Geo II [1749]
Complaint of Peter Goldsworth of Winslow gent and Mary his wife late Mary Dudley spinster only daughter of John Dudley of Winslow by Ann his wife, one of the daughters and coheirs at law of Benjamin Bigg late of Winslow
[repeats much of the other suit]
Ann Bigg got in the goods and effects of her late husband to the amount of £900. She died on 16 Feb 1723/4, having improved Benjamin’s personal estate to “a very plentiful personal estate consisting principally in ready money and debts secured by bonds notes and other security’s for money arrears of rent rings jewels plate household goods and furniture linnen a considerable stock of goods in the trade or business of a carpenter and book debts and other debts due on simple contract and divers other goods chattels and personal estate to the amount or value of several hundred pounds”. This ought to have been equally divided between Jane and Mary.
After Jane’s death, Mary as heir at law in Feb 1749 obtained letters of administration out of the registry of the official of the Archdeaconry of St Albans for the goods of Ann Bigg unadministered by Jane.
In May 1741 Mary having arrived at her age of 21 and having shortly before married Peter, being entitled to a moiety of the estate of Ann Bigg by virtue of the Statute of Distributions, applied to John Turner for an account, but he refuses. He gives out that Ann died greatly in debt.
To prevent discovery of the mortgage of £200 due to Benjamin Bigg from Nicholas Merwin (part of Ann Bigg's personal estate), Turner called it in and converted some part to his own use and placed the remaining part on some security for his own use.
No inventory of Ann Bigg’s goods has been exhibited in the proper ecclesiastical court. but one was taken by Jane which Turner conceals. Sometimes Turner gives out that he or Jane have paid Mary’s full share, or says he is not obliged to pay it after such a length of time.
He submitted his account of Mary’s estate and maintenance in which £99 12s 11d was due on the balance. He held other moneys of Mary’s which were more than the balance. He did not make a demand until 19 Oct last. Peter & Mary did not demand what was due to them “as they imagined he would never insist on the ballance of the account”.
Turner submitted an account on 19 Oct last showing he had expended £139 14s 6d and disbursed £218 12s 5½d and demanded the balance but had not charged himself with Mary’s share of the personal estate of Ann Bigg. Peter & Mary sent Walter Baldwin to him with money but Turner declined to see him. Peter did actually pay Turner £87 12s 11d on 25 Oct last.
[f.3] Answer of John Turner
He does not know about the mortgage of Nicholas Merwin.
Ann Bigg “expended large sums of money in repairing the copyhold tenements of her late husband”. [repeats details of Benjamin’s surrenders and will]
Benjamin gave to Ann his wife “his copyhold tenements called the Bell Inn she being tenant for life of the other copyhold tenement called the Cock”.
Ann had a bond from John Dudley dated 6 Nov 1717 whereby he was bound to her in the penal sum of £200 conditioned for the payment of £100 and interest on 6 May then next, which is unpaid. Dudley died insolvent.
John Turner after his marriage received £15 from Austin Seaton as tenant of the Bell Inn for arrears of rent.
Letters of administration were granted to Jane before her marriage.
Jane had issue by John Turner the daughter named Mary who died in her lifetime.
Mary married Peter in her infancy and came of age in May 1745.
The draft of the account he delivered to Mary “being lost in or by means of one of two fires (which happened at Winslow aforesaid) and by reason of which all this defendants goods & papers were forced to be twice removed for fear of being burnt”.
He demanded the balance of the account exclusive of £8 15s paid to Mary’s father at her request. Peter & Mary paid him £78 17s 11d and £8 15s.
Refers to Jane’s surrender of 1733. At a court on 15 Oct 1735 John Turner was admitted for the term of his natural life & holds the same in virtue of the said surrender & appointment.
The £15 and bond from John Dudley are the only part of Ann Bigg’s personal estate which has come into John Turner’s hands. The £15 are not more than the funeral expenses and expenses of taking administration.
He only demanded the balance due to him because Peter & Mary brought the ejectment; he had previously refrained out of tenderness.
[signed] Jno Turner