Sunday 2 March 2014

Ernest Charles Charrington's will

Ernest Charles Charrington continued to cause trouble, even after his death.

Becdause there was a strange clause in his will. One that partially disinherited his daughter if she married someone he didn't like. Could it have been directed against one person in particular - Harrison? It wouldn't surprise me.

"BREWER'S WILL PROVISO.
PENALTY FOR DAUGHTER'S MARRIAGE WITHOUT CONSENT.

Mr. Ernest Charles Charrington, South Kensington, a member of the well known brewing family, of the Mile End Brewery and Burton-on-Trent, who died on August 18th. aged 61, left an estate of the gross value of £126,200.

He directed that "every I.O.U. or other acknowledgment for any and every loan or advance by me to any person or persons without security shall be destroyed, and he released and forgave any such sums and any interest, thereon.

Probate was granted to his son and the Public Trustee, and after various bequests he left one-third of the residue of his property for his daughter Eileen, but he directed that this one-third should be reduced to one-tenth if she should have married during his lifetime against his wishes, without having applied to him personally for his consent."
Nottingham Evening Post - Saturday 20 October 1928, page 8.

That thing about I.O.U.'s makes it sound like he'd made lots of dodgy loans to unreliable mates. No wonder his wife didn't trust him with money.

They've got his age wrong. Based on the age given for him during the dovorce proceedings he was 51 not 61. Not a great age for someone comfortably off. Then again, he wasa raging alcoholic. Funny lot the Charringtons. Another member of the family became a fanatical teetotallerand used his wealth in the campaign against drink. The twat.

£126,200 was a very decent amount back in the 1920's. Assuming she didn't marry the wrong bloke (or just waited until her dad was dead before marrying), £40,000 would have kept her in comfort for life. I wonder if her father told her about the clause in his will? My guess would be yes, because the purpose seems to be to have some control over her choice of spouse.

No comments: