Will Summary And Notes For Mary Garland Lovegrove

 Mary Garland Lovegrove spinster of Great Marlow. Will written 1832, proved 1835, see below. 

To mother Harriet Lovegrove: testator's best piano upstairs, a small work table downstairs, testator's table linen and  the two mattresses and everything else belonging to her bed, a handsome trunk with all the wearing apparel, books and articles in it. Says something like (I can't quite make it out) she considered these things to be equally her mothers anyway.

Also says if her school is let to someone then the fixtures are to be valued and then sold if she has funeral or other expenses to be met and there is insufficient funds in her estate to do so. She has kept papers to show what she paid for them. 

The children's mourning clothes to be paid for out of testator's estate (presumably the pupils of her school, see below). Any surplus to go to "my workers".

To brother John: testator's best glass salt cellar and to his wife a lace veil.

To (niece?) Ada Augusta Lovegrove: a brooch and 4 rings that belonged to testator's mother.

To brother James: a pair of silver salt cellars, and salt spoons.

To brother William a small amethyst ring and two tablespoons.

Will signed by Mary but not by any witnesses.

William Henry Lovegrove ...... warehouseman of numbers 4 and 5 Wood Street, Cheapside London and George Lovegrove of Great Marlow plumber, painter and glazier swore on oath that they knew Mary, her handwriting and her signature well and could therefore say that the unwitnessed will was nevertheless genuine.

Administration was granted a few days later to Mary Lovegrove's "mother" Harriet who had married John Hackshaw and had thus become Harriet Hackshaw. Family trees online suggest Harriet was the step mother rather than birth mother of Mary.

New administration granted 1871 (!) to James Thomas Lovegrove brother of Mary and "son"(could be step son) of Harriet.

Summary created from my transcription of a P.C.C will held at the National Archives, Kew from where you can obtain your own copy.

Notes:

Mary died on 23rd August 1832. Her short obituary in the Reading Mercury (27th August, British Library Archives) called her "much respected". She was only in her early 20s at death.

Mary Lovegrove's school was a day and boarding school for girls in West Street Marlow. She took it over in 1829.

For more on James Thomas Lovegrove see here

Mary was the sister of Marlow grocer George Lovegrove and aunt of the tragic Walter Lovegrove, both of whom feature in this post.

Harriet Lovegrove / Hackshaw was nee Saunders and died in 1869.

Mary's father was John Rance Lovegrove, plumber and glazier.

For other Lovegroves see our A-Z index on the drop down menu. This blog contains mention of thousands of historic Marlow people.

For more Marlow will posts see my index here.

Post by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this will summary for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.