The Tunstall mystery
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| In the 1860s, the Skinners of Tunstall are photographed outside the farmhouse. Jane Betsy on the left with her husband James Pollard Skinner, The little girl is Laura, next to Henrietta Louisa, seated is Mary Ann and standing, Emma Jane. |
The tragedy of Jane Betsy's son, James Charles's death from typhoid occurred on 29th October 1870. The following February Jane Betsy's husband, James Pollard's death from cirrhosis, was followed in the summer by the death of 16-year-old Thomas, who died from consumption. It must have been hard for the family.
In accordance with his father's will, as the only remaining trustee of the estate, Harry lodged the capital his father left with Norwich solicitors after probate on 13th April 1871. Part of the capital was invested and intended to support his Mother's independent income from her father's estate at Tunstall, where she and her surviving children were living.
Jane Betsey took the role of farmer at the age of 47 in 1871. She manages 312 acres and employs 9 men and two boys. Louisa is 26, Harry 22, Emma Jane 19, Thomas 16, Mary Ann 14 and Rosa May, 6. Laura, 11, is at school in Yarmouth.
I have a recipe and remedy book, hand written by Emma Jane with the date 1873 and Tunstall inside. The family were all still there at that time. In autumn 1875 tragedy strikes again when the eldest of Jane Betsy's surviving daughters, 30 year old Henrietta Louisa, died in Norwich.
Harry married Emma Fill early the following year and they have a daughter, Jane Betsy's first grandchild, Gertrude Emma, later that year. Letters from friends and relatives to Emma Jane at this time suggest her mother, Jane Betsy is not well, so that may be the reason why the women all move to Albion Terrace, Heigham, Norwich. Harry, as we already know from James Charles's letters is keen on music and one letter Emma Jane kept revealed he has a harmonium and that will be a comfort to him in the evenings as his wife is not well.
In 1881, Mary Ann (Polly) Skinner is married to Frank Stebbings. After Emma Jane has a job at Jarrolds store in Norwich, she too gets married to Joseph Joyce in March 1883. He probably meets her when he visits his uncle Frederick and his aunts Cecilia, Frances and Emily living at Burgh Castle. Or, more likely, he could have been visiting his older sister Elizabeth, who was married to Thomas Juniper, a successful coal merchant in Norwich.
Jane Betsy's independent means is being paid short and in 1887, Norwich solicitors write to tell her the exact amounts. These amounts are made up. She cannot have been prepared, though, for a summons for herself and her unmarried daughter Rosa May, to court in chancery on 12th January 1888. The summons is taken out by a solicitor of Staple Inn, acting on behalf of Norwich solicitors.
The plaintiffs are married to two of her sisters. They are brothers in law, Alfred Neave of Ludham, farmer of Norfolk, and Sherwood William Page of Oby, farmer in the same county. They want to know how to dispose of the lump sum left to Jane Betsy by her late husband, after they have paid the annuity she claims in arrears.
The two farmers are the trustees of her late husband's will in place of her son Harry.
When all her daughters are married, Jane Betsy goes to live with one of them, Emma Jane in Stoke Newington, London. She prepared a will in 1893. She left everything to her four daughters or their children. Harry is not mentioned in the will or in her letter to the Yarmouth solicitors, which draw the will up for her. She appoints brother-in law Alfred Neave as sole executor.
In 1895, Emma Jane and her husband Joseph receive a frantic letter from her cousin Stephen Bately Skinner, who is farming at Thrigby. The Norfolk sheriff and bailiffs have been round and valued everything including the livestock and the furniture and are making "nasty" demands on him. Nevertheless, he says, "I will get through this." He and his wife, Rebecca (née Fabb) are coping with it together. Stephen died the following year and his wife, Rebecca, continued to run Corporation Farm, Thrigby, with her family. They had only been married two years. Probate is not granted on his estate until 1914, after his mother died.
In 1910, it must have been a shock for Emma Jane to receive a form from Somerset House asking her how the amount her father had left to pay an annual income to his (now late) widow, Jane Betsy, is to be divided among the surviving family. Somerset House asks for the names and addresses of the children and the name and address of the person who divided the property after Jane Betsy's death. Emma Jane includes her name and address and those of her three surviving sisters. She explains of the two trustees of the will, James Charles had died and the other trustee, Harry Bately Skinner can be contacted at Messrs. J Moy and Co Ltd, King Street, Great Yarmouth.
Emma Jane does not know her sister Rosa May died in 1893, nor that the late Alfred Neave and the late Sherwood William Page were trustees of her father's will in place of her only surviving brother Harry. A further shock was in store for her when she receives a letter from the Norwich solicitors on June 21, 1912, to say:-
"In December 1887 a sum was received on Mr Neave's behalf and after payment of costs incurred, and part paid to Mrs Skinner, the balance was invested in a mortgage in Mr Neave's name and a balance paid over to him. Mr Neave received the interest on the mortgage until it was paid off on 9th May 1896 when he received the principal and re-conveyed the property. We do not act for the executors of Alfred Neave who has now been dead for some years and cannot give you any information as to what has been done with reference to the trust money."
I have a recipe and remedy book, hand written by Emma Jane with the date 1873 and Tunstall inside. The family were all still there at that time. In autumn 1875 tragedy strikes again when the eldest of Jane Betsy's surviving daughters, 30 year old Henrietta Louisa, died in Norwich.
Harry married Emma Fill early the following year and they have a daughter, Jane Betsy's first grandchild, Gertrude Emma, later that year. Letters from friends and relatives to Emma Jane at this time suggest her mother, Jane Betsy is not well, so that may be the reason why the women all move to Albion Terrace, Heigham, Norwich. Harry, as we already know from James Charles's letters is keen on music and one letter Emma Jane kept revealed he has a harmonium and that will be a comfort to him in the evenings as his wife is not well.
In 1881, Mary Ann (Polly) Skinner is married to Frank Stebbings. After Emma Jane has a job at Jarrolds store in Norwich, she too gets married to Joseph Joyce in March 1883. He probably meets her when he visits his uncle Frederick and his aunts Cecilia, Frances and Emily living at Burgh Castle. Or, more likely, he could have been visiting his older sister Elizabeth, who was married to Thomas Juniper, a successful coal merchant in Norwich.
Jane Betsy's independent means is being paid short and in 1887, Norwich solicitors write to tell her the exact amounts. These amounts are made up. She cannot have been prepared, though, for a summons for herself and her unmarried daughter Rosa May, to court in chancery on 12th January 1888. The summons is taken out by a solicitor of Staple Inn, acting on behalf of Norwich solicitors.
The plaintiffs are married to two of her sisters. They are brothers in law, Alfred Neave of Ludham, farmer of Norfolk, and Sherwood William Page of Oby, farmer in the same county. They want to know how to dispose of the lump sum left to Jane Betsy by her late husband, after they have paid the annuity she claims in arrears.
The two farmers are the trustees of her late husband's will in place of her son Harry.
When all her daughters are married, Jane Betsy goes to live with one of them, Emma Jane in Stoke Newington, London. She prepared a will in 1893. She left everything to her four daughters or their children. Harry is not mentioned in the will or in her letter to the Yarmouth solicitors, which draw the will up for her. She appoints brother-in law Alfred Neave as sole executor.
In 1895, Emma Jane and her husband Joseph receive a frantic letter from her cousin Stephen Bately Skinner, who is farming at Thrigby. The Norfolk sheriff and bailiffs have been round and valued everything including the livestock and the furniture and are making "nasty" demands on him. Nevertheless, he says, "I will get through this." He and his wife, Rebecca (née Fabb) are coping with it together. Stephen died the following year and his wife, Rebecca, continued to run Corporation Farm, Thrigby, with her family. They had only been married two years. Probate is not granted on his estate until 1914, after his mother died.
In 1910, it must have been a shock for Emma Jane to receive a form from Somerset House asking her how the amount her father had left to pay an annual income to his (now late) widow, Jane Betsy, is to be divided among the surviving family. Somerset House asks for the names and addresses of the children and the name and address of the person who divided the property after Jane Betsy's death. Emma Jane includes her name and address and those of her three surviving sisters. She explains of the two trustees of the will, James Charles had died and the other trustee, Harry Bately Skinner can be contacted at Messrs. J Moy and Co Ltd, King Street, Great Yarmouth.
Emma Jane does not know her sister Rosa May died in 1893, nor that the late Alfred Neave and the late Sherwood William Page were trustees of her father's will in place of her only surviving brother Harry. A further shock was in store for her when she receives a letter from the Norwich solicitors on June 21, 1912, to say:-
"In December 1887 a sum was received on Mr Neave's behalf and after payment of costs incurred, and part paid to Mrs Skinner, the balance was invested in a mortgage in Mr Neave's name and a balance paid over to him. Mr Neave received the interest on the mortgage until it was paid off on 9th May 1896 when he received the principal and re-conveyed the property. We do not act for the executors of Alfred Neave who has now been dead for some years and cannot give you any information as to what has been done with reference to the trust money."
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