would die in the next 24 hours in questionable circumstances. She drew up and signed her will on February 24th, appointing Lydia and James Turpin of nearby Upper Tooting as her executors. James ap- parently was an associate of Lydia’s husband, Isaac Bull. The timing was questionable too. Was this a move by Lydia to gain control of her mother’s estate before Vere. -,-: gee

returned home? At any rate, x £4 -

; or eee

Lucy signed the will in a ™ Ja 1 Am " ek firm hand but within 24 Martha Lucy Beck’s signature on her will.

a

hours she was dead. Perhaps I’ve watched too many murder myster- ies on TV, but I think I would have liked to have had an autopsy in this case.

So Vere returned home to find his mother dead. Lucy was only 50 so it must have been a shock to members of the family. She left a siz- able estate to be divided among her four children - Lydia, Vere, John and Charles. The other four children must have died young.

There was little time for mourning as the executors moved quickly to tackle the task of settling the estate. It was obvious that there was an urgent need for money and that pointed to Lydia's husband, Isaac, and his financial troubles. The executors barely took time to attend the funeral before heading for the Probate Court. The will was “prov- en’ by the Probate Court in London on February 28, four days after Lucy’s death. “Proven” in this case means the authorities examined the will and found everything to be in order. It was properly signed and witnessed, and the person making it was of sound mind.

In her will Lucy left Isaac £100 which was half of the amount that she had loaned him. After that all the assets of the estate were to be divided equally among her four remaining children.

Judging by the amount Lucy had inherited from her father two years earlier, each of the children could expect a sum equal to $75,000 in today’s currency.

Despite Lydia's frantic efforts to get control of her mother’s estate it didn’t work out in time and Isaac ended up in debtor’s prison short- ly after this. Clive Killick found a proclamation in the London Gaz- ette of August 23, 1806, stating that Isaac was a bankrupt and was in

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