wills Archives - Cumbrian Characters

Bequests that raise a smile

Posted on January 30, 2022July 15, 2025 by HarrietP

Bequests that raise a smile Bequests in family wills can often tell us a lot about the person, their status, their priorities, and their relationships. And where there’s a will, there’s an occasio... Read More

Tracing your family history: Wills

Posted on October 3, 2021July 15, 2025 by HarrietP

Among William Shakespeare’s almost countless famous lines is one from his will: ‘Item, I give unto my wife my second best bed with the furniture.” If you’re tracing your family history or... Read More

Thomas Ollivant of Hesket-in-the-Forest

Posted on September 5, 2021July 15, 2025 by HarrietP

Thomas Ollivant, ‘clerk’ (vicar) of Hesket-in-the-Forest, Cumberland, died in 1686. His will included an inventory with a lot of names – local people who owed him various sums of money. These de... Read More

Cumbrian Characters

Family history is so much more than names and dates

Tag: wills

Bequests that raise a smile

Thomas Ollivant of Hesket-in-the-Forest