The Vicker's Will

My 2x Great Grandmother, Margaret Ann Sharp was born in 1847 at Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, England to Joseph Sharp and Dorothy Hindmarch. She married in 1874 to John Harbertson, moved to New Hartley and gave birth to my Great Grandfather, James Harbertson in 1880. When James was only seven years old, his father sadly died of cerebral disease.

Margaret with Thomas Vickers,
her second husband.

A few years later, Margaret remarried to Thomas Vickers, a widower with two young daughters. Margaret had no further children. In 1914, Thomas Vickers died and in his will he bequeaths everything to his two daughters. Margaret was not mentioned, nor was my Great Grandfather, who Thomas had raised from the age of ten.

The following is an article from the Morpeth Herald, dated the 17th March 1916.

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 SEATON DELAVAL FURNITURE DISPUTE

At North Shields County Court, before his Honour Judge Greenwell, William A. Carson brought an action against Margaret Vickers, to recover certain furniture. Mr. Swinburne G. Wilson, who appeared for the plaintiff, said that Carson was the executor of Thomas Vickers, deceased, who resided at 23, Long Row, Seaton Delaval, and died in 1914, bequeathing his estate to his two daughters by his first wife, and leaving his second wife (defendant) nothing. Defendant refused to hand over the goods in the house, and claimed £64 against the estate. In fairness, he added that defendant was a hard working old woman. He suggested that his Honour give judgment for the plaintiff, and grant stay of execution to enable her to make her claim upon the estate, and he (Mr. Wilson) undertook that the estate should not be disposed of in the meantime. His Honour gave judgment for the plaintiff and granted stay of execution till June advising the defendant to take some steps to get the dispute settled about the money.

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From the wording of the article, Margaret was clearly not happy with her late husband's wishes. 

As far as I can tell, Margaret did not make a claim to the estate of her husband. It's upsetting to think that Margaret was more or less left to become a pauper. Her son James had previously married, and in 1916 already had five children. In June of that year my own Grandmother was born. Margaret died in 1928 in her son's house at Annitsford.