The Will of Doreen Hermine Thompson 1913 - 1975 Dated 6 February 1974
(Note: Some Punctuation, Highlighting, and space added for clarity.)


  1. I DOREEN HERMINE THOMPSON of South Lodge, East Boldon, in the County of Durham, Widow, HEREBY REVOKE all former Wills and testamentary dispositions made by me AND DECLARE this to be my last Will and Testament.

  2. I APPOINT my daughter Fiona Bridget Hermine Thompson, my son Robert Patrick Thompson, and John Derek Richardson Bradbeer, of 27 Orange Grainger Street, in the City and County of Newcastle upon Tyne, Solicitor (together hereinafter called "my Executors") to be the Executors of this my Will, and I appoint the said Robert Patrick Thompson, David Herbert Seal, of Cavendish House, 30 Pall Mall, Manchester, and Dominic Thomas Scarre Rutter, of 1 Blackwell Lane, Darlington, in the County of Durham (together hereinafter called "my Trustees") to be the Trustees of this my Will.

  3. I GIVE the following legacies:
    1. To my cousin Rosemary Dalgleish, the portrait of my aunt Dorothy Dalgleish.
    2. To my said son, my round diamond cluster ring.
    3. To such of them my said daughter and son shall be living at my death, and if both, then in equal shares, all my other pictures, and in case any dispute shall arise, with regard to the value of the said pictures, or the division thereof, between my said daughter and son, I direct that such dispute shall be determined by Executors in such manner as they shall think proper.

  4. All the legacies bequeathed by this my Will, or any Codicil hereto, shall be paid, delivered, or retained free from all death duties, capital gains tax, and expenses, arising on my death.

  5. IF my said daughter survives me for the period of one calendar month, then subject to the payment of my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts, and the payment or satisfaction of the legacies bequeathed hereby, or by any codicil hereto and all death duties and expenses payable in respect of my estate, including any pecuniary or specific legacies or annuities bequeathed free from death duties and expenses I DEVISE AND BEQUEATH all my real and personal property not hereby, or by any Codicil hereto, otherwise disposed of, to my said daughter absolutely, AND I DECLARE that in the event of my said daughter Or her personal representatives desiring to sell my freehold farmlands and woodlands, known as Dousgill Farm, Dalton Hall, and the woodlands forming part, or formerly forming part of High Dalton Hall Farm, all at Dalton, in the North Riding of York, together with the farm houses, dwellinghouse, and other buildings thereon erected and built, and any other farm lands and woodlands, in the said county of York, which may belong to me at my death, or any part or parts thereof, I DESIRE that such properties, or such part or parts thereof, as are to be sold, shall first be offered for sale to my said son Robert Patrick Thompson, at a valuation made by a professional valuer.

  6. IF my said daughter predeceases me, or does not survive me for the period of one calendar month (in which event she shall be deemed to have predeceased me) then this my Will shall be read and construed as if she had predeceased me, and clauses 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of this Will shall take effect in substitution for clause five hereof.

  7. I GIVE the following legacies free of duty:
    1. To my niece Jennifer Rosemary Allan, my diamond clip.
    2. To my cousin Jane Dalgleish, my emerald ring and pearls, and silver tray, and silver tea set, all of which belonged to my grandmother.
    3. To such of my grandchildren as shall be living at my death, and shall attain the age of twenty five years, and if more than one, then in equal shares, all watches, jewellery, and trinkets belonging to me at my death, and not hereby, or by any Codicil hereto, otherwise disposed of, and in case of any dispute shall arise with regard to the allotment of any of the said articles, between my said grandsons, I direct that my Executors shall sell the same, and divide the net proceeds, after payment of the costs of such sale among my grandsons equally.
    1. IF my said son shall survive me for the period of one calendar month, then I DEVISE to him, my said freehold farmlands and woodlands, known as Dousgill Farm High Dalton Hall and the woodlands forming part or formerly forming part of High Dalton Hall Farm, all in Dalton, aforesaid together with the farmhouses, dwellinghouses, and other buildings thereon, and other farms, lands, and woodlands, situate in the said County of York, which May belong to me at my death, freed and discharged from any mortgage, debt, or other charge affecting the same, at the time of my death, which mortgage, debt, or charge (if any) shall be paid out of my general personal estate Provided Always, that if my said son shall predecease me, or shall not survive me for the period of one calendar month (in which event he shall be deemed to have predeceased me) then the said property shall fall into, and form part of my residuary estate.
    2. I direct that all duties leviable at my death in respect of the foregoing devise or in respect of the property comprised therein shall be paid out of my general personal estate.

  9. MY Executors, after paying, or satisfying my debts, funeral, and testamentary expenses, death duties, and the pecuniary or specific legacies hereinbefore given, shall transfer all the residue of my estate to my Trustees, to hold the same, upon the trusts hereinafter set out.

  10. MY Trustees shall sell, call in, and convert into money, the residue of my estate, or such part thereof as shall not consist of money, with full power to postpone such sale, calling in, and conversion for so long as they shall, in their absolute discretion, think fit, without being liable for loss, and shall hold the net proceeds of the said sale and conversion, and my ready money or the investments for the time being representing the same (hereinafter called "the Trust Fund") and of the annual income thereof upon the following Trusts:
    1. Upon Trust for such of my grandchildren as shall be living at my death, and shall attain the age of twenty five years, and if more than one, then in equal shares absolutely.
    2. Provided always that if any grandchild of mine shall die in my lifetime, leaving a child or children living at my death, who being a son or sons attains the age of twenty five years or being a daughter or daughters attains that age, or marries under that age, then and in every such case, the last mentioned child or children shall take, and if more than one equally between them, the share which his or her parent would have taken in the Trust Fund if such parent had survived me, and attained a vested interest.
  11. THE statutory power of maintenance and advancement shall apply to this my Will without any obligation to apply a proportionate part only of income subject to the trusts hereof where other income is applicable for maintenance purposes.

  12. ANY moneys requiring investment hereunder may be invested in the purchase of (or at interest upon the security of) such stocks, funds, shares, securities, or other investments, whether involving liability or not, or in the purchase of or upon the security of , such freehold or leasehold property wheresoever situate (or upon such personal credit with or without security) as my Trustees shall, in their absolute discretion think fit, to the intent that my Trustees shall have the same full and unrestricted powers of investing and transposing investments in all respects as if they were absolutely entitled thereto beneficially (and so that for the purposes of this clause, the purchase out of moneys to the income of which a beneficiary is entitled of a dwellinghouse with vacant possession for occupation by such beneficiary rent free shall be deemed to be an investment) And in the professed exercise of this power of investment, no trustee shall be liable for any loss to the trust premises arising from any investment made in good faith.

  13. MY Executors or Trustees may exercise or concur in exercising all powers and discretions hereby or by law given to them, notwithstanding that they or any of them have a direct or other personal interest in the mode or result of exercising any such power or discretion but any of my Executors or Trustees may nevertheless abstain from acting except as a merely formal party in any matter in which he or she may be so personally interested and may allow his or her co-trustees to act alone in the exercise of the powers and discretions in relation to such matter.

  14. I DECLARE that my said son shall have the power to buy any portion of my estate, real or personal, either by private treaty or public auction, including the right to bid at any public auction notwithstanding he is an executor and trustee of this my Will, and in the event of a sale by private treaty, the price shall be determined by an independent valuer appointed by my Executors or Trustees, other than my said son.

  15. I DECLARE that any one or more of my Executors or Trustees may act as a director, partner, or other servant of any company or firm in which I or my estate is interested, and may receive a remuneration for So acting, without being liable to account for the same to my estate, or the persons beneficially interested therein, and shall not be prevented by reason of being an executor or trustee of this my Will, from exercising any of the powers vested in him or her as a director, partner or servant of any such company or firm.

  16. AS between the capital and income of my property rents, dividends, or other periodical payments current at he time of my death (except interest on money lent) shall not be apportionable And notwithstanding any rule of equity to the contrary, the income derived from property applied in payment of debts, legacies, testamentary expenses, duties, and the like, shall be deemed to be , and treated as, income of my residuary estate.

  17. THE power of appropriation conferred by the Administration of Estates Act 1925, shall be exercisable by my Executors or my Trustees, without any of the consents made requisite by that Act.

  18. ANY executor or trustee being a Solicitor, Accountant, Land Agent, or other person engaged in any profession or business, shall be entitled to be paid all usual professional or proper charges for business transacted, time expended, and acts done by him or any partner of his, in connection with the trusts hereof, including acts which an executor or trustee, not being in any profession, or business could have done personally.

IN WITNESS whereof I have set my hand to this my Will, contained in this, and the four preceding, and one succeeding sheets of paper, this Sixth day of February One thousand nine hundred and seventy four.

Doreen H. Thompson

SIGNED by the said DOREEN HERMINE THOMPSON as and for her last Will and Testament, in the presence of us together, present at the same time, who in her presence, at her request, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses:
(Unable to read) Clerks with Messrs. Wilkinson, Marshall, Clayton, and Gibson
(Unable to read) Solicitors, Newcastle upon Tyne

  1. I DOREEN HERMINE THOMPSON of South Lodge, East Boldon, in the County of Durham, Widow, HEREBY DECLARE this to be a First Codicil to my Will, which bears even date herewith.

  2. WHEREAS by Clause 5 of my said Will, I expressed a desire that the properties in the County of York therein mentioned should, in the event of my daughter Fiona Bridget Hermine Thompson, or her personal representatives desiring to sell the same first be offered for sale to my son Robert Patrick Thompson as therein mentioned;

    NOW I DECLARE that such expression of my wishes shall not create any trust or binding obligation, or otherwise fetter the absolute beneficial interest of my said daughter, under the said clause.

  3. I DECLARE that any reference in my said Will or herein to my freehold farm, farmlands, and woodlands, known as Dousgill Farm High Dalton Hall, and the woodlands forming part or formerly forming part of High Dalton Hall Farm, all at Dalton in the North Riding of York, together with the farmhouses, dwellinghouses, and other buildings thereon, erected and built, and any other farm lands, and woodlands, which may belong to me at my death, shall be deemed to include any sporting, fishing, or other rights which may belong to me at my death, in over, or under land not belonging to me as well as in over or under land so belonging to me and my said Will shall be read and construed accordingly.

  4. IN all other respects, I hereby confirm my said Will.


IN WITNESS whereof, I have hereby set my hand this Sixth day of February, One thousand nine hundred and seventy four.

DOREEN H. THOMPSON

SIGNED by the said DOREEN HERMINE THOMPSON as a first Codicil to her Will. Of even date herewith , in the presence of us together, present at the same time, who in her presence, at her request, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses:
(Unable to read) Clerks with Messrs. Wilkinson, Marshall, Clayton, and Gibson
(Unable to read) Solicitors, Newcastle upon Tyne


On the 21st day of April 1976 Probate of this will, with one codicil was granted at Newcastle upon Tyne to John Derek Richardson Bradbeer, of 27 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Miss Fiona Bridget Hermine Thompson, of South Lodge, East Boldon, and Robert Patrick Thompson, of The Kennels, Old Ravensworth, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, the executors.

 Doreen Hermine Thompson, of South Lodge, East Boldon, Tyne and Wear, Died 10 June 1975.

£195,689.43