HN10/273/Paxton7

More notes on the case, again with many crossings out, the material so crossed out not appearing below: "I have made enquiries about the Estate of Thomas Paxton ands I think I have pretty well got hold of all that is forthcoming without going to the Creditors & to Maberley & Beachcroft solicitors for Inglis Estate, have spent 3 days already over the papers in the office and am sick of it. I cannot search every bundle of papers but I feel sure that the working papers relating to the matter are either mislaid or destroyed before 1857. The bequeathing of the work was evidently done in Mr.Day's time before my Father started all small accounts prior to 1857 were kept with the papers except my Fathers Ledgers which shows nothing. Thomas Paxton kept the Red Lion Public House at Milton and also carried on a Little Drapery Business when an old Man he married a young Irish woman who was Cook at the House of Sir Hugh Inglis the owner of the chief part of the Village. When the old man was dying Sir Ro Harry Inglis who had succeeded his Father Sir Hugh sent for my Father (a personal Friend of his) for there seems to have been something wrong about the woman with a man named Philpot and he wished to have control this resulted in my Father being appointed an Executor. I am told that some time before the death of Thomas Paxton Sir G.P.Turner was making the Fish ponds at Battlesden besides incurring large debts without paying them in fact every body in the district who could get hold of him and charged what they pleased he eventually became a Lunatic. Paxton it appears from the old Books supplied Beer to the men employed. Philpot was also a Creditor of Sir G.P.Turner and the two men became mixed up in money affairs. Philpot it is said was largely indebted to Paxton. After the death of Paxton Philpot made a failure of it besides the Furniture stock in trade (and Cash in the House) all of which was I suppose kept by the widow the rest of the assets were probably Beer Scores, and a few Drapery Bills which the widow would probably receive as she carried on the House for a time. Mr.Green must have received the Debt from Turner'sEstate which from the letter to Inland Revenue Office in 1838 must have been subsequent to that date and certainly prior to 1853 when the Interest was paid between these dates I can only assume the money was paid to the Creditors but how or to whom or what account of Dividend in hand if any I have no trace at present. It is quite clear that the Estate was insolvent and the old people who remember Paxton cannot understand how it was possible the old man was ever worth 600 as he was known to have died in debt. By the Will the Exors has power subject to the Creditors claims to allow the woman for maintenance &c. By going to the Solicitors for Turner's Estate I can probably obtain much information and I can also find out who were the Creditors of Paxton but besides the expense I do not care to go to further trouble unless obliged to do so. I hear from the Clergyman of Battlesden (Father of the Wife of one of my Brothers) with whom a granddaur of the Plaintiff is now living as a Servant that the Plaintiff is under the impression that Mr.Green has no money belonging to her but that the Battlesden Estate still owes the debt and that my making a stir about the debt the Duke of Bedford who has recently purchased the Estate will pay the Money rather than allow a poor woman living on the Estate to have an unsatisfied claim upon it. The Funds for this end are found by a Son of Plaintiff who is a porter at Camden Station. I have ascertained that Sir G.C.Turner left a Legacy of Interest to all his Creditors this enabled me to find the papers (copies enclosed) in a Bundle labelled "prom[…] papers 1882 [sic 1852?]". It is quite clear to my mind that Paxton's Estate must have been wound up some time before and the Creditors not paid in full otherwise there was no object in my Father asking Thos Paxton to join with him in the risk of paying the Interest money to Residuary Legatees instead of the Creditors. Besides if there had been any other Money belonging to the Residuary Lg he would have paid it at the time and so closed the matter. If he had the papers at the time those of 1852 would not have been put away in a separate Bundle".

c.1886

From: 1823 To: 1886

item

Paxton, Thomas,
Green, John Thomas,
Green, John,
Maberley & Beachcroft,
Inglis,
Day, Thomas,
Inglis, Hugh,
Inglis, Robert Harry,
Page Turner, Gregory C.,
Philpot,
Philpot, Thomas,
Paxton, Mary Ann,
Ricketts, Mary Ann,
Russell, Francis Charles Hastings (9th Duke of Bedford)

John Thomas Green, John Green, specific solicitors, Maberley & Beachcroft, records management, Thomas Day, Milton Bryan Red Lion, drapers, Irish, cook, lunacy, ponds, beer, debt, household furniture, Inland Revenue, porter, Camden Station, general poverty, MILTON BRYAN, BATTLESDEN, Battlesden House, Camden