Wife not mentioned in Inventory

[MaryS]

I have found an Inventory for Alexander Keith d. 1833 in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire. The Inventory is dated 1837. All of Alexander's children are mentioned, but his wife Catherine Watt is not. I can not find a date of death for Catherine in the OPR's or Stat records. If she is not mentioned in Alexander's will, should I assume she died before he did? Is it normal for a wife if she is living, not to be mentioned in her spouse's will?

[AnneM]

Hi Mary

Is it a will or an inventory you found? If it is simply an inventory he may not have made a will. What does it say it is and who is the executor. Either of these should state who the executor was.

Anne

BTW are you sure it is his inventory. Four years seems a long time between the date of death and the date of an inventory.

[MaryS]

It is definately an Inventory and I am sure of the dates. His son Alexander is the executor and there is no mention of his wife, although all 13 of his children are mentioned. He was in his 40's when he died and had property and some money, so perhaps he did not have a will. I find it unusual that his wife was not mentioned if she was still alive.

[carlineric]

She was probably not mentioned as she would automatically inherit a third share of the estate. A third, the "bairns pairt", would go to the children and the remaining third, the "deads pairt", would go to whoever the deceased wished.

Eric