The Hadwen Family of Lancashire

Gordon Picthall (1924-77)

Gordon was entirely uninterested in and averse to farm work, thus ruling out all possibility of Bowesfield continuing in the Picthall family. This dislike of farm work was a bond between Gordon and his sister Marion, who named her second son after him. Gordon ultimately did well in life but only after his father had died. Marion remembered that Gordon wanted to be a jockey - and when he visited Marion at weekends after her divorce he used to watch racing on television. He also wanted to join the navy, but that ambition was frustrated when he failed an eye test. He went on to work for some years as a doctor on passenger ships.

I,GORDON PICTHALL of 107 Solefields Road, Sevenoaks in the County of Kent Registered Medical Practitioner hereby Revoke all former Wills and Testamentary dispositions heretofore made by me and DECLARE this to be my last will which I make this eleventh day of February One thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven.

I APPOINT JAMES ERIC PASS of 8-10 New Market Street Ulverston in the County of Cumbria Solicitor and my Sister MARGARET CRELLIN HARRISON of Ashtree House, Ash Road, Elswick near Preston in the County of Lancaster to be the Executors and Trustees of this my Will (who and the survivor of whom and other the Trustees or Trustee hereof for the time being are hereinafter referred to as “my Trustees”)

I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH all my estate both real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever not hereby or by any Codicil hereto otherwise specifically disposed of unto my Trustees upon trust to sell call in and convert into money such parts thereof as shall not consist of ready money with power at their absolute discretion and without being responsible for loss to postpone the sale calling and conversion of the whole or any part thereof for such period as they shall think fit and to hold the net proceeds of such sale calling in or conversion and my ready money upon trust to pay thereout all my just debts and funeral and testamentary expenses and to hold the residue thereof after such payment as aforesaid upon trust to invest the same in any investments hereinafter authorised and to hold such investments and any part of my estate for the time being remaining unsold or unconverted (hereinafter called “my Residuary Estate”) upon trust to pay the income arising therefrom to my mother LILY PICTHALL of 15 Fair View Dalton in Furness in the said County of Cumbria during her life.

AFTER the death of my said Mother or if my said Mother shall predecease me my Trustees shall divide my Residuary Estate into three equal parts and shall hold such three equal parts upon the following trusts:-

(i) As to one of such equal parts in trust for my sister Kathleen Penny if she shall survive me absolutely but if she shall have predeceased me upon trust for any child or children of hers who shall be living at death and who shall attain or shall have attained the age of twenty one years and equally between them if more than one absolutely.

 (ii)    As to another such equal part in trust for my said sister Margaret Crellin Harrison if she shall survive me absolutely but if she shall have predeceased me upon trust for any child or children of hers who shall be living at death and who shall attain or shall have attained the age of twenty one years and equally between them if more than one absolutely. (iii)  As to the final one such equal part in trust for my sister Marion Mead if she shall survive me absolutely but if she shall have predeceased me upon trust for any child or children of hers who shall be living at death and who shall attain or shall have attained the age of twenty one years and equally between them if more than one absolutely.

I DECLARE that if the trusts of any part of my Residuary Estate should fail by reason of no person attaining a vested interest therein then I direct that the said part and any other part which may accrue thereto by virtue of this present proviso shall be held by my Trustees as an accretion to the other part or parts (and equally if more than one) the trusts whereof shall not at the date of such accruer have failed as aforesaid and upon the trusts powers and provisions applicable thereto herein contained.

I DECLARE that the income of my real and personal estate however constituted or invested (including the income of property required for the payment of debts and other payments made in due course of administration in payment whereof the proceeds of the sale conversion calling in hereinbefore directed are hereby directed to be applied) shall as from my death be treated as income and that a reversionary or future interest shall not be sold prior to falling into possession unless my trustees shall see special reason for such earlier sale and that the net rents and profits of my real estate for the time being unsold after payment thereout of all my outgoings which my Trustees shall consider properly payable out of income shall go and be applied as if the same were income of authorised investments of the proceeds of an actual sale thereof an d that no property not actually producing income shall be treated as producing income.

MONIES liable to be invested under or pursuant to the trusts of this my Will may be invested or applied in the purchase of or at interest upon the security of such stocks funds shares securities land buildings or other real estate or chattels real (including the making of improvements to any property purchased by my Trustees or held by me at my death) or investments of whatsoever nature and wheresoever and whether involving liability or not (including the purchase and/or furnishing of a dwelling for occupation by any person and the purchase of any property not actually producing income) as my Trustees shall in their absolute discretion think fit and my Trustees shall have the same full and unrestricted powers of investing and transposing investments and disposing of any property acquired under the powers hereby or by law conferred on them in all respects as if they were absolutely entitled thereto beneficially.

ANY Trustee hereof being a Solicitor or other person engaged in any profession or business may be so employed or act and shall be entitled to charge and be paid all professional or other charges for any business or act done by him or his firm or any partner of his in connection with the trusts hereof including acts which a Trustee could have done personally.

FORM 6 of the Statutory Will Forms 1925 (extending and varying the powers of appropriation) shall be incorporated in this my Will.

IN WITNESS hereof I have to this my last Will set my hand the day and year first before written.

SIGNED AND ACKNOWLEDGED by the said Testator GORDON PICTHALL as and for his last Will in the presence of us both present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

C M R WHITE 130 Knights Croft New Ash Green Dartford Kent Bank Clerk

K BLACKMAN 13 Silverhurst Drive Tonbridge Kent Bank Clerk

Dr Gordon Picthall MB, BS, DTM&H, DIH

Gordon Picthall died at his family home, Dalton-in-Furness, on Tuesday 29th March 1977 aged 52 after a short illness.
Following active service in the Royal Navy where he was a Lieutenant RNVR, Gordon studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital qualifying MB and BS in 1951.
He entered general practise in Singapore in 1955 moving to Klang-Selangor in 1958 where his practise introduced him to industrial health in the rubber industry.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1968 when he took the DTM&H at Liverpool University and the DIH at Manchester University, joining the British Steel Corporation in 1970.
In August 1972 Gordon waqs appointed Senior Medical Officer, Shell Haven refinery, a position he held until his death.
A quiet man, with a wealth of experience in understanding people, realism tinged with sympathy in his approach to his job at Shell Haven where he will be sadly missed.

Our sympathy goes to his mother and three sisters who supported his tremendous courage during his terminal illness.

R Houston

31 March 1977