Up for sale is a remarkable piece of early 19th-century British probate history — an original handwritten receipt dated 29th May 1806, documenting the payment of a legacy and accrued interest from the estate of Joseph Miller, late of Moulton, Norfolk.
The Document:Ann Betts of Harpenden, Hertfordshire, Spinster — one of the children of John Betts, deceased — acknowledges receipt from Jonas Miller of Moulton, County of Norfolk, Farmer, of the sum of £76 14s. 1d. This amount comprises:
- £75 — the full legacy bequeathed to Ann Betts under the Last Will and Testament of Joseph Miller, dated July 24, 1801
- £1 14s. 1d. — representing 166 days of accrued interest on the legacy since it became payable
Joseph Miller\'s will stipulated that the legacy, charged upon certain estates devised to Jonas Miller and his heirs, was to be paid 18 calendar months after the testator\'s decease — provided Ann Betts had by then attained the age of 21. Joseph Miller departed this life on June 14, 1804.
The document is signed by Ann Betts and witnessed by John Miller.
The cover endorsement (Image 1) reads: \"Dated 29th May 1806 — Miss Ann Betts to Mr. Jonas Miller — Receipt for a Legacy & Interest charged on Estates devised to the latter by the Will of Mr. Joseph Miller Decd.\"
Condition: Very good for age — approximately 220 years old. Light foxing and toning consistent with period paper. The handwriting is bold, clear, and highly legible throughout.
Historical Context:This document provides a vivid window into English rural probate practice of the Regency period. The Miller family of Moulton, Norfolk, were tenant farmers operating in a county renowned for its rich agricultural estates. The mechanics of this receipt — a legacy charged upon devised real property, payable contingent on the legatee reaching majority — reflect standard testamentary practice of the era. The Betts family of Harpenden, Hertfordshire, were a separate landed gentry / farming family, and Ann Betts\' status as a spinster at the time of payment suggests she received this legacy as part of her independent financial support. Documents of this specificity — naming individuals, parishes, counties, exact sums and interest calculations — are invaluable to genealogical researchers tracing Miller, Betts, or related Norfolk and Hertfordshire family lines.
Ideal for: Collectors of British antique paper ephemera, genealogists researching Norfolk or Hertfordshire families, historians of English probate and property law, or admirers of fine Georgian-era penmanship.
