The Life of Gertrude Boocock

Gertrude Boocock never married and had no children. In the 1881 Census she was living with her widowed mother Ellen at 15 Hill Street in Preston, aged 2 years.

By the time of the 1891 Census, aged just 12 years, she was working with her elder sister Margaret as servants to Anna West in Southport. While Margaret had returned to Preston by 1901, Gertrude remained in the employ of the West family and moved with them from Southport to Birmingham.

1891 CENSUS OF SOUTHPORT, LANCASHIRE:
NAME:	RELATION:	CONDITION:	SEX:	AGE:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
Anna West	Head	Unm.	F	53	Living on Own Means	St Helens, Lancashire
Lucilla Van Calrent	Visitor	Widow	F	50	Living on Own Means	Belgium
Margaret Boocock	Servant	Unm.	F	33	Domestic Servant	Preston, Lancashire
Gertrude Boocock	Servant	Unm.	F	12	Domestic Servant	Preston, Lancashire

NOTES:
1:	Living at 20 Hawkshead Street, Southport. (RG12-3035, folio 106, page 19)
2:	The spelling of the visitor's surname was difficult to read and may be incorrect.

1901 CENSUS OF SOUTHPORT, LANCASHIRE:
NAME:	RELATION:	CONDITION:	SEX:	AGE:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
Annie V. West	Head	Unm.	F	71	Living on Own Means	St Helens, Lancashire
Kate Vaughn	Cook	Unm.	F	58	Cook, Domestic	St Helens, Lancashire
Gertrude Boocock	Servant	Unm.	F	22	Housemaid, Domestic	Preston, Lancashire

NOTES:
1:	Living at 20 Hawkshead Street, Southport.
2:	The age of Annie West seems odd - unless Anna West and Annie V. West are two different people?

Gertrude ended her days in Birmingham, England where she was working as a servant for Clifton Stanislaus West. Gertrude must have been very fond of her employers as she remembered them in her Will (see below).

PROBATE INFORMATION:

Gertrude Boocock	Of 33 Princip Street, Birmingham, spinster, died 17 December 1940, at the General Hospital, Birmingham. Administration (with Will) Manchester, 29 April 1942 to Margaret Boocock, spinster. Effects: £259 18s 5d.

GERTRUDE'S WILL:

Margaret Boocock - Administratrix
Geo. Hodgson - A Commissioner for Oaths

In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost, I, Gertrude Boocock, being of sound mind, declare this to be my last Will and Testament. I bequeath my soul to God and my body to the Earth. I bequeath one third of any money that I may possess at my death to my Mistress Annie West, one third to my Master Clifton Stanislaus West, and one third to my sister Margaret Boocock.

Dated this tenth day of January 1907.

Signed by the Testatrix in the presence of us both present at the same time who in the presence of each other have hereunto set our names as Witnesses. - Jane G. Mesher, Jane Rawstron

On the 29th April 1942, Administration (with this Will) of the effects of the Testatrix was granted at Manchester.

In His Majesty's High Court of Justice
The District Probate Registry at Manchester

BE IT KNOWN that Gertrude Boocock of 33 Princip street, Birmingham - Warwickshire,
who died on the 17th day of December 1940 at the General Hospital, Birmingham aforesaid, a spinster without parents, made and duly executed her last Will and Testament and did not therein name any executor, residuary legatee or devisee.

AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written Letters of Administration with the Will (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) of all the Estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the deceased were granted by His Majesty's High Court of Justice at the District Probate registry thereof at Manchester to Margaret Boocock of 22 Dove street, Preston, Lancashire, spinster, the lawful sister of the whole blood and one of the persons entitled to share in the estate of the said testatrix undisposed of by the said Will.

And it is hereby certified that an Affidavit for Inland Revenue has been delivered wherein it is shewn that the gross value of the said estate in Great Britain (exclusive of what the said deceased may have been possessed of or entitled to as a Trustee and not beneficially) amounts to £239 18 5

and that the said Affidavit bears a stamp of £1 10 0 for Estate Duty and 1/1 interest thereon.

Dated the 29th day of April 1942

H. J. Simms
District Registrar

Extracted by Boardman Barrett Styler & Holt
Solicitors, Manchester.

NOTES:
1:	The above signature was scanned from a copy of Gertrude's Will
2:	The above information is taken from various records including Census returns held on microfiche at the Lancashire Record Office and from a copy Gertrude's Will provided by the Probate Registry.