In Dedham, 1886 bequest is finally being doled out to needy - The Boston Globe.
Thanks to Attorney Matt Berger for sending this along.
Connecticut requires a will to be submitted for probate within 30 days of the date of death. The CT-706 death tax return must be filed with the court within 9 months of the date of death. Simple estates with no ongoing trusts are generally settled within a year or so.
Count this as one of the exceptions perhaps:
A bequest of $32,000 was a pretty big deal back in 1886, when Hannah
Shuttleworth left much of her earthly wealth to Dedham’s “worthy
poor.’’ After compounding interest for 123 years, the $230,000-plus in
the account today is not too shabby, either.
The money is now being distributed in $500 chunks to the needy,
honoring the memory of a quiet homebody whose death mask, black frilly
bonnet, and crayon portrait can be found at the Historical Society.
“She was about as shy and retiring as they get,’’ said Dedham’s
unofficial historian, Bob Hanson, now of Pepperell. “A tiny little
thing.’’
The Shuttleworth Fund burst into the public eye recently as town
officials and Town Meeting voters wrangled over the necessary
legalities in order to distribute it. Although small amounts of money
have flowed out of the fund at times, most of the balance has
languished in a bank account - doubling, tripling, and quadrupling -
because no one knew what to do with it.
Before bequeathing the cash to the town, Shuttleworth left $10,000
for a new library and another $10,000 for the current Historical
Society building - formidable structures that would cost millions
today, officials say.
I can only imagine what the Final Account on that find would look like.
