The matriarch of five sisters, each receiving a mere £50 from their grandfather’s inheritance, laments that her late husband would be deeply upset to witness his daughters effectively excluded from his will.
Former soldier Frederick Ward Snr allocated a nominal sum to his granddaughters from his £500,000 estate due to his disappointment that none of them visited him during his final days in the hospital before his passing at 91.
This decision sparked a bitter rift within the family as the majority of his estate was bequeathed to his two adult children, Terry Ward and Susan Wiltshire. Meanwhile, the five daughters of his deceased eldest son, Fred Junior, were entirely omitted from the inheritance, leading to a legal battle in the High Court which they ultimately lost.
According to a trusted family insider, Ann Ward, the widow of Fred Jr., is unequivocally certain that her late husband would have been furious to discover that his father favored his surviving siblings with the majority of his estate.
Mrs. Ward believes that crucial evidence was overlooked and asserts that there are numerous significant queries regarding the judge’s decision that remain unanswered.
Upon his passing, former soldier Frederick Ward Snr (pictured) bequeathed nearly all of his wealth to his children.
Ann Ward, the widow of Fred Jr., is depicted on the left in the image alongside her husband.
Fred Ward Jr., who passed away in 2015, was the father of Carol Gowing, Angela St. Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward, and Janet Pett.
Ann Ward, the widow of Fred Jr., is accompanied by her husband and their five children: Carol Gowing, Angela St. Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward, and Janet Pett.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the insider revealed, “Ann is adamant. If her late husband were still alive, he would be utterly enraged to see his daughters excluded like this. He would be deeply disturbed. She has absolute certainty about that.”
“It’s not about the money,” the source continued. “She believes her daughters were fighting for what their father would have wished for and what their grandfather had initially promised.”
“There are significant doubts surrounding the judge’s decision,” the insider added. “Ann feels that certain crucial evidence may not have been thoroughly considered.”
When asked about the possibility of an appeal, the source responded, “Unfortunately, they cannot afford to pursue it. They are already burdened with covering both sides’ legal expenses.”
The family dispute unfolded during a High Court proceeding initiated by the granddaughters to assert their perceived rightful share of the inheritance.
In his 2018 will, Fred Senior allocated the majority of his estate to his two younger children, Terry Ward and Susan Wiltshire.
Angela St. Marseille, a granddaughter of Frederick Ward Snr.
It was reported that he expressed disappointment over the infrequency of visits from his five granddaughters during his lifetime.
The granddaughters – Carol Gowing, Angela St. Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward, and Janet Pett – filed a lawsuit arguing that they were entitled to inherit their late father’s one-third portion of their grandfather’s £500,000 assets.
However, upon the reading of the will, they were each given a mere £50 in cash from their Uncle Terry, instead.
They contended that the 2018 will was invalid due to alleged ‘undue influence’ from Uncle Terry and Aunt Susan, which led their grandfather to deny them their rightful share.
Furthermore, the five sisters argued that the will was drafted at a time when Fred Snr was in poor health and felt intimidated by Terry.
Fred Snr, a former soldier, cable joiner, and frequent patron of social clubs, resided in Willow Road, South Ealing, London, and passed away at the age of 91 in 2020.
Previously, he had drafted a will dividing his estate, including his £450,000 maisonette, among all three of his children.
However, Fred Jr., the father of the five sisters, had predeceased his father in 2015, which led to a rift within the family, resulting in minimal contact between Mr. Ward and Fred Jr.’s side of the family.
Upon the reading of the will by Terry after Fred Snr’s demise, a heated argument erupted, captured on recording and presented to the High Court, as it was revealed that the five sisters had been largely excluded.
During the court proceedings, the barrister representing the five sisters informed the judge that Terry harbored a particular animosity towards his niece, Carol, stemming from a family disagreement over property, and highlighted a palpable hostility between the two sides of the family.
“The claimants allege a transactional aspect to the relationship between the defendants and the deceased,” the barrister asserted, with witnesses for the sisters recounting instances where the deceased complained of financial demands from one or both of the defendants.
Additionally, the witnesses claimed to have been informed of instances of physical aggression by Terry towards the deceased.
Terry and his barrister, Maxwell Myers, vehemently refuted the ‘unpleasant’ allegations, with Terry, while testifying, branding one of the witnesses who made the accusations as ‘an absolute liar’.
Carol Gowing, the grandchild of Frederick Ward Snr, was pictured outside the High Court in London.
Amanda Higginbotham was photographed outside the High Court in London.
He was a man of strong character, as affirmed by a close friend,” Mr. Myers stated, adding, “The friend attested that Fred Snr would never have been intimidated by Terry or Sue.”
During Carol’s testimony, Mr. Myers challenged her, stating that “one is entitled to distribute their property as they see fit upon their passing.
Carol responded, “Yes, provided that the will has been properly drafted.”
“I cannot prove they coerced him, but the evidence we have suggests that. This is what we’ve been informed by family members,” Carol added.
The case brought by the sisters was dismissed by High Court judge, Master James Brightwell, who deemed it ‘entirely rational’ for the grandfather, disappointed by their ‘very limited contact’ during his final years, to exclude them from the inheritance.
Master Brightwell stated, “The evidence falls short of convincing me that Terry manipulated his father or that Susan exerted undue influence to question the validity of his will.”
When approached by Mail Online, the sisters’ widowed mother, Ann Ward, residing in St. Giles on the Heath, Devon, declined to provide a comment.
Speaking briefly from her residence in White City, West London, one of Fred’s granddaughters, Amanda, stated, “We did visit Grandad regularly.”
