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Original poster

Did your grandparents leave you anything in their will?

85 replies

Gwanda · 26/08/2023 21:45

My Grandmother died 2 years ago. Her husband died when I was a small child.

I was very close to her. Her son is my father, and we are pretty much NC. She had a daughter, and another son that she was NC with since the 1980s.

Her death was not unexpected, but still devastating.

I’m not sure how to word this without sounding grabby. But I am very surprised to not have received anything in her will. She often spoke about jewellery that she wanted me to have. It’s been two years, so I presume I would have been contacted by now.

So I was just wondering, how normal is it for a grandparent to leave money or items of sentimental value to their grandchildren? Or does it all go to their children? If that is the case, I will never have anything of my grandmother’s.

OP posts:
sparklelikeadiamond · 26/08/2023 22:20

No nothing.

DelilahBucket · 26/08/2023 22:21

Nothing of monetary value. My grandad left me a pop up light that I had given his as a gift when I was a young child. He said it was one of the most used gifts he'd ever received. Some of the money he left to my mum, she split between me and my siblings and that money, although a small amount, bought my first sewing machine which kick started my business (still going 12 years later). I still have the light, I keep it at work, although it doesn't work anymore. It is about 30 years old now though!
My dad's mum left some money behind but my dad said he didn't need it so split it between me and my siblings. It was very welcome at the time as I was pregnant. It kitted DS out for the first couple of years (thank God for eBay back then!) My dad said it was exactly what my nana would have wanted the money to be used for, something useful.

KohlaParasaurus · 26/08/2023 22:23

My maternal grandmother left me and each of her other granddaughters a china figurine and a hand-crocheted tablecloth, otherwise I didn't inherit anything from my grandparents. There wasn't much to inherit. My own children should do better than that, as my parents have willed a percentage of their assets to be divided between their grandchildren.

HeddaGarbled · 26/08/2023 22:28

None of them had much to leave, rented homes, no valuable possessions, so they wouldn’t have even thought to write wills. If it weren’t for the Co-op funeral plans, their children would have ended up out of pocket.

However, because the family were all on good terms, we grandchildren were allowed to choose something to remember them by. We wouldn’t have taken jewellery - that was quite clearly for the daughters.

I remember choosing a red, octagonal, bamboo side table from my nan’s house because I’d always liked it as a child.

Canisaysomething · 26/08/2023 22:29

Mine both gave me something each of sentimental value when they were very very ill before they died when I could thank them. All money was left to their children rather than grandchildren.

ASGIRC · 26/08/2023 22:34

Whatever little my grandparents had, when to their kids. As a grandchild, I was not an heir (my parents are still alive).

My dad did give me a couple of pieces of jewelry from my grandmother, but I dont even know if its worth anything, or just pretty!

Merapi · 26/08/2023 22:35

My relative left everything equally divided between her DC, but in the folder where she kept her will, she also put a note with a number of small bequests, including which items of hers were to go to each of her DGC. Although not legally binding, the executors followed her wishes in the note anyway.

Longagonow96 · 26/08/2023 22:38

Gwanda · 26/08/2023 21:45

My Grandmother died 2 years ago. Her husband died when I was a small child.

I was very close to her. Her son is my father, and we are pretty much NC. She had a daughter, and another son that she was NC with since the 1980s.

Her death was not unexpected, but still devastating.

I’m not sure how to word this without sounding grabby. But I am very surprised to not have received anything in her will. She often spoke about jewellery that she wanted me to have. It’s been two years, so I presume I would have been contacted by now.

So I was just wondering, how normal is it for a grandparent to leave money or items of sentimental value to their grandchildren? Or does it all go to their children? If that is the case, I will never have anything of my grandmother’s.

No, nothing from any of them. One had no money and few possessions, the other remaining grandparents on mum's side left everything to her children.
Wouldn't have expected anything, although my mum left small cash sums to all her gc.

UndercoverCop · 26/08/2023 22:38

There was nothing to leave with my maternal gran, paternal grandpa died when I was two and everything went to my grandma, she died when I was about 13 everything went to her children (my dad his seven brothers and sister, main asset was a big standard house and it was the mid nineties so not a huge amount to share), she wasn't a jewellery person other than her wedding ring which my aunt her only daughter has, there was nothing in the will but it was agreed between them all.

My maternal step gran is my only surviving grandparent, we're very close, she has a small amount of savings and an inexpensive bungalow, but also has 2 adult children and 4 adult step children who she views equally, she's made it clear everything will be split equally between them as those assets were built by her and my mum's dad, her wedding rings will go to my mum, my grandpa was her second husband but they were together more than 40 years, her rings from her first marriage will go to her biological children as that was their dad. I know her hand written recipe book is mine, she always says we're the only two in the family who really love to cook and we both have lovely memories of me standing in a stool in her kitchen, with her teaching me to bake and she wants be to have it. I was her first grandchild and although we are not blood related we've always had a very close relationship.
I'm from a very working class backgrounds so any assets there have been have been modest and the families large.
I think that might be different in wealthier families and there might then be separate provision for grandchildren.

Powaqa · 26/08/2023 22:39

My grandparents didn't have much to leave for their children , let alone grandchildren. My DM received some jewellery which she will leave to me as well as her own stuff.
I have left everything to my 2 adult DC. My DD will receive all my jewellery that I have plus any inherited jewellery. I have one DGC, I haven't left her anything as I expect her to have the jewellery passed down the female line.

WithASpider · 26/08/2023 22:45

My paternal grandmother left me her rings and her estate was split between my father, me and my brother. Maternal grandmother split her estate 4 ways - her son, my mother, my brother and me - with additional bequests to 5 great grandchildren.

My in laws intend to split their estate equally between their DC, DC's partners, and grandchildren.

I realise this is unusual!

MaidOfSteel · 26/08/2023 22:47

I have my Nanna's wedding ring and my sister has her engagement ring; they were given to us by our Dad, though, rather than left to us. But maybe that's what she wanted as she only had sons and our cousins, her only other grandkids, are male.

What a very sad situation, OP.

IWasFunBeforeMum · 26/08/2023 23:03

£10k from a grandma, her husband died when my mum was young. Nothing from other grandparents but they barely had a thing.

DramaAlpaca · 26/08/2023 23:09

Yes, a small amount.

blahblahhhh · 26/08/2023 23:11

My grandad had lots of bank accounts. He had new cars, lot of holidays abroad. Mortgage paid off. Me and my siblings didn't get anything. Our mum was renting at the time so moved in with her husband when my grandad got ill. He obviously left everything to our mum. If it was me I think I'd share it between myself and my children. I'm glad my doesn't have a mortgage though.

MrsMoastyToasty · 26/08/2023 23:15

My maternal grandparents didn't leave anything. They lived in rented housing for 70 years and once my DGF went into residential care there wasn't anything left.
My paternal grandparents left my DF and my aunt and uncle their entire estate. However I was left some money by a great grandparent on that side (my siblings werent born when she died)

Serena1977 · 26/08/2023 23:15

I got one twelfth of the house sale value when one set of GPS died.

My dh got his gf's watch.

Delphigirl · 26/08/2023 23:16

No, none of them, not a sausage

mummyh2016 · 26/08/2023 23:18

Was there definitely a will?
My one nan I didn't get anything however there wouldn't have been much left - she had been in a care home which her house had to be sold to pay for, her account had then dwindled down below the threshold plus her funeral wasn't straight forward and I know it costs over £10k so there was maybe a couple of grand which my dad and uncle would've had. I don't know if there was a will however I'm presuming so because of when the house sale was sorted and when my dad had POA for her.
My other nan had no will, my mom and her siblings split what cash was left. My mom did pass onto me £5k and a ring of my nans which I wear every single day.

Emmaemmeline · 26/08/2023 23:26

Yes , but only because my mum ( her daughter ) predeceased her

RuthW · 26/08/2023 23:34

Each grandchild got £50 in 1997.

They had little left.

Nothing from my paternal grandparents

SgtPercyTwentyman · 26/08/2023 23:36

My Paternal Grandfather left me his garnet cuff links and his Football Cup Winners Medal (South London Temperance League 1911). That's all.

Both grandmothers died before their husbands so Grandfathers got whatever they left and my Maternal Grandfather left everything to his 2nd wife and her family.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 26/08/2023 23:50

No, it all went to my mum and her sister.

My mum and aunt then gave my cousins and I a small amount of cash each from the sale of the house. We also got to keep some jewellery.

Deadringer · 26/08/2023 23:56

All of my grandparents were dead before my parents married. They hadn't a pot to piss in anyway. My mum won't be leaving me anything either.

Growlybear83 · 27/08/2023 00:01

My mum left £2000 each to her three grandchildren and I inherited the rest of her estate. It had been split equally between me and my brother but he died 12 years ago. I made sure my daughter was able to choose any bits and pieces from my Mum's possessions as mementoes, and then I paid off her student loan and I know my Mum would have hated her to have a big debt hanging round her neck.

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