Martha Helden

Widow of Cornelius Helden (q.v.), from whom she inherited co-ownership of the Helden's estate and the people attached to it on St Kitts, and then became the holder of a rent-charge on the estate, which she had assigned to John Browne of Dublin by the time of compensation. Although the Slave Registration of 1828 refers to 'the estate of Martha Helden' as the owner of Heldens, she appears to have died in 1840 in Ireland. Her daughter Sophia married William Eden Lees, brother of Sir Harcourt Lees (q.v.).

1. Under his will of 1798, Cornelius Helden left his estates in St Kitts and at Longford and Leitrim in Ireland to his widow Martha Helden and his three daughters Mary, Sarah and Sophia, and by a codicil also of 1798 left a further £1000 to Mary as the eldest daughter. In 1803 Martha and Mary settled their undivided two one-fourths on the marriage of Mary to William Foster M'Clintock, subject to the charge of £400 p.a. to Martha Helden. The £1000 legacy was subject to the case of Walpole v M'Clintock in 1844,when it was said that the estate in St Kitts had been sold before 1829 under a decree but was insufficient to meet the demand of the plaintiff Walpole, to whom the £1000 legacy had been assigned in 1812 and 1819 by the M'Clintocks.

Ancestry.com, Ireland, Calendar of Wills and Administrations,1858-1920 [database online, underpinned by National Archives of Ireland], will of Martha Helden, death date 23/10/1840 death place Dublin, prime beneficiary Sophia Lees, second beneficiary Cope Garnett, additional beneficiary Mary M'Clintock.

1. Irish Equity Reports...during the Year 1844 to 1845 (1845) Vol. VII.