CRIME & PUNISHMENT

I love the way this great hobby of ours sometimes likes to dangle a big juicy carrot, then snatch it away again almost immediately. It has such a sense of humour!

I’m sitting here looking at my 3x great-grandfather’s name on a page from an Irish index to prerogative wills, and thinking what might have been. Everything is in order. His name, Joseph Riboldi. The address, George’s Street, Limerick. The date, 1840 – four years after his death. All that’s missing is the will.

I had high hopes this index meant Joseph’s will was filed away in an archive somewhere, but when I drew a blank, I got in touch with expert Chris Paton. Sadly, Chris says the listing doesn’t mean the will