EV-0067 — Death index entry for Mary Doreen (Nancy) Williams, South Glamorgan, March 1983

INFERENCE · W-01Two records bear on the timing of the 1984 action. BP's letter of 31 Oct 1974 promised that "no proceedings will be commenced until you personally no longer live there" (EV-0050). A BP spokesman quoted in the 1988 press cutting "Chainsaw farmer vows to fight on" (EV-0089; our working note places it in the South Wales Echo of 29 Apr 1988; the catalogue records the newspaper as not yet identified) gave her ill health as the reason she lived there rent-free, and added: "When Mrs Buckler died in 1983 it became clear her son was not going to leave … in May 1984 we started court proceedings." Working hypothesis: her death, rather than any new fact about title, set the time of the 1984 action. W-02 sets out the reading that the same timing simply kept the 1974 promise.

Rests on: EV-0089 · EV-0050 · EV-0080 · EV-0073

Would be confirmed by: BP's internal file for 1983–84 (BP Archive request, reply due by 16 Nov 2026) recording a decision to wait for her death; identification of the newspaper and full page for the cutting.

Would be refuted by: Evidence that BP planned or began proceedings against her during her lifetime, or that the 1984 writ had a different documented trigger.

Status: Open (the main working hypothesis on "why 1983")

INFERENCE · W-03The farmhouse title was applied for on 23 Feb 1983, while she was alive and in occupation, and examined after her death (26 Mar 1983 in family records; "March 1983" in the judgment). HM Land Registry's 30 Jul 2026 schedule lists a D23 "inside exam" form with a Linklaters letter of 8 Apr 1983, correspondence of 12 Apr 1983, and Linklaters/Registry letters of 12 May 1983. The register edition carries the application date, 23 Feb 1983 (record). Working hypothesis: whatever the Registry asked about occupation was answered after the occupier had died, while the finished title speaks from a date when she was alive. The content of the three letters is not yet read.

Rests on: EV-0063 · EV-0066 · EV-0069 · EV-0070 · EV-0071 · EV-0161 · research log E133

Would be confirmed by: The 8 Apr, 12 Apr and 12 May 1983 letters (HM Land Registry subject access request, due 28 Oct 2026). If they described the house as vacant, or omitted her son in occupation, this reading is strengthened.

Would be refuted by: The same letters disclosing the occupation and BP's unresolved 1974 action to the Registry.

Status: Open; decisive input due 28 Oct 2026

CUTS AGAINST THE CASE · W-07Cuts against the case: no record yet found shows BP knew of a final illness between Nov 1982 and Feb 1983. She was long disabled (the 1974 press described an elderly widow confined to a wheelchair) and was 69. Timing the filings to an expected death is therefore not supported by anything read so far.

Rests on: EV-0067 (this page) · EV-0048 · research log E132

Would be confirmed by: BP or solicitors' correspondence of 1982–83 referring to her health.

Would be refuted by: A complete BP file for 1982–83 with no mention of her health.

Status: Open (cuts against)