Bell v. Bell

Letters testamentary upon the estate of Thomas Bell, deceased, were granted by the superior court for San Francisco November 7, 1892, and on November 22, 1892, Teresa Bell, one of the defendants herein, presented to the court her petition, setting forth that the decedent had left her as his surviving widow with six minor children, and praying that the court would make an allowance out of said estate for the support of said family. January 12, 1893, the court made an order awarding to her “as and for a family allowance out of said estate” the sum of $2,000 per month, and directing the executors to pay the same to her each month until the further order of the court. October 14, 1895, the court made an order reducing the said monthly allowance to $1,500 per month, and in May, 1898, made another order reducing it to $100 per month. The plaintiffs herein are four of the children of the decedent who have reached their majority, and by the present action they seek judgment for an accounting by their mother (the said Teresa Bell) of the moneys received by her under the aforesaid order and disbursed for their support, and for judgment in their favor for the several amounts found due them…