MR HENRY BERRY'S ESTATE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17702, 2 March 1923, Page 5

MR HENRY BERRY'S ESTATE.

VALUED AT MORE THAN £197,000. The will of Mr Henry Berry, merchant, of Melbourne, was lodged in the Probate Office, Melbourne, a few days ago. It bears date December 22nd, 1916, and there are four codicils. The will, with codicils, makes up 160 folios, and is said to be the longest will lodged in the office for many years. The real estate in Victoria is valued at £7846, and the personal property at £189,910. There is said to be.considerable estate in other States, but no reference to. this appears in the will or affidavits. The executors to the will are Messrs W. B. McCutcheon, solicitor, Howard W. Berry and Percy C Berry.' Tnere are a large number of. legacies to tile widow, chnuren, bromers, nephews, nieces, son-.n-iavv, and to Mrs 6>i*aw, a sister, who resides in England. To ms coucnruan (VViinain o* Kew), he leaves 10s a week tor life; to his brother and partner (Howard Leslie Berry), he leaves ±»00O, to be taiven out in preferential shares in the company -widen bears the I'amiJy name; to his manager (Pierce xeeibridge), he leaves 1000 preferential shares in the company; and to the loilowing branch managers he has left the income on 500 preferential shares, provided that tne executors Aiere satisfied mat the branch managers . were, still in the employ of the company:—'George Stephens, of Wydney ; Mark Steeds, of Christciiurch; F. S. Lucas, of Brisbane, and T. J. Foster, of Perth. A similar income is left to George Collett, a traveller, of Queensland. To the council of the Queen's College a sum of £SOO is left in reduction of the scholarship debt. The following bequests are alsoonade: Y.M.C.A., Melbourne, £150; Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind, £100; £IOO each to the Deaf and Dumb institute of Victoria, the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum, the Melbourne Central Methodist Mission, the Melbourne Protestant Orphanage Asylum, Brighton; Methodist Church, Highbury road, Kew, and the Methodist Church Superannuation Ministers and Widows' Fund. To the following there are donations of £SO each: —Methodist Home for Children, Cheltenham; Collingwood Methodist Mission, | Gipps street; Methodist Mission, CeciFstreet, South Melbourne, and the Methodist Mission, Brunswick street, Fitzroy. Testator directs that the residuary estate is to be divided into 78 parts, of which 10 are to go to his widow, 10 to his daughter Felicia, seven to his daughter Lydia, seven others to Lydia Berry under oertain conditions, 10 to his daughter Millieent, 10 to his daughter Winifred, 10 to his son Lionel Leslie Berry, and 10 to Cecil Fftchett Berry. Apparently the remainder of the estate, subject to certain minor benefactions, is to be formed into a "Henry Berry .Fund," and is to be held in trust and distributed among charitable and religious institutions, largely at the discretion of the trustees. Among those which may benefit are the Austin Hospital and the St. Vincent's Hospital. These have teen specifically mentioned by the testator; but there is apparently no reason why any charitjfofe institution should not come into the distribution if the trustees so desire Testator has also said that the Methodist Ladies' College, at Kew, and certain other Methodist organisations may, at the discretion of the trustees, come into the distribution. . In his second codicil testator has left

to Annie Gardner the income on 500 shares. In the first codicil the testator, after referring to the strong and warm affection which he has entertained for the Kev. Dr. William Henry Fitcfoett, "based on our close friendship which has lasted lor 50 years," expresses the opinion that Dr. Fitchett will probably soon retire from active service of the Methodist Church. He confers upon the executors the power to make, at their discretion, suitable provision for Dr. Fitchett. or to assist any work designed to serve as a memorial of his connexion with the church. •