LEGACY OF £25.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3382, 11 July 1927, Page 7

LEGACY OF £25.

Claiming that during recent years she and her husband had been able to clothe her children only scantily, and had been unable through poverty to purchase footwear for them, Minnie Fee, married woman, of Foxtou, in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North, sought further consideration under the will of George Coley, deceased, formerly a farmer, of Foxton. The defendants in the action were Catherine, James and George Coley, of Foxtou, and Percy Coley, of Dannevirke. The affidavit set out that plaintiff was a daughter of deceased, and until her marriage in 1908 lived at home and worked for her parents, but received no wages other than her clothing and maintenance. Plaintiff had nine children, aged from one year to eighteen, and all were living. Neither she nor her husband had sufficient money to pay for the attention needed to the teeth of her children. Plaintiff had no real estate, and lived in a house at least 60 years old, and barely habitable. After the death at Foxton on December 16, 1926, of George Coley, the estate realised £8302, after all expenses had been paid, and out of this plaintiff had received a legacy of £2u.

His Honour said that in Ids opinion deceased had not made proper provision in his will. Plaintiff was in a poor position, and having a hard struggle indeed. His Honour thought that the three sous who had benefited under the will should contribute something, mostly in respect to plaintiff’s children, until they were grown up. Ho ordered that the brothers pay £IOO each to the Public Trustee, who should have the discretion to spend that sum in the best interests of the plaintiff and her children.