£94,000,000

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 203, 11 August 1927, Page 5

£94,000,000

Fortune in Chancery. THE LE PINE MILLIONS A NAPIER CLAIMANT. pernaps quite a few New Zealanders may be able to trace their family tradition back into the sixteenth century, but it is very few people in the Dominion who can actually say truthfully that they have a claim, even if a very remote one, to a fortune left in Chancery in those dim and distan. times of the Huguenots. Yet such a claim, if such it might be termed, may be made by Mr R. H Le Pine, of Napier. This statement is perhaps -Tendered all the more fantastic when it is realised that, in round figures, the fortune is estimated at something like ±194,000,000, probably the biggest estate held by the British Court anil quite recently the matter was given much prominence in London papers as several claimants had entered a suit in the Chancery Court to gain possession of this huge sum. A ROMANTIC STORY. The story is a most romantic one and goes back to 1798 when Mario L’Epine, now called Mary Lepine, died as a mental defective, leaving a sum of £93,000 and it is the repayment of this sum together with com pound interest during the 129 years she has been dead, that certain parties in England are claiming. (Taken at 5 per cent., which is a fair basis, compound interest on the original amount would bring the. total to the fabulous amount of 94 millions). It had been contended that at the time of the woman’s death she was not married, and leaving no will, the money under those circumstances would not go to her “illegitimate” child, but would become “escheat to the Crown.” However, it has been discovered that the Treasury never really enjoyed the benefit of the money as George 111., the reigning monarch, presented it to Lord Howe in recognition of his services abroad. Under a rule of court, dated 1799, Lord Howe is found to have promised that ho would repay the money to the Treasury in the event of any heirs being established. Curiously enough, he. too, died leaving no heir. The claimants, who recently lodged a petition of right as the first step in their suit, include Mr. A. C. Mason and three elderly spinsters, the Misses Mason, who live in modest circumstances in London, Miss Florence Gray, West Ealing, \ iscount Bangor, an Irish Peer, and a Californian, who all declare that they are her descendants. SECRET MARRIAGE TRACED. Taking the case of the Masons. Mr. Le Pine explained that they had been spending years in trying to establish the legitimacy of Marie L’Epine’s heir and now claim that in searching through the 18tli century registers at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, where the records date back to 1550, they have found the entry of Marie L’Epine’s marriage. In view of this statement Miss Gray has announced that, there had been a tradition in her family that she, together with five sisters and three brothers, was entitled to take part in the fortune left by Marie L’Epine. Her claims were traced back to the husband of Mario L’Epine. THE NEW ZEALANDER’S CLAIM. As regards Mr, Le Pine’s claim, it goes back to the year 1685 when Jean Laspine, a silk weaver, had three sons, Guillanna (later changed to William). Daniell and Jacques, who went to England. Jacques made the fortune which was enjoyed by three generations, the third* being Marie L’ Spine (the name having been altered) and there it came to a dead end.

“This is where my family conies in,” stated Mr. Le Pine when interviewed by a “Tribune reporter, “lor if there was no legitimate heir then the fortune reverts back to the nearest male kin who we trace back to Daniell. Going back over the family tree I am the direct descendant through nine generations, all my forefathers being eldest sons. However, if the report of the marriage of Marie L’Epine is true then, of course, our particular claims are useless.” When asked if there was any truth in the rumour that he was going to join in a move to advance the claims of Daniell De la Spine’s (as the name was in France), family, the reporter was informed that such a suggestion had been made but personally Mr. Le Pine had no inclination to do so in view of the present situation. However, his sister, Mrs H, Jones, was at present in the Home Country and she was taking a very keen and natural interest in the proceedings.