THE PAGE MILLIONS.

Mataura Ensign, 27 September 1913, Page 5

THE PAGE MILLIONS.

A SYDNEY CLAIMANT, BT ELECTEIC TELEGRAPH COPYRIGHT. PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Received September 27, 9.0 a.m. SYDNEY, Sept. 27. Mr George Horton-Morris, a claimant to the Page estates; on whose behalf a company was recently floated, will depart for England on October 2 to give evidence before the Commission appointed by the Imperial Parliament to investigate the question of ownership.

HISTORY OF THE ESTATE. The land in the Pago estate comprises, in addition to :i considerable ■slice of London, nurts of great arteries like the Edgivare and Harrow Roads, and residential arc;:;, such as Maida, Yale, Rroiuleeburv and Wluosden. Altogether the estate covers about 60 square mile.-; and is worth between £20,000,000 and £.'10,000,000. The bulk of the property was obtained by the Pngo family at the time of the suppression of the monasteries by Henry VIII., Kilbum Priory, with its important church lands, extending from Kilburn. to Wembley, being then acquired. In the reign of Queen Klixabeth there were added to fne Page estates those of Squire Bellamy of tJxendon., who was executed for treason. The whole property later devolved upon Richard Page, who died in 1803, leaving a will settling the estates in succession on three brothers. The last of these died in 1829. This will, it is now alleged, was invalid. Last year an action was brought in the Probate Court to have the will revoked, on the ground of undue- influence exercised by Henry Young, an executor of the will, the plaintiffs-being Charlotte Ann Tappetiden and Agnes Thcodosia Hill, both daughters of a cousin-german of Henry Page, who was his only next of kin at death. The court refused to revoke the. will, preferring to let the matter remain in statu quo. Counsel for the plaintiffs mentioned, during the hearing of the case that exactly who. had the estate or where it was no one knew for certain. In the meantime, purchasers of the property were taking a risky title. There aro three claimants for i the millions from this part of the world. Beside* Mr G. Horton-Morris, who says that 'his mother was a niece of Henry Page, the last holder of the. estates, who died in 1829 intestate, Arthur Frederick Page, of Carlton, also claims to be a lineal descendant of He my Page, while, a third claimant has been announced -from New Zealand. Mr Horton-Morris, then a resident of a town in the. Blue Mountains, went to England early in 1908 to prosecute his claim. He i« over 70 years of _ age. Shortly after his arrival he met with a preliminary rebuff, an application to the court for the appointment of a receiver of the revenue of the estates being dismissed. In refusing the application Mr Justice Eve. remarked that he declined to disturb the owners of titles which dated back 80 years. Further steps appear to have been more successful, for in November, 1911, Mr Justice Ohitty refused the application of the trustees of the estate for the dismissal of Mr Horton-Morris' claim. Mr Horton-Morris' claims are backed j by an Australian syndicate, which wasi formed with a. capita I of £IO,OOO.