BRIDE'S GIFT OF A FORTUNE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 101, 30 April 1908, Page 8

BRIDE'S GIFT OF A FORTUNE.

£200,000 FOR RELATIVES AND

CHARITIES

Mrs Weigh tman Walker, started a new fashion in weddings on February 26 in New York, when she celebrated her marriage with Mr Frederick Courtland Penfield, a former ConsulGeneral to London, by distributing £200,000 among her relatives and certain charities. This leaves the bride a beggardly £11,800,000 with which to begin her new lease of married life. Mrs Weight-man Walker is the daughter of the late .Mr William Weightman, a Philadelphia chemist, who amassed, an enormous fortune and bequeathed it to her, with certain stipulations which Mrs Walker states she is now carrying out.

After Mr Weightman's death other members of his family attacked the will, and long and expensive litigation followed. .

The marriage of Mrs Walker and Mr Penfield took place at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, and. was practically secret, only thirty of the most intimate friends of the bride and groom being present. Archbishop, Farley performed the ceremony, and from the Pope,, through Cardinal Merry del Val, , a telegram of congratulation was received;

The wedding breakfast took place at the bride's New York residence, and the invited guests include^ the daughters of Mrs Jones Wister, who were the principals in the fight for the Weightman millions. Announcements of the bride's "wedding" gifts was made at the breakfast. She has given:— £20,000 each to a nephew and five nieces. r £10,000 each to four great nephews and great nieces.

£40,000 to charities. Nothing to, Mrs Jones Wister's family.

The bride issued a brief statement to the effect that she was carrying out her father's intentions,. which she would have done earlier, but "the ill-advised, groundless, and unsuccessful attack upon his' will prevented this, and deprived the beneficiaries of what they .might have enjoyed for the last three years." . The distinctly sub-acid postscript to the bride's statement states that she .intends to "do what she pleases" with her own fortune, " undeterred by impertinent and intrusive suggestions." / & Mr Penfield, who is1 n prominent New York lawyer, has been an author as well as a diplomatist. He was , Consul-General to London in 1885, I and afterwards Minister resident in Egypt. He was married twice previously, his second - wife, being Mrs McMurdo, the wife of an; engineer, who received a large sum*from P.ortugal in satisfaction of the Delagoa Bay Railway'claim.