A MUCH-MARRIED MAN.

North Otago Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1170, 12 January 1876, Page 2

A MUCH-MARRIED MAN.

The death of Mr Singer, the great American sewing machine man, and the publication of his will reveals a condition of social affairs almost beyond credence. Mr Singer was divorced from his first wife in 1860. He subsequently married four .other ladies, who bore to him in the aggregate thirty-two children. His last wife, Isabella, has been with him in England for many years, has been received into the best families and, in her own house, entertained the most fashionable guests magnificently. To her, his last love, Singer leaves about one million sterling. The rest of his property is equally divided between all his wives and children. One of them lives in this city muter the name of Matthews. Herself and children receive 1,500,000 dollars. 'I his strange condition of marriage has been going on for twenty years, and yet it does not appear that the slightest disturbance was ever made by either of the wives, or any attempt on the part of friends to blackmail. Singer kept them all in comfort, indeed in affluence, and avoided scenes. The strangest part of the business is thit he was s very religious man — gave largely to the church with which he was connected, and took an active part in. its affairs. The will is being contested by his first wife. Of late years Singer lived at Torquay, in England. His first purchase of land there was thirty acres, for L60.000; his stables were superb, and surround a circus of large diameter, in which he drove to exercise horses and his hands. His drawingroom was 83 feet long, and he had a charming theatre. He has twenty-five living children, who are christmed New York, Paris, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, &c. His first order for carriages was LI 600, including a vast omnibus for L.460, capable of carrying twenty-four people (for the nursery). The late Mr Singer seems to have had some points in common with the Sultan of Turkey. His domestic arrangements were on a liberal scale. There was just this difference — one hadjthirteen million dollars the other owes 180 million pounds'