HUNT FOR A FORTUNE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18705, 10 May 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

HUNT FOR A FORTUNE

* ■ A VAST LONDON ESTATE. I

AGED PENSIONER'S CLAIM. -

SEQUEL TO LIFE SEARCH. *

An aged Londoner -who has for years been living in poverty at Clagbam, and ' was until recently receiving' the old aga pension, r is now claiming «c ci t««o v ;wealthiest estates in the metropolis. I- ~, The claimant is William Adrian Allery, who' is in his £Oth year. The property ?•". i which he contends should he his, is the Angell Estates, which occupy about 60 ' square miles of property in South London* The estates are chiefly situated between Bennington and Croydon, embracing Brixton. Streatham, Stockweil, Lambeth, H and Balhain., All these districts are very', J closely populated, and the rent roll musn " bo enormous. , A ' curious feature of the case is that ■- Allery, although aware of his family tie® si? with the original John Angell, who died in 1782, has spent all his life in searching,, records in order to obtain _ the necessary, information, and has only us found tha missing link which identifies him with the '* ('states. ' This is the certificate of the marriage of Samuel Allery to Elizabeth Benedict which was known to the family to have taken place at Townsall, Dartmouth. .; Discovery of Certificate. t, 1

The certificate was discovered in a peculiar ' manner. ~ The _ claimant was searching the { ' register at : St. Saviour's Church, Dartmouth, :j when he , discovered in the -register ,5 sundry loose leaves out of the register of 5 Townsall Church, in the same neighbour- ;.; hood. These leaves proved to be the record which hhd been lost for 200 years. Mr. Allery. drew the attention of v thc rector to the matter, and the clergyman verified the documents and gave a certificate of the marriage. " . • v 5. fc The. following notice has been served on,, the tenants of the estates by Mr. : Al- ''

lery:— . *; - v^ '"Please take notice that as heir-at-law to . the Benedict John Angell estates Ir* require you to pay the rent of your pre-.;. raises. and. land to roe, and not , lo any other person, principal or agent." - " '

An Extraordinary Will. --- jf:

The will,' -which is dated September"' 1774, gave to the: Archbishop of Canterbury,, the Lord Chancellor, and the Arch* .... bishop of York for the time being yearly"-' Bums of £100 out of John Angell's estate* at Ewell * and , Lambeth, £350 out .of thai „ "collections' of the Spurn ,lights at Now* castle, and £250 out of the lighthouses l Sunderland." ' ; r-. These sums were to be held in trust ami , to be paid half-yearly for the support of i. "a college or society of seven decayed or 1 unprovided. gentlemen :by descent/' two clergymen, an organist, six singing men.', 12 choristers, a, verges a chapel clexk, three domestic servants namely, a,butler,r v , baker, and groom. . . , , i' < *«• The seven beneficiaries -vrare to be called 'a '' Gentlemen of St. John's College, neaf • Stockwell," and one of the seven was to be styled president. The will provided : for "the gentlemen and'the two clergymen to eat together," „ the charges ' of. their i board and liquor . being calculated at £26 s s per annum each. ' / - '- - '?• .. " Their clothing," it is added, was "to ; Be a Jljght-colo®rod cloth, , all of one col'-is, our,' for which, and "for a hat, which shall i j have a narrow gold-lace, is allowed about £5 4 per annum. This was tie siyle of ha? ! which John jShgell himself - usually wore* Ml ! ; £6000 Bequest for College. ;

The gentlemen were to be chosen out' of ; V - the counties. of Surrey. Kent, Northam- '■ ■-- ton, Somerset, Sussex,' Essex, Norfolk, Suf. - fold, Lincoln, : Northumberland, , Stafford, ~ ,x Salop, Hertford, Leicester. 1 ; Bedford, Cam- .. < bridge, Buckingham and Worcester, Caer- ; • marthen, Brecknock, and Caernarvon. ; .-«■ John Angell left £6000. to . build ' the col« , l e g®.J n ( the middle of. a piece of ground jjfcg " StocSw^fi*' called Burdentyj^h, V- A' I * ' ■'jlfflftSk in his Jtfetiine*. it is .to bp ■ , . commenced. immediately after, his >vnaL\ - If the <$ll6ge should 'be. dissolved.-by ; Gov* 'j 'ex^mept;«"the will provided that the rev. -'enues* should "revert to 'the possessors of thgV. ■estate. " p ; "• ' • John' Angell died in 1784, and since' then-j' " there have been several law ' suits relating - • to his • will. : The college, at Stockwell has .never been built. ? 1 ' . 1 , ; r'-jj*-". - - < -' *'-.y•: