DEAD MEN'S MILLIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11684, 17 March 1900, Page 11

DEAD MEN'S MILLIONS.

LARGE SUMS LEFT BY "WILL DURING THE PAST YEAR, Amongst the wills reported in the year 1899 there- have been seven which disposed of estates to the gross value of more Uian £1,000,000 each, with a total valuation of £10,273,055. Eleven other estates between £500,000 and £1,000,000 each have been reported, with an aggregate of 57,071.225; and nine more between £400,000 and £500.000 each, aggregating £3,923,911, make up a- total of £21,268,191, left by 27 testators, of whom throe were eacli under 50 years of age at death, one other was under 60, seven between 64- and 70, nine between 70 and 80, and seven over 80 years of age. The average of the age at death of these 27 testators was 73 years. With one exception, the richest estates charged with the death duties in 1899 have been, us in former years, those of Inen who inherited wealth and added to it, or of men who, having had to make their own way in the world, had slowly built up large fortunes. Amongst the estates of over £400,000 each charged with death duties in 1899 are those of: John Gretton, nged GG, of Bass, Eatcliff, and Gretton, brewer .. .. £2,853,&iC John, Nixon, 84, of Nixon's Naviga-

(ion Company, colliery owner .. 1,655,070 Henry Lewis llnphacl, 67, foreign banker and stockbroker 1,521,273 Sir William Gray, 75, of West Hartlepcol, shipbuilder .. 1,500,423 Baron Ferdinand James Anselm de Rothschild, H.P., 59 1,455,128 Richard Katcliff, GS, of Bass, Batcliff, and Grettou. brewei ' 1,11G,190 William Onue Poster, 3-1, Apley Park, Salop, retired ironmaster .. .. 1,000,000 James Orr, 87, Glasgow and Ilarviestoun, N.B. .. 787,035 Sir Henry Deloes-Broughton, ninth baronet, SO, of Staffords and Chester 7GG.747 Charles Henry Plcvins, 75, of. Woodford House", I'hrapston .. .. .. 761,607 Herbert Ernest Matthew Davies, 43, chairman of the Consolidated Goldfields of South Africa and of the . South African Trust (Limited), and a directoi of other South African companies .. .. .. .. 754,311 Thomas Clutterbucl;, 89, of Stanmore, brewer 612,911 Andrew Usher, 72, of Edinburgh, wine and spirit merchant .. .. 612,715 Edward Zsulok, Dresden, 85, Gracechurch street, merchant .. .. .. G01.245 John Hall, 74, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, shipowner and merchant .. .. 5G1,528 Samuel Bayliss, 7S, retired engineer and contractor 519,890 Lawrence Trent Cave, 75, son of a banker and West India merchant 541,540 Henry, fourth Marquis of Anglesey. Gl .. 535,395 Charles Peter Christie, G'J, of Hoddesdou, brewer 457,075 John William Naylor, 71, AUerton House, Leeds, enrmieer 455,159 Samuel William Ridley, 82, of Islington, manufacturer of oilcloth .. 433,800 Charles John Morris, GS, Wood Eaton aianur, Staffs 440,575 Arthur Pease, J.1.P., Gl, colliery owner and ironmaster .. .. .". 439,039 John Mitchell Keiller, 4S, manufacturer of marmalade 435.3G3 George Wilkinson Drabble, 76, for 2U years chairman of the Londou and Kivcr Plate Bank, and trustee or director of several other South American companies .. .. .. •135,201 Vincent Stuckey Lean, 78, connected with Stuckey's Bunk 414.555 William Whilear Bulpett,. 92, of Al- : resford, banker 402,473 [ OHOSS AND XET VALUES. The whole of the estate of Algernon George, ■sixth Duke'of Northumberland, SS, was valued I at £76,892 gross, with £50.950 net personalty, i and that of Henry Charles, eighth Duke of ' Beaufort, 75. at £10,732 gross anil £6037 net. The late Duke of Westminster is reported to have said that the whole of the esta'.e in Lon- ' clon and elsewhere, of which lie was tenant for life, would- probably be valued for probate at nearly £12.000.000. It does not, however, follow that estate duty will be now payable* upon any'such amount as this. The net or actual value at which real estate is sworn for probate is not ascertainable. The gross value only is disclosed of the whole of the estate, including realty and personalty, but the net amount of the personalty included in the total is stated. Thus an entry of " gross value of csiato, £100,000, net amount of personalty, £10,000" may mean that the., estate consisted of realty of the net value of £90,000 in addition to net personalty of £10,000 ; or it may mean that an estate of the gross value of £100,000 was reduced by charges to a net or actual value of £10,000. Sometimes the difference between gross and net value is very small, aa, for instance, Mr Hy L. Raphael's e3tate was £1,521.275 gross and £1,520,380 net; that of Mr Zadok Dresden, £601,345 (cross and £600.205 net; and that of Sir William .Tenner. '£385,034 gross. I including realty, and £375,333 net personalty, j On Hie othor hand, the Marquis of Anglesey's ! e?tate of £535,395 gross, presumably chiefly j in. realty, included only £22.978 in "net per- ! sonalty. Foreign estate, although liable to i | the charge of duty under the Finance Act of . 1834. lias not as yet been to a large extent i brought into areount. The capital value of the whole of the " personal estate situated abroad" charged with estate duty in the year ended March 31 last was entered: at only £4,1<U,000. ' — Proposals are being entertained by the . French military authorities for a new weapon culled the pistol-sabre. It is an ordinary snbre provided with a i-mall firearm lodged in the hilt. On encountering a resisting surface the Wade recedes, and discharges the pistol, a recoil of about 1-16 of an inch being i all that is necessary. The shot will penetrate : a steel breastplate. The new weapon will ■ weigh only a third more than the ordinary . sabre, which, of course, when the pistol is j not loaded, can bo employed in the usual i way. j " We'll Back You Every Time." A flush | of pride suffused the face of the young jockey (as he read the telegram. "Let us know each , race you start in, and we'll back you every I time." The message came from his old-time j comrades in far-away Yorkshire. They knew . no rode square—rode to win.—and their telej worth. Hundreds and thousand"'o^testimo- ; ma Is to the worth of Hollowiiy's Pills and 1 Ointment as family medicines are in our possession. Many a poor sufferer has been restored to health by these world-famed remedies, and has gratefully written to tell us so. Human friends come and go, but these medicines —the friends of mankind---are always with us m the hour of need.—G-5