HEIR TO BARONETCY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19124, 19 March 1924, Page 8

HEIR TO BARONETCY.

CLERK IN COUNTRY TOWN. NEW SOUTH WALES ROMANCE. Peter Punch, ex-“Diggcr,” and a clerk in the Lands Department at Leeton, in New South Wales, in reported to have fallen heir to the titles of an Irish baronetcy. Some weeks ago he was handed a letter from a firm of solicitors. He casually read it, stuffed it into a pocket of his trousers, and went on with his business. He did not say anything to his friends either in the office or at the camp until the next day, when—so his friends and all Leeton declare —ho gave out the startling' information that his great-uncle had died in his castle and had left his title and a considerable amount of money to him. The news spread throughout tho district like wildfire, and all Leeton was talking proudly of its belted baron. Peter, it is said, was great' displeased with the information. He received further communications from the attorneys, and ultimately consulted the chiefs of the department, and then put in his resignation. This was forwarded to the head office at Sydney, and a few days afterwards the notification of its acceptance was sent to Leeton. And much against his will Peter Punch bade his friends “so-long,” and told them he was going Home to discuss the mysterious matter with his people, who still live at Dalby. He has already visited them, and now he is having a holiday at Arakoon station, near Coolangatta, Peter has written to. friends at Leeton since he dropped in at a border homestead, repeating the story of his heritage, and intimating the fact that so far no decision in the matter has been arrived at. The great-uncle’s will stipulated that Peter must go to Ireland and reside on the estate, but it is th© firm belief of Leeton that tho young lord would prefer to transform tho title into a territorial one, and call himself Lord Lee ton, or Marquis of Murrumbidgeo. WHAT RELATIVES KNOW. Members of the Punch family in Sydney are in the dark concerning the story, though some of them have stated that they had heard of tho legacy, and that they know the family ancestry is traceable to County Cork. The family confesses its inability to understand how the title, if any, can be left to Peter. He is tho third son, and tho elder brothers are married. It is quite likely, though, that some provision of an old Irish law permits of the legacy, as it is reported to have been made, and that this has been conferred, perhaps on tho bachelor son because the deceased great-uncle was himself a bachelor. WELL-KNOWN FAMILY. Peter is a member of a very widelyknown and respected family, many members of which are in Sydney. One of his cousins is Austin Punch, at present touring Now Zealand with tho New South Wales cricketers. Ho was born at Dalby, Queensland, about 35 years ago. and at the outbreak of war he lived with his people on a station near where ho was born. Previously ho had had a particularly distinguished career at college and studied law at tho University. He enlisted, however, in tho Ninth Battalion—tho Gallant Ninth—and helped to win honour and glory for the northern State. He was wounded and returned to Australia to find his Celtic blood so bubbly with the fighting spirit that ho re-enlisted after his recovery and sailed away once more with the 49th Battalion. In France he participated in some very severe fighting, and one day a big lump of German shrapnel put him out. of action Peter still carries a splinter of the shell near his heart. While on furlough he went to Ireland, and there called upon an aristocratic greatuncle who lived in the ancestral castle on large estates in County Cork. They say ho was Lord Lewin or Lewellyn, and Baron of Hnrly. Anyhow, the old gentleman took a fancy to Peter, partly because of his personality and partly because he was tho only one of his long-dispersed relatives he had met for Imost unreckonable years. He spent a holiday with him, and a few weeks after his return to England sailed for home.