THE DUCKHAM ROMANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21387, 15 July 1931, Page 14

THE DUCKHAM ROMANCE

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) * LONDON, May 21. There has been a certain amount of liveliness recently on the “ Western Front.” Mr Alfred S. Williams, Newport, who has worked so persistently in the matter of the “ Duckham Romance,” has lately had five cable messages from New Zealand. Asked whether the Lesleys of Christchurch would have an equal claim with the other heirs, Mr Williams replied:— I think not. In fact, I very much doubt whether anyone named Besley—the relatives of Eleanor Besley, Thomas Duckham’s first wife —can claim. And then he went on to say:—

By the way, I am not an attorney-at-law. 1 see the newspapers at the Antipodes describe me as being a lawyer. You know I am not a solicitor although my power of attorney has already been executed by a large proportion of the heirs, and actually we are ouly waiting for New Zealand to come into line prior to prosecuting- the claim. To help matters, I cabled offering to visit “ down under ” because delays are dangerous. The descendants of the children ot Duckham’s sister, Sarah—the famous Sally—by her first husband, Thomas Langworthy, I believe are the only people who will be able to prove heirship. There are at least four groups, scattered over England, Canada, and the United States, in addition to Hester’s posterity, who arc mostly to be found in New Zealand, viz.:— Mrs Turbott, 100 Stanley Bay, Devouport, Auckland. , , Mr Lewis John Lee, St. Aubyn s, I’arua Bay. Mrs Lucinda Langworthy Cooper, Langworthy Lee and his daughter. Mrs Jessie Matthews, residing 'in Whangarci district. Mrs Wilcox. Tc Awamutu, and brothers and sister. Grace Evelyn Hunt, at Inatapere, South Island. . Clara Amelia Deeming and Wiltrcd Arnold Deeming, Whangarci. Daisy Catherine Bayliss, North Auckland. , r , T A granddaughter of Sally, Mrs Hester Langworthy Graham, died lebruarV 22, 1931, and lam anxiously awaiting a copy of her will. If there is any record extant of her youthful recollections these should be most interesting reading. I cabled on Saturday last and again on Monday because Sally# two surviving grandchildren—ihoinas Laugworthy Leo and his sister Lucinda —ought to favour us with their childhood’s reminiscences regarding the career, marriages, and posterity ot the Kentucky Thomas and his relatives. It is understood that an offer has already been received —ami declined fiom Kentucky, and since then some people in Now York have evinced a desire lo handle the case. Everything, however, at the moment is in a state of suspended animation, waiting further news from New Zealand Mr Williams says he cannot sneak too highly of the great help which the New Zealand press has rendered in the search for heirs, and he believes that all Hester’s living descendants have now been di: covered.