GENEALOGICAL TREE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 7 December 1933, Page 12

GENEALOGICAL TREE

EXHIBIT IN WILL CASE MELBOURNE, Nov. 21. An interesting exhibit in a will ease in the Practice Court to-day was a genealogical tree 24ft. long. Originally it was 30ft. long, but it was shortened for convenience. The tree was compiled by an expert genealogist in England in an endeavor to trace those entitled to share in the will of Enoch James, manufacturers’ agent, of the Athenaeum Club, Melbourne, who died in November, 1931, and left an estate worth between £50,000 and £OO,OOO. Under an ob-scurely-worded clause in the will, James' left his estate to persons who at that time were thought to be only first cousins, and who were living in | (treat Britain. Under that view 'of the will, about 12 first cousins would I imve divided the estate among them, taking between £4OOO and £SOOO each. The Supreme Court gave another ! meaning to the clause, and decided ! that benefioiarids under the clause I were first and second cousins and their 'children. The estate will now be 'divided among 88 persons, each of whom will receive between £SOO and , £OOO. The export genealogist was engaged to examine all kinds ol records, chiefly in Wales, to verify the claims. Prin- , cipally upon information gathered ‘ from the tree, the chief clerk of the , Supreme Court admitted 88 claims. , Most of the successful claimants live in England .arul Wales. ! A declaration in accordance with I the chief clerk’s findings was made by Mr Justice Macfarlane in the Practice Court to-day. He also directed that taxed costs, both in Australia, and in England, should be paid out of the estate. It is estimated that I costs will amount to about £SOOO.