FORTUNE IN NOTORIETY

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1929, Page 11

FORTUNE IN NOTORIETY

SUDDEN DEATH OF LAWYER HUNDRED CLAIMS TO £11.000,000. ONE EVERINGHAM IN WELLINGTON Wellington, July 15. The Everingham millions are the latest great fortune to come into notoriety. The estate is in Chancery and estimated at £11,000,000, which will fall to the British Government in ten years if not claimed. One descendant, Air. Oscar Aubrey Everingham, is in Wellington, and he says that a combined attempt is to be made to prove their claims by about 100 descendants in Australia and New Zealand. A similar attempt was made once before, but the lawyer who went to England died suddenly, and was suspected to be the victim of foul play. After that nothing more was done. Mr. Everingham is a mechanic in the employ of the Wellington Harbour Board. In tracing back his relationship to Matthew James Everingham, a wealthy English nierchant who died about 90 years ago,, leaving a fortune estimated to-day to be worth £11.000.000, Mr. Everingham said the merchant was known to. have had four sons. All trace of three of them had been lost, while the fourth, George, went t-o Australia as a boy, settled and married there. This George Everingham is claimed by Mr. Everingham to be his grandfather, and to his knowledge he is the only direct descendant at present residing in New Zealand. It is stated that advertisements for claimants have appeared in the principal Australian papers and approximately 500 names have been sent in. but only direct descendants, who number aboiP 100, will be recognised. Air. Everingham stated that during his 25 years’ residence in New Zealand he has mentioned the matter only to one or two intimate friends.

When asked what his plans for the future would be if his expectations were realised, Air. Everingham said t-hat probably after taking a trip abroad he would continue to live in New Zealand. He would build a modern residence in the city and I'etire to enjoy in his old age the fruits of his good fortune.