ENORMOUS WEALTH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21648, 8 May 1940, Page 8

ENORMOUS WEALTH

BARONET AND WIFE INHERITED £4,500,000 Sir George Alexander Cooper: Baronet, of Hursley Park, Hampshire, and Grosvenor Square, London—one of the richest men in England—told his trustees before he died: “The death duties will be enormous. Sell the heirlooms to pay.” Sir George died last March. H 4 s will —published the other day—showed he left £3.001.027, and that death duties of £1,634,103 had b*en paid. Crown Jewels

The heirlooms which he directed should be sold were a diamond fieur de lys from Queen Alexandra’s crown, a ruby and diamond necklace from the French crown jewels, diamonds and pearls, and tapestries, furniture, and miniatures.

He himself had bought them and made them heirlooms. They have not been sold. Sir George’s son, the new baronet, told an interviewer: “The money for the death duties was raised by other means.”

During the last war Sir George lent more money to Britain than any other individual. He bought £2.635,000 of War Loan.

Sir George was a solicitor in Elgin. Morayshire, when 40 years ago he and his wife inherited over £4,500.000 from her cousin, an eccentric American known as “Chicago” Smith. “Chicago” Smith had emigrated from Scotland to the United States. He bought up land on the site where Chicago was afterwards built,. He retired to London, and lived at the Reform Club during his ’ast years. He died worth over £9,000,000.