A GREAT ESTATE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 19 July 1917, Page 6

A GREAT ESTATE.

TIiE LATE MR DUNCAN RUTHERFORD. DETAILS OF THE WILL. The lato Mr Duncan • Rutherford, of Leslie Hills, whose estate has been estimated at about £350.000, loft a will dated July 1.3. 1911, and three codicils. The first of thee, dated August. 12, 1911. g'ves formal power to the wife to transfer certain authorities.to the trustees. The second and third codicils were made in hospital on the day of Mr Rutherford's death, and Mere witnessed bv the matron and the testator's solicitor." The second codicil provided a. legacy of £SOOO to St Andrew's College, and £2OOO to the Waiau clergy stipend fund. In 11 third oodoeil. also made in hospital, the testator revoked the appointment of his nephew, Godfrey Oliver Rutherford, as an executor and trustee, and appointed his two sons, Duncan Leslie Rutherford and Stewart, Leslie Rutherford, to be executors and trustees, together with bis wife, Era Lydia Rutherford, and his brother, Edmund Scott Rutherford. Apart from bequests to the Presbyterian Church and to employees and servants, the estate is divided .insula the family. The following arc some details of tho bequests :—- £SOOO to St Andrew's Presbyterian Bovs' College, free of death duty. £•2000 to "Waiau clergy stipend fund for the maintenance of the Presbyterian clergy in the Amuri district (free of death duty). £IOOO upon trust in augmentation o! the stipend of the Presbyterian minister stationed in the lower Waiau. or district, the fund to be called '"The Ijeslie Hills Gift.' £IOO a year to each trustee during trusteeship. £2OOO to William Henry Nicholson, station manager. £IOOO to Alice Landsborougb, Sydnev. testator's sister-in-law. £''oo to Mrs John C. Clark, ncn Annabella Goocli, for some tune nursery governess to tlie test jitor s children. £SO a year for each year of service to Ethel Makeig (nursery governess), whether in or out ol the testator s employ at the time of his death. £IOO to Ida Ha sell (governess), subject to increase to £SO a year for each year of service conditional upon hei having been continuously in the testator's service for over two years. £SO each to Emily W'itte, Olsb Rogers and Maggie Rogers (nurses). To each other servant and employee who shall have been in the testator s service for more than twelve consecutive months immediately preceding his death, a legacy of £2O a year for each year of service. All these legacies are paid free of estate, succession or gift duties. To his wife the testator bequeathed an annuity a clear yearly sum of £IOOO free of duty, reducible to £750 on re-marriage. It is provided that as long as Mrs Rutherford shall remain a widow she shall have tho use of the house and grounds at Leslie Hills, or any other of the testator's houses, together with all carriages and motor-cars, free from all charges of any description, selection to be made within six months. In tho event of re-marriage, the widow shall find her own residence. The whole of the housekeeping costs to be paid by the trustees.

in his second codicil Mr Rutherford provided that tho sum of £lo,ooo bequeathed on trust to each of his da,lighters should bo increased to £25,000. This sum the trustees are directed to invest, at o per cent, to he paid so that the amount mav not. bo alienated or pass by bankruptcy or be liable to be seized or attached. After death the sum shall be applied for the children. To bin oldest .son tho testator bequeathed all his watches, watch chains and personal trinkets and jewellery. Tho trustees are directed to stand possessed of "all those parcels of land containing 23,304 acres more or less" situated in tho Amuri district, and known as tho "Leslie Hills Estate," together with th e btoek, etc., to be partitioned equally between hjs sons, Duncan Leslie and Stuart Leslie It is also directed that 011 the attainment of his oldest son for the timo being of the age of twenty-five years, the trustees shall make an equal division and partition in value of the Leslie Hiils Estato "into as many portions as there are sons of mine, including a grandchild or grandchildren, taking by way of substitution in accordance with clause 22 hereof, my eldest, son for the tim 0 being talcing that portion of the said Leslie Hills Estate on which the homestead is situajsd. and so that 011 each son of mine attaining twenty-fivo years of age lie shall be absolutely entitled to his jxirtion of tho said division and partition." It is also provided that, in tho event of cither of tho sons dying after the eldest attains the ago of twont.v-fivo years, without leaving children, but before attaining age of twenty-fivo, tho portion to which he would linvo been entitled shall belong te) such sons as attain the age of twenty-five; Tho trustees are directed to sell tho remainder of the real anel residuary personal estate, the proceeds to be held in trust ns a residuary tirist estato, and invested in the names of th 0 children in fast mortgages of freehold lands in New Zealand, or upon any stock funds, debentures or securities of or guaranteed by the Govermcnt of New Zealand or any municipality or local body in New Zealand, the income to be divided equally between the sons on their attaining the age of twenty-five, or to their children. The income will revert to the daughters in the event of tho sons' decease.

The trustees arc empowered to carry 011 tho testator's business of a sheepfarmer on the estate, or other lands that may he acquired.

The testator provided that land formerly part of the estate transferred to his sons during lii.s lifetime shall be taken into consideration in partitioning the estate.