AUTHOR’S WILL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 20 July 1934, Page 7

AUTHOR’S WILL.

Widow Wants Deeds of Gift Set Aside. ANOTHER WOMAN. United Press Assn. —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received Tulv 20. 2 p.m.) LONDON, July 19. A dispute regarding the will of Mr Arnold Bennett, the author, was opened in the Chancery Court, his widow claiming that several deeds of gift in favour of Miss Dorothy Cheston should be set aside.

Sir William Jowitt, K.C., said that the Bennetts married in 1907 and separated in 1921, under a deed providing that the executors should pay the widow £SOOO and two-thirds of the capital balance remaining in the estate and also two-thirds of the royalties payable to the executors. Sir William Jowitt added that Mr Bennett later lived with Miss Cheston, who took the name of Bennett by deed poll and bore him a child in 1926. Mr Bennett sent a letter to Miss Cheston in 1925 saying: “Although the bulk of my possessions are going to my wife I will take every means to put as much as possible into other hands.”

Mr Bennett made a will in 1926 giving Miss Cheston “ all my possessions, except such a proportion as I have covenanted to give my wife,” but Mr Bennett’s deed of gift to Miss Cheston in 1927 apparentlv handed over the rights of certain plays, while the disputed gifts to Miss Cheston include several manuscripts. The case was adjourned.