The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-11 00:00:00

SURPRISING THEM BY A LEGACY!

The cause of 'Ward v. M'Kewan" has been heard
before Vice-Chancellor Sir John Stuart. The suit,
which came on upon further consideration, was insti-
tuted for the administration of the will of lloratio
Ward, of 2, Osnahurgh-terrace, Regent's Park, an
American gentleman, who died in London in April,
1867. By his will, after disposing of various securities
to a large amount, he gave bonds for 19,000 doh,. to
"the living daughters of the late Henry Morris, Esq.,
of Philadelphia," with the folio wing explanatory
note:

Al these ladles are the granddaughters of the celebrated
Robert Morrie, of the Revolution, it will not be diffmit to
ascettain their actual residence. It will, doubtless, surprise
th,ni to get a leg..cy Irons a person they never knew, ant,
perhaps never heard of; therefore it seems to be but
proper that they should he informed that the bf quest is made
through compassion for their misfortunes and in rAurn for
kmdnees shown me by their father when I was a by; and
it may be as well that Miss Amelia Morrie should be informed
it was I who sent some no-mey to her and her younger dieter,
under the name of their father's friend, a few years ago."
After giving 100,000 dols, to the National Soldiera'
and Sailors' Home about to be erected at Washington,
he gave bonds to the further aggregate amount of
100,000 &Is. t 3 the "various an hams or homes that
have been formed, or may be formed, within a year
throughout the loyal States for the orphans by the late
war for the restoration of the Union," which he
directed to be divided among them in such proportions
as his executors should consider equal, fair, and Piet ;
and after several legacies of larger amount to membirs
of his family, he directed the residue of hie estate to he
divided among his nephews. Alfredo Ward, Baillie
Peyton Ward, and Osbert Ward, and his niece Alice
Ward, in whose name this bill has been filed. Among
the securities bequeathed to the daughters of Mr. H.
Morris were two bonds of the city of New Jersey for
1,000 dols, each, and four others were left by the tes-
tator, three to an executor who was an attesting wit-
ness, and one to another executor. Of these six bmds
only five were found after the testator's death. The
questions raised were-1, as to the proportions in which
five city of New Jersey bonds were divisible; and 2,
whether the Lincoln Institution at Philadelphia, which
was founded in the year 1866 for the maintenance and
education of the orphan children of white parents or
for children voluntarily placed in the institution, but
was not exclusively for orphans of soldiers and sailors,
was entitled to share in the bequest to the homes. -
The ViceiChancellor held that the gift of the three
city of New Jersey bonds to the attesting witness was
void, and that the gift of the others did not abate; that
therefore, of the live bonds which were found, the
daughters of Mr. H. Morris were entitled to two, the
other executor to one, and that the remainder fell into
the testator's residuary estate. He further held that
the Lincoln Institution was not entitled to share in the
bequest to the homes.