The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-08 00:00:00

VIE LEMAN PROPERTY,

It will probably be recollected that a few years ago a native
of Nottingham, named John Leman, framework-knitter, laid
claim to a baronetcy, and certain large estates in the coun-
ties of Hertford, Huntingdon, Cambridge, and Middlesex,
belonging to the Lemans of Northaw. The distinguished
individuals from whom he deduced his descent were wealthy,
influential men in their day. With an honest view to per-
petuate their names, and to make their extensive possessions
secure to their latest posterity, they were at great pains to
execute several important deeds of trust (one of which is for
the term of a thousand years), for the exclusive use and benefit
of their " heirs male for ever." The founder of the family
was the Right Honourable Sir John Leman, Lord Mayor of
the city.of London, a native of Suffolk, who flourished in the
reign of King James I. Sir John was an enterprising mer-
chant, and was the first in London who sent ships to the
north to fish for whales. He was a special favourite of King
James, because, among other courteous qualifications of that
age, ir John believed in the supernatural power of the
Witch of Endor as much as his Majesty did, who prevailed
on the learned bishops to interpret her mysterious art as we
now have it in the• Bible. His lordship
.died without issue,
and was succeeded in his great wealth and influence by his
nephews. He settled the most of his property on his fa-
vourite nephew, William Leman, a middle-aged, dark-com-
plexioned, pleasant, good-tempered gentleman, who was a
rich linen draper and silk mercer in the city of London. In
the year 1631 he purchased the beautiful extensive manorial
estate of Northaw, a parish in the hundred of Castrio, of the
liberty of St. Alban's, in the county of Hertford, with the
church patronage, &c.. He afterwards became M.P., ands''
high sheriff of Hertfordshire. Hence in his official journies
he had often to pass through Edmonton, Cheshunt, &c. with
his lady and numerous issue (seven sons and eight daughters).
The wags of the day raised a humorous report of a curious
adventure that the high sheriff of Hertford had on the road,
which one of the English bards has since immortalized in
comic poetry, under the fictitious name of "John Gilpin,"
probably derived from one of Sir William's estates, which
was anciently called " Gilpinham." Though he was patron
of the churches of Warboys, Northaw, and other valuable
livings elsewhere, he privately favoured the non-conform-
ists, and openly differed with some of the leading men of the
age as to the possibility of compelling, by means of acts of
Parliament and armed soldiers, the entire inhabitants of
Great Britain to adopt an universal creed (Lutheran), which
was the mad whim of King Charles 11. that led to the la-
' mentable feuds and bloodshed between the church party,
non-conformists, and covenanters.
In the 17th year of King Charles 11. (3d March, 1665,) a
royal patent was granted to the said William Leman, cre-
ating him a baronet, with limitation to his heirs Jamie law-
fully begotten. This was one of the most eventful periods
in the history of England, by the dreadful plague which first
broke out in St. Giles's, and afterwards spread desolation in
the great emporium of the world. It. was about this time
that the wandering tribes of Israel first settled in Goodman's
fields, under the auspices of the benevolent owner, since
which time the Jews have wonderfully multiplied on this
leasehold property of the Lemons, and to their honour be it
spoken, some of them were willing to surrender their lease-
holds to the late Sir John (well knowing they had no right to
the ownership), provided they were liberally dealt with. Sir
William, with many other good men, were of essential ser-
vice during the plague, and the great fire that succeeded it.
The distinguished house of Northaw connected itself by mar-
riage with the Earl of Manchester, and other great families,
and continued to flourish in the person of three Sir William
Lemans, during the respective reigns of King William and
Queen Mary, Queen Anne, and the royal house of Hanover.
The account then goes on to state, that on the death of the
late Sir 'William Leman, the vast property fell into the hands
of strangers in blood, and was last possessed by William
Strode, who died in 1809, and by his will directed his trus-
tees to throw the Leman property into chancery, for the
purpose that justice should be done to the true heirs. Then
commenced one of the most extraordinary heavy suits in
chancery on record, " Strode v. Cassamajor," for the honest
distribution of the Leman property, which has proved a
mine of wealth to several lawyers. In consequence of the
public advertisements and quibbles between the contending
parties, not one of whom, as may be seen from their own
statements in chancery, is a single blood drop to the Le-
mans, the rights of the true heirs became more fully known
to.them.- -It is not a-little extraordinary that several claim-
ants, who are all aliens in blood to the house of Northaw
and Warboys, are actually foreign adventurers residing in
Germany, whose names are as strange as their claims are
unjust.. " Wineslaus Charles Labra tie Wackenburgh, and
Charles . Francis Xavier Melon tie la Greze, often occur in
the proceedings."
. . . .

With a view to afford our readers a correct statement of
the Leman funds, we subjoin the following extract taken
from the books of the Accountant-General of the Court of
Chancery, which proves the accumulation from Strode's
death to 1822 to be this, viz :
Amount of Three per Cent. Bank Annuities £467,190 17 0
Ditto Three per Cent. Reduced Annuities.. 127,964 10 6

£59.3.155 7 6
This sum afterwards proportionately increased.
The suit for this vast property will be commenced forth-
with.

The writer. adds We learn-that Mr..[Godfrey Leman is
already more fortunate than Sir John, not only in having a
virtuous race of children, but because he is a steady, modest,
unassuming span, and he and his son Edward have fortu-
nately selected fo their confidence Men, who, to use a Not-
tingham expression, have ' the honesty, the ability, and
proper stuff to pull the claimant through his difficulties.'
He has got the best legal advice that hiS'claims are good,
and we sincerely wish him success. With this kindly feel-
ing, we will now take our leave of him for the present ; but
we intend to watch the progress of his claims, that we may
hereafter be able to give our readers other particulars, as
also the law of the case, which is of importance to the pub-
ttinflham Review.

PARLIAMENTARY SKETCHES.

(From the Hull Times.)
mit. O'CONNELL.

That member who has just entered the house, dressed in
black, with a frock coat, and dark curly hair, and who walks
with rather a swagger, is O'Connell. We shall get a capital
view of the " agitator" directly, as he is coining towards us,
and will afford us an opportunity of criticizing his physi-
ognomy. What character there is displayed in his whole
countenance ! His little, sharp, cunning eye gives a great
deal of expression to it, and his round face and dark hair are
quite in unison—all thoroughly Irish. There is a wildness,
too, which adds considerably' to, the general effect. Much
humour and pleasantry are depicted in his 'features, with
great shrewdness, and a good deal of feeling too. He is a
very powerfully-built nian. Though -he dreSses' plainly,
rather shabbily, I am told that in one respect at least he is
the greatest' dandy in the house—as regards the amazing
pains which he takes to conceal every appearance about him
orold age. Although O'Connell is an excellent speaker, yet
I have heard hint stutter and hesitate' a good deal, which
seems surprising in one who has had so much experience in
public speaking of different kinds as he has had. Mr.
O'Connell boasts that he has succeeded in everything that
he has undertaken. At the bar, as a'mob-orator, and in
parliament, he. has alike been successful, which few indeed
can boast of. No one can doubt that his talents are of a
very high order, though circumstances have given to him a
degree of importance which he otherwise never could have
possessed. As a statesman,. he is not to be compared with
Peel. Even when he has endeavoured to introduce mea-
sures connected with matters with which he might be sup-
posed to be peculiarly conversant, as the law of libel, and
the regulation of election committees, he has shown a la-
mentable want of comprehensiveness and skill.
His influence in the house is mainly owing to his peculiar
position with regard to Ireland. He is at times a very
powerful as well as eloquent speaker, and excels most in
touching appeals to the feelings, and descriptive efforts. The
Irish peasantry adore him. His accent is strongly 'lrish,
and his manner occasionally coarse and violent.