Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-08-14
ALEXANDRIA, I'd. CO.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST IA. 1888.
THELLUsON's PROPERTY.

IHELLUSON'S PROPEkII.
The English papers received BY the last ar.
rival state, that the celebrated Will of Mr.. 1hel.
luson has again been brought before Parliament.
An account Of this remarkable Will is gwen BY
Mr.. Christian. in one Of his notes to Blackstone
! ii. p. LA. TheIluson was an eminent merchant
Of the City Of London. and had three sons. to
whom he bequeathed some inconsiderable Iega.
cies; the rest Of his immense property he de-.
vised to trustees. nearly to the following effect,
viz: in trust, that they should receive the
rents, interests and profits. and dispose Of them
for the purpose Of accommodating, during the lives
Of his three sons and the lives of all their sons
who should be living at the time of his death, or
who should be born in due time afterwards, and
during the life and lives Of the survivor or sur.
vivors Of them:"-and then he directed. {" that
after the dscease of the survivor Of such persons,
the accumulated fund should be divided into
three shares, and that one share should be con.
veyed to the eldest male ineal descendant Of
each Of his three sons, and upon failure Of such
descendant, that share to 60 TO the descendants
Of the other sons; and upon failure Of all such
male descendants, all the accumulated property
to be applied 10 the use Of the British Sinking
Fund" At the time of his death, his three sons
were living; they had four sons living. and two
other twin sons were born afterwards, who of
course were then en- Uenfre so mere 1t was
calculated, that at the death Of the survivor Of
these nine persons, the accumulated fund would
probably amount to above nineteen millions ster
ling.
This extraordinary Will, adds Mr.. Christian,
did not originate from any dissatisfaction which
the testator's family had ever oecasoned, though
he was resolved that none Of his descendants
who were born or in embryo at the time Of his
death should ever enjoy any part of his property.
The Will was contested BY the heirs; bot the
Chancellor and the Judges, after hearing coun.
sci several days, decided in favor of its validity.
To prevent similar instances, Parliament, how.
ever, very shortly afterwards passed an act, by
which the power Of settling and devisiug proper.
ty for the purpose Of accumulation was thence.
forth restrained IL twenty one years after the
death Of the grantor or testator.
Lord Lyndhurst has now, after the lapse Of
many years, brought in bill TO alter the DISPOSE.
ton of the "ThslIuson Property, to prevent
the constant consumption of large portions Of it
by Chancery, trust and other expenses, and to
divert parts Of the property to the living descend
ants of the testator, now in distressed or dcs.
titute condition"
The principal heir, it is stated, has been ere.
ated Lord RendIesham, and his portion Of the
estate is estimated at sixteen millions of pounds
sterling. Lord Lyndhurst entered into remark.
able details to show the effects that were expe-
rienced from compliance with the terms Of this
will, and the enormous sums that were Constant.
ly deducted from the accumulating property,
while many descendants were in want. No final
disposition was made Of the subject.