Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-07-30
AMER q TITLE TO AN ENGLISH
CITY.
THE TNeRAHAM FAMILY's CLAIM TO THE sEIt
NIORY OF LEEDS

family in the United States met at the Astor
House, New York, on Wednesday last.
Among them were gentlemen and their wives
from all parts of New York and from Rhode
Island, Vermont, Massachusetts,, Connect
cut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ken
lucky, Illinois, and California Mr. W. J.
P. Ingraham. of Philadelphia, President of
the Ingraham Association, called the meet
ing to order, and made verbal report of the
action of the Executive Committee since
their appointment in October last, showing
that Immediately after the October meeting,
when the family empowered the Committee
to act, they advertised in the Weekly Tribune
and other American journals of large circu-
lation, offering $780, 900 reward for the original
will of Joseph Wilson of Yorkshire, England
"a will which was believed TO be somewhere
In America. The Committee ransacked the
country for information, but without encour-
aging result until January last, when they
traced it to two lawyers, but where the Com
mttee do not say. An interview was ar
ranged, and in March last the custodians of
this long-lost and highly -prized paper offered
W pdAAShNiSA ~ iOA p1V1OOV III uuOutJ huu
tenth of the property which it devises. The
Committee rejected this proposition and
others; but at length, in June last, they cov-
enanted to pay for the will, as sOon as it
should be 10 their satisfaction proved to be
genuine, $4,000 in money and $4,000 in
the Ingrabam Associations scrip. The Com
mittee have satisfied themselves that the de-
scendants OF Joseph Wilson can, if they
choose, establish their claim by a civil action;
but they deem it prudent to purchase the
paper which will give them a clean title to
the property they claim, since a lawsuit
might be tedious and even more costly than
the proceedings which are proposed. Mr..
Ingraham having concluded hisremarks, Mr..
Van Dorm of Vermont, informed the meet
ing that he had made personal inquiries In
the City of Leeds, and assured himself that
all that the American claimants require is
Joseph Cowell's will to establish their owner
ship of every rod OF land whereon the city
is built-every manufacturer and every
householder there to this day being merely
a tenant, paying ground rent to agents who
assume to represent the lawful heirs, and the
larger manufacturers being desirous of find
ing somebody who can sell and give them a
perfect title to the lands on which all their
lives they have been merely squatters. After
remarks by several lawyers of the family,
stock subscriptions were opened with view
to collecting the necessary $4,000, and be-
fore the adjournment the sum actually paid
Or pledged reached about $4, 500. The family
will meet again to-day, perhaps with recruits,
and resume the subscriptions, and until the
entire 100000 has been obtained, or until it
shall become necessary TO pay out the money,
the Executive Committee will deposit the
Associations funds with the Life and Trust
Company of this city.
This remarkable claim to lands which were
bequeathed nearly 200 years ago, and on
which an opulent and busy city of 100000
population has been built, involves love-
story which might form the thread of read
able romance. The daughter of Joseph
Wilson, a wealthy freeholder of proud de-
scent, married, without her fathers approval,
Edward Cowell, plbeian OF Yorkshire,
and the young couple, renounced by Wilson,
emigrated to the American Colonies and cast
their LOT in Boston. In 1880 Wilson died,
without, however, relenting toward his
daughter, and when his last testament was
opened it appeared that he had given his
property, consisting OF lands on the River
Aire-about six miles in length by three in
width-to his granddaughter, Sarah Cowell,
entailing it, however, to the fourth genera
tion. The will was sent to Sarah Cowell
long before her marriage with Timothy In
graham, and was handed down to her daugh.
ter; but the estate, being unsettled and yield
ing no revenue, and being, moreover, entail
ed to the descendants OF heirs dwelling at a
great distance, was left in the hands of agents
and almost wholly forgotten except by them.
AT length manufacturing town of consider
able Importance rose on the Wilson lands,
and grandson of the devisor made an at
tempt to recover the property, but he died
on shipboard before reaching England. The
next effort was made in 1903 by Capt. Solo,
mon Ingraham, great grandson of the de-
visor. He was an East India captain, and
sailed with his wife from New York, taking
all the papers relating to the estate. These
he intrusted TO Mr.. Erskine of London, then
an eminent lawyer, but aftsrward Lord
Chancellor of England. Capt. Ingraham
having died at Madras, the papers were re-
tanned by Erskine in London, nobody making
further inquiry touching the property until
1926, when the IDgraham family learned
that London newspapers had contained ad-
vertisements seeking the heirs. They then
sent Isaac Smith to England to look up the
estate, which was then reported to be worth
more than 100000 year. He learned that
the papers had been left by the first Lord
ErsSine to his son and successor, then Minis.
ter to Belgium, and that they were locked
up in London. Therefore Smith returned,
unsuccessful, to America. No further effort
was made until 1862, when Gilbert R. Glad
ding, OF Providence, and Columbus Smith
been eminently successful in prosecuting
American claims to English estates, went to
London and saw the late Lord Erskine, to
whom the papers had fallen; but Lord Frs
kline dalliedwith Messrs. Gladding and Smith
until, their funds failing, they were compelled
to return to America. Mr.. Gladding pur-
sued his researches, and, after securing Eng
land in vain, died in Providence IN the full
belief that the will had been brought back
to the United States and was somewhere to
be found in this country. Mr.. W. ]. P. In
graham and others took the task in hand
where Gladding left it, and were until re.
Gently subjected to the scoffs of many in