New-York tribune., 1867-07-25
AMERICAN TITLE TO AN ENGLISH CITY

TIE INGRAHAM FAMILY's CLAIM TO THE SEIGNI-
DRY OF LEEDS.
About 200 representatives of the IngTaham
family m the United States met the Astor House yes
terday. Among them were gentlemen and their wives
from all parts of NewYor and from Rhode Island, Yer
mont Massachusetts, Connecticut New-Jersey, Pennsy
yania Ohio Kentucky, Illinois, and California. Mr.. W.
J. p neraham Of Philadelphia President of the Ingra
ham Association, called the meeting to order and made
verbal report of the action of the Executive COmmtee
mediatey after the october meeting when the family
empowered the Committee TO act they adVertlSedh IHE
WEEKLY TRIBUNE and other American journals OF large
circulation offering $4,000 reward for the original VIII OF
Joseph Wilson Of Yorkshire, England-a will which was
believed 20 be somewhere in America. The Committee
ransacked the country for information Dut without en-
cOuraCng result until January last when they traced IL
10 two lawyers but where the Committee do not say An
nervieww arranged, and in March last the csO0ias
Of mis- longost and hgly-przed paper offered TO
render II for $40 money and tenth Of the property
which devises The Committee rejected this PROPOSE
steS toay for t6e WILL as soon as it should be to their
satisfaction proved TO be genuine, $4,000 IN money ana
EOOOOIn the ngraham Associations scrip. The Com,
mtee have satisfied themselves that the descendants OF
Joseph Wilson can, II they chOOse establsh their cau
he paper which viii give them clean title the proper
ty that they claim. since a lawsuit might
l hare proposed Mr. ISgrSham having concluded
his remarks Mr.. Van Dorm of Vermont informed the
meeting that he had made personal inquiries N the Cly
Of Leeds and assured himself that all that the American
claimants require Is Joseph Cowels Will to establish their
ownership OF every rod OF land whef0h Ihe ey ls
every manufacturer aud every householder there to TINS
day being merely tenal paying ground rent 10 AGENTS
who to represent the lawful heirs ana the larger
manufacturers being desirOus Of finding somebody who
sen and give them perfect title to the lands on
After remarks by several lawyers OF the family STOCK
subscriptions opened with view 10 collecting the
necessary $4,000 and before the adjournment the sum
actually paid pledged reached about $500 The family
be and an The entire $4,000 has been
obtained until 1t shall become necessary 10 pay out
the money, the Executive Committee VIII deposit the
Associations funds with the Life and Trust Company Of
this city - a, /,
nearly ago, and which an Opulent aud busy
city Of 100000 population has been built Involves love
story which might form the thread Of readable romance
The daughter OF Joseph Wilson, wealthy reeholder OF
proud descent married witho1t her iaters approval
couple renounced by Wilson, emgrated 10 the American
Coones and cas- teir lo n Boston In 1880 Wilson died
without however, reenting toward his daughter, and
when his last testament opened appeared that nc
had given his property. consisting Of lands on the River
Aire-abOut six miles in length by three in width-tO his
granddaughter Sarah COwel, entaing II. however 10
the fourth generation The VIII was 10 Sarah COwe
long before her marriage with Timothy Ingraham. and
handed down 10 her daughter; but the estate being
entaied TO the OF heirs dwelling at great
distance, left in the hands Of agents and almost
turing town Of considerable Importance the vii
lands, and grandson OF the devisor made an at,
tempt the property hut he died shpbOard
before reaching England. The next effort was made IN
lsOS Dy Oapt solomon in' f @ q, i, tS
devisOr lie was an last lida captain ana sailed win
his wife from NewYOrk taking all the papers relating
to estate. These he iutusted 10 Mr. Eskne Of Lon
don, then an eminent lawyer but aierWard LrdC nan
eellOr Of England Capt lDgraham having ded at Mad
~.
nobody making further inquiry tOuchng the property
until 1925, when the Iugr0han family learned that Lon
don newspapers had contained advertisements seeking
the heirs They then sent Isaac Smith to England to
look up the estate which then reported 10 be worth
more than $4,000 year. He learned that the papers
had left by the first Lord Erskne 10 his aud
successor then Minister TO Belgium, and that
they were locked up in London. Therefore
Smith returned unsuccessful, TO America. No further
effort made until 1852, when Gilbert r. Gladding
of Providence and Columbus Smith OF Vermont the lat
Ter lawyer who had been emhenty successful IN prose
cutting American claims 10 English estates, went 10
london and saw the late Lord Erskine, 10 whom the
papers had fallen but Lord Eskne daled with Messrs
faddng and smith until their funds falling, they
compelled to return 10 America. Mr. Giadding pursued
his RESEARCHES and after securing England IN van died
I'm Providence the fun belief that the VIII had been
brought back the United States aud was to
be found In this country Mr. W. j. i. Ingraham and
others took the task in hand where Gadding left IT, and
were until recently subjected to the SCOTS OF many incred
ulOus heirs but the announcement Of the finding Of the
will slenced cay and drew together the largest multi
tude Of the heirs that assembled Mr. ngraham has
no doubt whatever that the descendants OF Sarah COwe
this enormous property, which he estimates
90 be worth than OOOO-excusve OF the back
rents Tor which IL may not be worth the while to contend