Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-08
GREAT FORTUNES.


the fact that In 1872 there appeared in the
London Spectator o list of almost every one
who had died in England between 1862 and
1872 leaving personal property over twelve
hundred and fifty thousand dollars Itappear.
ed by this that ten persons had died within
the decade in Great Britain leaving more than
a million sterling, fifty leaving more than
a half million, and hundred and sixty-one
leaving more than aquarter of million. These
estimates, be it borne in mind, referred only
to personal property, and in no case included
real estate 1t may be added that in apprais-
ing for probate duty the estimate is very low,
The list contained only the following peers
and peeresses, much Of whose personally was
10 plctures plate, and costly furniture The
Marquis OF Lansdowne, revenue principal.
ly drawn from Ireland, where he did not re-
side, e350,000; the Duke of Cleveland, revenue
drawn from great English estates, 9SOO, 600:
Duke Of Newcastle, &250,0OO; Duke of Nor
thumberland, vast estates and collieries.
f5OG, 900; Marchioness Of Londonderry prin-
clpally collieries, 100000; another Duke of
Northumberland $3.50, 900; Lord Aveland, the
cat-graDdsoD OF wealthy merchant, landed
estates, s400, 900; Countess Of jersey banker,
e3OO,0OU Marquis of Salisbury, of economical
habits, real estate of great value, some of it in
London, 100000; Earl of Aoergavenny, real
estate, Clergyman OF retired and saving habits,
f30O,000: Earl of Normanton, son of an Irish
Archbishop, much of the money originally
came from the Irish Church, s7OO,OOO; Lord
AshburtoD, (Baring,) G250,O0U; Lord Lecon
field, immense real estate in England and Ire
rCS0
greatest landlord In London, 100000; Lord
Foley, money chiefly derived from sale of fam
lily estates to Lord Dudley for e990 900, f25O,-
600; Lord Derby, real estate which through
rise OF property around Liverpool has become
worth sl50,00O a year; Lord Hotham, penu
rous bachelor, with great Yorkshire estates,
f5OO,0 900; Marquis Of Hereford, income of
some 920O, 900 a year, from real estate, Eng-
land and Ireland, always resided in Paris. a
bachelor, 100000; Earl of Lonsdae, owned
great part of Cumberland and Westmoreland
bachelor 100000; Duke of Bedford, i'm
mense mineral and landed estate, hypocbon.
driac bachelor, 100000.
In personality, therefore, the peerage has less
than ten per ct. of the whole number of mil
!lonalres enumerated, but in the case of about
halt the peers enumerated, had their real es-
tate been thrown into the scale they would have
entirely outweighed any name in the list. or
those of million and upward, H. Gurney, of
the great eastern counties Quaker banking
hrm, was sworn under sl,lU0,000; Richard
Thornton, merchant, S2,SO0,OOO; Samuel
Eyres, Armley, Leeds, 10 doubt q manufac.
turer, sl,200,O00; Sir Benjamin Guinness.
Guinness stout,) Gl,100,OQ0. Sir Bepiamip.
who had restored ST. Patricks Cathedral at
cost Gl2O,O0O, also owned immense real estate
IN Ireland. Samuel Scott, banker, bachelor
whose family founded the fortunes of Mr.. Glad
stones father, $4,00O;000 Much of this for
tune was the result OF saving. Thomas Field
en- made in trade FL 300, 900: Baron Nathan
lei de Rothschild, FL 9l,S00,Q00; G. Loader.
trade, 93,000,000 W. H. ForInan, el 900.
UOO; w. Crawshey, iron master, 92,2O0, 900.
Bakers, brewers, and manufactures chiefly
composed the golden roll. Iron masters, too.
made handsome show, Mr.. l. G.. Abbott, of
Newcastle. having 100000, and Mr. Hardy,
OF Low Moor, e500,O0O; besides Mr.. Crawshey
already mentioned, ,one Goldsmith figures 10 the
list for 250,00O, and an electro platter for $780,
oOO How we'll the Arkwright family have
kuown how to keep the wealth beaueathed
them by the famous founderof the family, was
shown by Mr.. Peter Arkwright leaving sSOO,-
ooO Rev. |. Arkwright, e40O 900, and Rev.
Godfrey Arkwright, s300,OOO They had i'm.
mense estates as we'll. The same may be said
OF the Peels, also sprung from the loom One
OF them figures in this list for e300,000 The
two greatest personal fortunes kuown to the
English Court of Probate do not appear. They
were those OF Mr.. Morrison, of the firm of
Morrison u Dillon. dry goods merchants and
Mr.. Brassey, railroad contractor Mr. Nor
rlson's will was sworn under f4,00O,OOO and
he was said to have estates in fifteen counties,
which, there is no doubt, were worth at the
very least million more. He entered Paria-
ment for short time, but otherwise never
came forward in public life. Although of
humble origin he married his employers
daughter, and this was the foundation of his
fortunes. He had a genuine love of art, and
spent great sums upon It, Sir Charles Elst-
lake and other eminent academicians were bis
frequent and favored guests, and his very
tables and chairs were modelled after their de-
signs. His beautiful seat, Basildon, near
Heading Berks, was full to ovelf f,wing with
exquisite works, but there was an utter absence
OF all vulgar ostentation. Mr.. Brassey carried
this retiring and unostentatious dspo-
s1tion ever further. One very mod
crate. sized mansion in Lowndes square sufi-
ccd for him-while Mr.. Morrison had three
resldences-and an old friend of his used to
declare that he never saw him thoroughly
|retched but once, when Mrs. Brassey had set
her heart upon rather conspicuous mansion
near Cambridge House (then occupied by Lord
p'almerston) in Piccadilly. But presently she,
the best and most amiable of wives, as be was
Of husbands, gave way, and Mr.. Brassey's
brow was smooth again. He seemed to care
nothing for money for himself; all his thought
Vas Tor his sons. Mr.. Brassey divided his
property equally between bis three sons. Mr..
Morrison left more to his eldest son than to
lns rest. In his will he says: Il leave to my
ysaest 'r;test son legacy of one million sterling"
inls was up to that time the only legacy of
mat ,n amount on record in England. In addi-
oon he bequeathed to him vast estates. His
second son, Alfred, whose house on Carton
mousse Terrace is one of the sights of London,
.i;celVed about forty thousand pounds a year;
ule younger has between twelve thousand
pounds md trrantu thass.a.,d x>au-ls