Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-21
A TEN MILLION DOLLAR
Case Settled at Last-The Singer Estate
Divided Between his Five wives
and his Twenty-Five
Children.

Chicago Inter Ocean: All contests against
the will of Isaac NJ. Singer in this country
have been disposed of, all claims against the
estate have been settled, and more than
nine million three hundred thousand dollars
distributed to the twenty FIVE persons named
in the will. This has been accomplished
within two years, and the surviving executor
has gone to England to settle up the estate of
five million, In that country, 1t will be re-
membered that five women called Mr.. Singer
husband, and twenty five children called him
father. The will divided his property In
America, valued at about nine million dollars,
into sixty portions, these including requests
to all his children, illegitimate as well as
legitimate, and to the last wife. To the two
children of his first wife he gave ten thousand
five hundred dollars; to the eight surviving
children of Miss Sponsler who was known as
his wife when he turned his attention to
inventions, he gave one million seven hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars; to the FIVE
children of Mary NJ 'Caugal, who lived with
him as Mrs. Matthews, he gave the same
amount; to the child Of Mary E. Walter, who
lived with him as Mrs. Merritt, he gave por-
tons valued at four hundred thousand dol
lars; to his last wife he gave seven hundred
thousand dollars, and to her SIX children por-
tons valued at five million three hundred
thousand dollars. Mary Ann Sponsler, or
Mrs. Foster, claimed to be the lawful widow
of Mr.. Singer, and contested the will, but the
decision was against her, the court holding
that Isabella L. Singer, OF England, was the
widow. The executors compromised with
Mrs. Foster, paying her seventy-hve thousand
dollars. The children all claimed their por-
tons, and all the property In America has
been distributed. The property in England
was settled on Mrs. Singer and her children.
There was queer complication In this case,
as MVs. Singer, whose maiden name was
Boyer was married under the name of Sum-
merville. Before his death Mr.. Singer made
a trust deed, conveying this property to his
wife, and signed will giving the property
in England exclusively to her. Mrs. Cath
crime II. Singer the first wife, is living with
her children, in Brooklyn; Miss Sponsler,
now Mrs. Foster, is living with her husband
in New York; Miss M'Gangal, otherwise
Mrs. Matthews, is IN Europe; Miss Waller,
or Mrs. Merritt, is living In England. All
romance and sad experience in the lives of
these women came out in the contested will
case. But now that all complications have
been arranged, and all claims paid, this eel
ebrated case will cease to interest the peo-
pie. Mrs. Singer, the last wife, lives on the
country seat In PaigntOn, England, where
her husband had planned to erect a residence
that was to outshlne all of the old baronlal
castles. This was TO be called the Wig
wan, was to have private theater and
and all the modern appliances and improve
ments. This was put under contract, but
was not completed at the time of Mr.. Singers
death. MIR. DAVID Hawley, ex -cutor of the
Singer will, left New York on Saturday for
Paiguton to complete arrangements for plac-
ing the English estate in the control of Mrs.
Singer. The woman who took up with an
adventurer IN France, and who, several years
after, as Mrs. Singer, was snubbed by New
York society, will then be worth nearly six
million dollars.