The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-03-14
HEIRESS TO MILLIONS.

Successful Issue of Colonel Jacques Mis-
sion in Behalf of the Claim of the Wife of
Deacon Brown to $40, 100000 Interest
In an English Estate-Vcry Good For the
Client and Very Good For the Colonel
BUFFALO, N. Y, March 1.-THE wife
OF Deacon Sidney S. Brown, of Bagdad,
near Gowanda, N. Y. has been acknowl'
edged by the Court of Queens Bench as
an heiress to the Lawrence Townley es-
tate in England, valued at 500, 900, 900,
about 10000, 900 of which is believed to
be her due.
Before the opening of the present CEN
fury Lord Townley owned fine estate
in England, and was the parent of will
full but comely lass named May, who, de-
spite her fathers protest, became engaged
to one John Lawrence, a man of good
family, but of no considerable wealth.
Failing to conclliate the lady's father, the
young people came to America and were
married at Springfield, Mass. During
much of the latter colonial period COM
munication was but little carried ON be-
tween the mother country and America,
and the father and daughter never be-
| came reconciled.
Lord Townley died, and the family in
England became extinct. For over fifty
years the estate was in the hands of the
English authorities, with no claimants,
and might have remained so up to the
present time but for the late war.
In 1860, James Jacques was a Meth
odist d. D., located in Illinois, but
following year he left his peaceful
pursuit of the ministry and enlisted as
private. Promotion soon followed
for bravery, he being the individual who,
uuaided, arranged the meeting between
President Lincoln and Jefferson Davis,
b. means of which he hoped for set
tie aent of the difficulties.
At the close of the war Colonel jacques
went to Springfield, Mass, to engage in
the ministry, and while there accidentally
ran across the record of the marriage of
John Lawrence and Mary Townley. Being
aware of the estate in England awaiting
claimants, Colonel jacques set about
hunting up the heirs. His investigation
brought him to Gowanda, where he in
formed Mr. Brown that his wife, who was
a daughter of the late Judge Wilders, of
Springfield, was direct descendant of
Mary Lawrence, and therefore one of the
heirs of the vast estate.
Mr.. Brown executed bonds on the es-
tate, raised sufficient money to prosecute
the claim, and sent Colonel Jacques to
Europe, whittier he went after declining
tn position of Secretary of the Treas
urv under the late President Garfield.
Soon after his arrival in England the
Cou;t of Queens Bench decided hat
the claims of the American heirs was val
id, and since that time Colonel Jacques
has been engaged in complying with the
technicalities of the English law.
Mr., Brown has received q letter from
! Colonel Jacques stating that he has given
two members of the House of Lords an
interest in the estate, for which they are
to procure an act directing the transfer
of the proceeds of the estate to the Treas.
ury of the United States. Colonel jacques
is to recover one-third of the estate for
his labors; Sylvester Cowles, DID. OF
Randolph, purcha sed bonds on the estate,
and Is said to be very anxious to
live until the final settlement, when he
expects $3.50, 900. He is now over eighty
years old, and wants to round off use.
full career by endowing Hamilton College
from which he graduated, with $4,000;
i also placing $4,000 to the credit of d
negro college in Tennessee. He was one
r of the original anti-savery agitators, and
takes deep interest in the colored race,