The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-21
THE CHADWICK MILLIONS
A Great Chancery Suit to Be Compro-
missed in Favor of Philadelphian.
The Romantic Story of Vast English Estate
That Has Been Waiting for an HeIr-st-Law
120 Years-A Twenty Years Fight.
Philadelphia Press.

Philadelphia Press
1t is just twenty years this month since
Cornelius Chadwick. of 207 South Fifth
street. first learned that he was next in
line TO the heir-at-law of the fab ulous
wealth of old Sir Andrew Chadwick. who
died in England in 176S. After persistently
fighting the Court of Chancery, with the
101 English agents and barristers. all those
long twenty years. the enormous estates OF
the old English knight are at last In sight
of the American claimant, and q compro-
misc 10 before long expected by which Mr..
Chadwick, who is now the heir-at-law. and
the powerful New York syndicate which is
furnishing the sinews of war to prosecute
the claim. VIII receive large portion of an
estate valued at no less than $lS7. 5000
For . century and a quarter. the lands
and houses and the wealth of old Sir An
drew Chadwick have fattened on them
selves within that seventh gate of legal
hades. the English Court of Chancery. For
over q century the law ers OF I'm gland have
fattened on the legal lights for the posses
sion of the rIpening plum.
For over one hundred years this plum has
fed noble lord and hungry plebeian alike.
but never tickled the palate of the rigbtfu
owner. Men have died without knowing it
was so near them. and still others have met
violent death striving TO obtain possession
Of it. TemptinRly 1t has hung in the grim
portals of the Court of Chancery. from
which. after being guarded TOR over cent
ury by the English agents and lawyers, 1t
is ct last about to be plucked by the Amer
lean claimant.
The story of Sir Andrew Chadwick and
his fortune reads like romance, or what
10 even more marvellous, like the life of the
great Malbrook." for. like Churchill, he
through her favors amaesed his fortune.
Away back In the beginning of the last
century. when the armies of Queen Anne,
under the famous Marlborough, or. as the
French called him. Malbrook, were max
ing history at the expense of the Marshals
of Louis the Grand there was In the ranks
Of the Second Horse Guards a fearless,
massive and handsome private named An
drew Chadwick. In those days even q
private could gain the commentator of
the great Marlborough. Andrew Chadwick's
bravery attracted the notice of his COM
mander. and when ne returned to England
from the wars he was sergea Mt or horse
guards.
HIS dutiesl as an officer of the Roy al
Guards kept him near the royal family,
and it Is to this that his sudden rise in life
Is to be attributed. One day while the
Queen was out riding her horses became
unmanageable and started at furious
pace for q near by precibice. Seeing the
Queens danger Chadwick drove his spurs
into his horse and started in pursuit of the
runaway team. de dashed In front or the
leaders just as they were about to leap over
the precipice. Jumping from his horse ho
threw his powerful frame upon the fright
ened horses and bore them TO the ground,
narrowly escaping being hurled over the
precipice himself
When he awOke to consciousness il was
In a hospital, where he lay at the point of
death for three months with broken limbs
and crushed ribs. So grateful was the
Queen that she visited him herself and took
him raspberry jam and other delicacies
daily until he recovered.
KNIGHTED BY THE QUEEN.
Then amid great pomp she touched his
injured shoulder with the sword of knight
hood, and he rose Sir Andrew Chadwick.
knight Banneret OF England, and of the
Order of the Garter. Chadwick was as
handsome knight as ever graced the
court of the admirer of handsome men,
Queen Anne. From one position of honor
10 another he rose until he became First
Lord of the Royal Bed-chamber and Chief
Keeper of the Royal Garter; that is the
Order Of the Garter. Here be divided his
hme between giving ont the garters to the
knights entitled to wear them; making the
Queens bed and placing the warming pan
between the sheets, and indulging In profit
bble speculations with the heavy emolu-
ments of his Office
Once again be saved his Queens life.
One night q wild shrek rang through the
front hallway of the royal palace. The
lucky lord of the bed-chamber recognized
the voice of his Queen. He wildly rushed
TO the staircase. and got there Just in time
to receive full in his arms her plump little
body. She sweetly smiled her thanks on
her handsome knight, and until her death
treated him with tender consideration. At
her death he retired from court and mar
ried far Mistress Margaret Humphreys. of
Deptford, IN County Kent.
Er-Ir 1AI H. -
ing lady and serv ants. the good Sir Andrew
looked out upon bis broad estates for the
last time one summon day In 176S, and at
the good old age of ninety-eight went to
ing mistress survived her lord. then she
went TO rest beside him in old Marlebone
church-yard.
But the fortune which good old Sir An
England with more chapters than did ever
his good right arm in life. At the time of
his death the good Sir Andrews's posses
sions bad grown to the neat little sum of
In London, whore he owned over one thou
sand houses The lusty old knight. how
ever. had no children to whom to leave his
piles of bricks and broad acres. So long
before his death be went on pilgrimage
into Chesire. amid the scenes of his humbl
birth, to look for the long-neglected broth
ers OF his childhood. He found they were
dead. The oldest had died without issue.
was the ancestor of the present claimant,
Cornelius Chadwick, had married and gone
away and died in q distant country.
Old Sir Andrew gave up the search, but
made o will in which he declared that he
was the son of Ralph Chadwick. of Cooley.
in the county 'Palatine, Chester. and left
his vast estate to the heirs-at-,aw to prove
their claim. Bv his will he appointed az
his executors Alexander Scott and Fivelet
Groves, but they, neglectlng to sign the
, paper, 10 was declared null and void. In
the course Of time Scott laid claim to the
property as chief executor, but Lady Chad
wick contested his claim. and after eleven
hearings the Lord Chancellor decided that
the court was still open TO the heir-at-law
10 prosecute the claim TO the property.
In 17I4 two men named Edward Birch
and Matthew Martin were sentenced to be
hanged ct Tyburn for forging Will pur
porting to be Sir Andrew Chadwick's by
which they strove TO obtain possession Of
the property.
THE TREASURES IN THE BANK.
From then on the estate has been securely
tied MP in chancery. In the Bank of Eng
land. hanging from the walls. are time
stained and valuable paintings which have
borne the same brass tags of the Court of
Chsncery for over q century. In the vaults
of the Bank of England are massive chests
and trunks bearing almost az much dust as
was gathered In the famous forty centuries
which looked down upon Napoleon's hosts