Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-05
WILL Of JOHN P. BRANCH
GIVES ALL TO CHILDREN
Observation-Disclosures Leaves Es-
tate Valued at S2,705,OOO, Main
ly Personal Property.
JOHN X. BRANCH IS EXECUTOR
No Charity requests in Document,
Which Is Wholly In Handwriting
OF Testator-Half Of Estate to BE
Kept in Trust.


| The VIII OF John Patteson Branch.
hhahcier. banker and philanthropist.
VINO died at his residence, West
FRANKLIN Street. on February ., was
| filed for probate in the Chancery Court
Yesterday afternoon before Judge VIII
nam n. Moncure by Leigh Il. Page, at
| torney for John Kerr Branch the
executor. The will was witnessed by
q. t. Nanderslicc, NJ. G. Branch and r.
q. Caoeil, and these, together with the
! executor, appeared in court
me estate Is appraised at sc,195.oO0.
! OF which there is personal property to
inc extent of $2,1S3,O00 and real estate
'aiued at $4,000. John Kerr Branch
uu"iiiieu as executor of the estate, and
| 81. 100000
The bulk of the estate is left to his
lour children--John Kerr Branch
hiEthe W. Branch. Mrs. Margaret Branch
Glasgow and Miss Enle Branch in
| codicil dated January s, 1914. a be-
quest OF sl50,000 outright IS made to
lfiFthc w. Branch. who lives in Paris
FAMILY HOME is
LEFT TO HIS DAUGHTERS
INC house at West Franklin
street and all household furniture, in
Guiding his china. glass, pictures and
enGravinGs. are left to his two daugh-
ters, Ellie Branch and Margaret Branch
Glasgow. These are also bcaucathed
TWO lots or land. ono fronting nino and
one mar rect on Franklin street, adj
Joining the residence, and one front
ing sixteen feet on Foushcc Street, sit
uated south OF tho house at West
FRANKLIN street. and north Of the prop
| cry or Grace Episcopal Church
The residue of the estate ia left
equally to the children, one-halr alb
solutc and one-half to be held in trust
John Kerr Branch. the executor. is
named as the trustee to whom this
property is intrustcd BY n special
clause In the will hc IS not REQUIRED
TO give n security rs trustee, and is to
nave compensation of per cent on
the income for his services
ESTATE DIVIDED EQUALLY
itETWEEN Ills FOUR CIIIIDRES
The residue OF the real estate, other
. man INC mouse at l West Franklin
street and the two lots. is to DO sold
by the executor. and the proceeds are
To he divided equally between the chill
drcn living at the time of his dc,.b
In order to facilitate this division nro-
vision Is made that tho executor MAJ
sell this property. Of which no dcscrin-
ton Is made, from time to Tina at
either public or private sales and 10
collect the rents and profits and to di
vide these equally between tho childron
one-half Of the residue of the whole
estate Is to be divided equally between
the children living at tho time OF his
death. The remaining one half OF the
estate. In which is included stock I'm
the Merchants National Bank, of which
ne was president: Richmond Fred
| cricksburE and Potomac Railroad and
| in the Petersburg Savings and Insur-
ahce Company, at market valuation is
| Dc1ucnthcd to John Kerr Branch and
Arthur Glasgow, TO be divided into
four equal parts and to bc held I'm trust
for the benefit OF the children. The in
. come Is TO be paid quarterly
WILL. WRITTEN IN MIR. BRANCHS
OWN HANDWRITING
In codicl to the Will dated April
- 1917, the appointment of Arthur
q. Glasgow is revoked and Melville c.
branch is substituted.
Tho viii Is dated May e. 1911 and
is written on legal cap paper. fifteen
pages in length. 1t is in Mr.. Branch's
handwriting. There are three codiciIs
In the first codicil. dated May 10, 1911.
the appointment Of a trustee by the
Chanccry Court 1T the time OF his death
was revoked and the privilege Of al
lowing his children TO choose a trustee
was made. There are no bcuucsts OF a
public character
Inc estate was appraised by James
~: noolcy. James Caskic Coleman
Workman. James 7. Sloan and Robert
g. Cabcll. Tho executor stated i'm
answer TO n question from the court
that the tcStator did not own any prop-
erty outside OF the State OF Virginia.
IL was said yesterday that the will
would have been filed for probate be-
fore. hut that tho executor was unable
! to appear In court because OF the illness
OF his sister. Miss Efie Branch
| real. ESTATE HELD ny
LAND COMPANIES
The comparatively negligible show
Ing OF the real cstatc-only $4,000 out
OF total estate OF s2.795, O00-is cx-
planned by the fact that tho extensive
| real properties OF Mr.. Branch appear
| In the form OF stocks and bonds in
various real estate holding companies.
The best known OF these concerns Is
tho kinSsland Land Corporation. which
| controls some of the most valuable OF
| the Branch holdings.
Mr.. Rrarch was known as the owner
| of much valuable residence and bust
| ness property. His holdings of unde-
vclopcd and developed property on
| Monument Avenue were extensive.
| From the fact that the appraisers list
! only $1,000 in real estate 1t appears
! that practically all this class OF
property owned by Mr. Branch had been
| transferred 10 holding companies,
! whose securities are classcd as per-
sonal property In the statement of the
! court.
Confirms Large Class.