ANOTHER CLAIMANT.

Evening Star, Issue 4095, 11 April 1876, Page 4

ANOTHER CLAIMANT.

Another claimant to a large estate in England has just been discovered on Australian soil, in the person of Mr Henry George Hodge, coachbuilder, residing in Victoria street, South Yarra. The estate, at the lowest estimate, is valued at L 400,000, and consists of freehold property situated in Compton street and Ludgate Hill, London, and in the county of Kent. Mr Hodge, it appears, is the lineal descendant of Mr Edward Smith, a laceman, Laving an extensive business in Ludgate hill, London, who died in January, 1790, leaving all his property to one Sarah Collins and her issue ; and in the event of the failure of such issue to revert to his own next of kin. Sarah Collins having died, and her line of succession havingbecome extinct, the property fell into Chancery. Mr Hodge’s father then became the heir, as next of kin to the original proprietor, but he took no steps to secure the estate, and eighteen months died at Sydney. Since then Mr Hodge has turned his attention to the matter, but owing to circumstances has only been able to initiate proceedings for establishing his claims quite recently. His principal difficulty lies in the want of pecuniary means to prosecute his purpose. He has, however, placed the case in solicitors’ hands, who, satisfied that the claim is genuine, have resolved to raise the sum of 1.2,000 by bonds of LSO each, payable on the Ist of June, 1877, bearing interest at the rate of 10 per cent, and secured on the property in question. They are also offered at such a discount as will render them a highly advantageous investment, and a number of them are already issued. Some LBO.OOO in bonds and cash belonging to the estate will fall to the female relatives of Mr Hodge, but there is no one to oppose him in his claim to the freehold property. Instructions were sent by last mail to a solicitor in London to take the preliminary steps for proceeding with the case.