THE PROBERT LEGACY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 125, 22 November 1894, Page 2

THE PROBERT LEGACY.

TO TIIK FDITOR OF THE STAB. Sib,—Will you kindly publish the following extract from a speech delivered by th« Rev. Mr Lee at Wanganui last week. At the request of the Rev. C. H. Garland, Mr Lee gave a brief explanation of the circumstances connected with the Probert legacy. He said: "He was fairly conversant with the circumstances of the unfortunate gentleman's (Mr G. Probort) life, at any rate for many years past. Some years ago, probably about 40, Mr John Probert, came to New Zealand, and settled in Auckland. He was an industrious man, with a wife and no family, and in the course of time he acquired a considerable amount of property. He had a brother with a large family, to whom he had given during his life-time (according to some books to which he, Mr Lee, had had access for the purpose of refuting some scandalous statements made by society papers with reference to the will) sums amounting to no less than £15,000. Daring the latter years of Mr John Probert's life he (Mr Lee) had reason to believe the brothers were at variance, some people saying that the difficulty arose owing to Mr John Probert having become tired of again and again helping his brother. Before he died, however, a reconciliation was effected. In the course of time, Mr John Probert died, and his will was read. He (Mr Lee) said he would like it to be distinctly known that the Wesleyan Church had no previous knowledge of the contents of that will. The deceased gentleman was one of those who would not be advised on such a matter, even if it had been attempted. So far as he remembered, the will left £1000 to the New Guinea Mission and a similar amount to the Wesleyan Home Mission Fund, £500 to the Auckland V.M.C.A., and certain sums to other local benevolent institutions. To each one of his nephews and nieces (children of his brother) he left some £500, or a sum aggregating some* thing like £5000 or £6000. The balance of the property was left to the Wesleyan Church for the purpose of establishing a theological institution for the training of students for the church, the said institution to be in the Auckland district. He (Mr Lee) had omitted to mention that £100 had been left to the brother. Some time after the contents of the will had been made known the old gentleman waited upon him (Mr Lee) and asked whether it could not be altered. He (Mr Lee) consulted the trustees, and they in turn took legal advice, with the result that they were informed that the money could not be devoted to any other purpose than that for which it had been willed. It was within his knowledge that numbers of people connected with the Methodtat Church had offered to assist the unfor* tnnate deceased, and he had no doubt that Mr John Probert, in leaviug the money to his nephews and nieces, had anticipated that his brother would find a home with his children." I am, etc., W. H. Judkins.