A MELBOURNE CLAIMANT.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 582, 1 May 1876, Page 3

A MELBOURNE CLAIMANT.

Another claimant to a large estate in England has just discovered himself 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 £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 deecendent of Mr Edward Smith, a laceman, having an extensive business on Ludgate Hill, London, who died in January, 1790, leaving all his property to one Sarah Col ins 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 having become extinct, the property fell into chancery. Mr Hodge’s father soon became the heir as next of kin to the original proprietor, but he took no steps to secure the estate, and eighteen months ago 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 of 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 £2OOO by bonds of £SO 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 £BO,OOO in bonds and cash belonging to the estate will fall to female relatives of Mr Hodge, but there is no one to oppose him in his claim to the freehold property. The Age says that instructions were sent by last mail to a solicitor ,in London to fake the preliminary steps for proceeding with the case.