TOBACCO FORTUNES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 7 December 1927, Page 6

TOBACCO FORTUNES

TWO SISTERS LEAVE £3,720,000. BEQUESTS TO THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. Fortunes totalling nearly £4,000,000 have been left by two London sisters whose wills have been proved within a year and two days of one another. It was announced recently that Mrs Edith Annie Douglas-Hamilton, of Riverhall, Wadhurst, Sussex, and Queen’s Gate Gardens. S.W., had left unsettled property in her own disposition of the gross value of £1,755,795. On October 6 of last year it was announced that Mrs Hamilton Fellows, the sister of Mrs DouglasHamilton, had left £1,965,183. The fortunes are separate, the residue of Mrs Hamilton Fellows’ estate, after payment of legacies, having gone to the Countess of Kinnoull, her daughter. Both Mrs Hamilton Fellows and Mrs Douglas-Hamilton were the daughters of the late Sir Frederick Wills, the millionaire tobacco manufacturer. of Bristol. The residue of Mrs Douglas-Ham-ilton’s estate goes to her husband. Mr Percy Seymour Douglas Hamilton, and the following bequests are made: —£2s,ooo to Annie Besant (or other the president for the time being of the Theosophical Society), in furtherance of the work carried on by that society; £lO,OOO to the society known as “The Order of the Star in the East.” connected with the Theosophical Society; £20,000 to the Douglas Hamilton Education Trusts in-Great Britain and Ireland, Ltd.; £lO.OOO to Nina Alary Benita, Duchess of Hamilton and Brandon, to be applied by her, in her discretion, in furtherance of the work carried on bv the Animal Defence and Anti-Vivfhection Society. Fortunes left by other members of the Wills family include Mr H O. Wills. £5,214,821: Sir F. Wills, £"50.556; Mr H. H. Wills. £2,750,. 000; Sir E. P. Wills, £2.633,660; Lord Winterstoke. £2,548,200.