FAZACKERLEY MILLIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1923, Page 4

FAZACKERLEY MILLIONS

A ROMANTIC STORY. For the second time in twenty-five years a family of many branches will hold a meeting in Preston; Lancashire, the town of its origin, to decide what might be done to release a fortune of millions of pounds from Chancery, where it has ebon for close on thirty years. During that time no heirs have had possession of it, and lack of lunds and unity have prevented the family taking the matter to the courts of England, for a decision.

The story of the Fazackerlev iurtune seems like a great romance and indeed, like many true stories, :t is stranger than some fictions. It was pride that brought about an tilienu'.'.nn r.i two brothers, and the quarrel, which later rock place was the real reason why the rightful heirs never inherited a fortune which would have kept many families in a fluentc for any length of time. The Fazackerlev family has now established itelf in many parts cf the Em pile and America, and these members of rite family who have continents and oceans between Preston and their present homes will await with interest the results of the deliberations which have begun at the mass meeting. It was Mr Thomas Fazackerlev, ot Buchanan’s Road, Riccarton, a New Zealand descendant of Sir Nicholas Fazaekeiley, the founder ol the fortune, who told a “Lyttelton limes representative the story. It was in his house, SO, ILireourt Street, Preston, that the last mass meeting of the family was held, and through his efforts it was brought about. He did all the searchings in neighbouring churches to get a complete record of the old knight s descendants, and although lie spent much money and time the forty people who gathered at his home were prepared to face a long legal dispute, and as he had not enough money to carry ■bo responsibility of a suit himself, the matter dropped, and he with his wife and family, emigrated to New Zealand. “Apparently they want to make a jc.b of it this' time,” he said, ‘‘and till t tail- say is that 1 would like to he there to do some of the fighting. Nicholas Fazackerlev was barn t"wtttd' the end of ihe seventeenth von tury. and about 1730 he was bold Mayor of London. Later, he was vie ted ta the Mouse of Commons as member for Preston, and, in the md hi- public life was crowned by a knighthood. He wv.s a lucky man. and ho was ptr- -essed of a Midas quality, for

every venture he embarked upon in common oor otherwise, was sucoessi til. Accctding in the family story he hat 1 a start in life such as lew get. Hit uncle and godfather left him a fortune

of one million and a hall, this comitt. tindor his control at the age ot twenty one. From that time on it multiplier until his death.

The heart of the city of Liverpool belonged to him. and that part ol the town known as Fazaekcrlcy still belongs to the estate, and yields enormous revenue. Many of the Liverpool docks belonged to him. and doubtless lie has stti.nl there and watched his riihiy laden ships coming homo fioni the West Indies and the Americas.. Large pmrth ns cf London streets ids. lictoogi d c.) him, and still the rents tire pouring into the estate, but nobody is cutting any benefit from the revenue now. ami. all Ire: a use of tt quarrel between brothers almost two umluriet ago. the eliier, was fabulously rich, hut the ether, a fanner in IV* - toil, though ccmlYrtablc was not all blent. Me had little to do with Xich.ulas oeeau't’ he was conscious of a gull between them, and lie Icl t that ho ecu Id not accept a friendship which had a savour of patronage about <l. Sa lie went his way. and his brother

became little mote than a memory. Nicholas married, n young country woman named Ratlifie. but had no family, tttitl on his death-bed he asked for his brother, wlm was the only blood relative le had left. It was then his intention to leave his lortttue to uis brother and his children, hut I ale made the wheel spin allot lief way. The I:,other feeling that Nicholas should have made overtures to him sooner, in a message to the dying man said. “So long have l due without von I need no helping now." Enraged at 1 l is Nicholas made a new will, in which he |:-fl his fortune to the Ratltffe family .•is hug os it existed. A <ot y of litis will is now in ihe pc •session ol Mr Thom:!- For. tekoidey. The fortune descended tluotigh l.'re Rallilfn family, hut about thirty years ago, Hint family became extinct, and Htibtjiv knows now wlm the next -nit should he. The last Ratliffe to hold the money died thirty year- ago. ,; nd as he approached the end he tried to

gel the estill settled, but he was uii-t-hle lo do so. This man toll M‘ Thomas Fazarket lev's father that he .-ad no right lo the fortune, as he was nut a Rat I life, hut a foundling who had been adopted hy the Itt-t of the family.

While Mr Thomas Fazaekcrlcy was in England he did all in his power to straighten the matter out, hut there seemed to homo way in widen a beginning could be made.

Tu the meantime the story cun go no further limit that, but after the Preston meeting another chapter may l,c added, and a fortune of many millions may he divided among people scattered in different parts of the world, instead of lying uselessly • n-1 accumulating in some drab offices in Thread needle Street.

L3,000.Wi1l THE AS ERF. II ENT

LONDON. July •">

When the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine off ti e south coast of Ireland on May 7. R>lm rite had bullion on hoard to the value oi

C.'i.tmn.oot). . An expedition left Hover yesterday for the purpose of. trying to salve this tleasin'.'. It is In charge of Count /amii'di l.aiuli. a salvage expert, who purchased on behalf of a syndicate the sloop Buttercup from tfio Admiralty and renamed her Semper Paratus. Capable of a speed of 17 knots, she is sa'd to he the largest and fastest salvage steamer in the world. Her equipment includes powerful electric submarine lamps, pneumatic tools for under water work, nine sots of diving apparatus, together with a patent sa t Invented by Count l.arnli, who intends to us- it himself, and special electric blasting machinery. The "Daily Mail” Dover rumisppn<lout wires that other salvage experts, in addition to Count l.aiuli. were aboard the Semper I'arat Us, which had clearance papers for the North Atlantic.

As tie coast at Old Kinsalo is very nmged and exposed, the success of the salvage work will hugely depend on hue weather, hilt as the Lusitania lies on a gravel bottom, the actual blasting and cutting work should not he difficult. I n addition to the bullion, the Lusitania carried liianv valuable securities in steel, air-tight boxes.