A BIG FORTUNE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1929, Page 2

A BIG FORTUNE

WELLINGTON RESIDENT A CLAIMANT.

WELLINGTON, July 14

The chance of coming into posses-' sion of a fortune, probably yielding over £IOO,OOO, does not often fall within the way of .most people. On Saturday, however, Mr Oscar Aubrey Everingham, a mechanic in. the employ of the Wellington Harbour Board, related the romantic story of the so-called Everingham millions, for which the members of. his family are at present pursuing their claims. In tracing back his relationship to Matthew James Everingham, a wealthy English merchant, who died about 90 years ago, leaving a fortune estimated to-day to be worth £11,000,000. Mr '-Everingham said that this gentleman was known to have had four sons, three of whom had been completely lost trace of, while the fourth, George, wont to Australia as a boy, settled, and married there. This George Everingham is proved by papers in Mr Everingham’s possession to bo his grandfather, and to his knowledge lie is the only direct descendant at present residing in New Zealand. For about 90 years this fortune has been in Chancery, and although there have been several attempts to claim it in the past, all the direct descendants, now mostly living in Australia, have combined in making a last determined effort to recover the fortune, as, after one hundred years, the money automatically passes to the Crown. The family history relates that about 35 years ago a certain lawyer was sent to England on behalf of the family to try to arrange for the distribution of the estate, but lie died suddenly on reaching there and was suspected to have been the victim of foul play. Since then nothing further lias been done in the matter. A firm of Sydney solicitors have taken up the case, free of charge, with the arrangement that they receive an equal share of the estate in common

with other beneficiaries if the claim proves successful. It is understood that advertisements for claimants have appeared in the principal Australian papers and approximately five hundred names have been sent in. but only direct descendants, who number about a hundred, will be recognised. Mr Everingham stated that during his 26 years’ residence in New Zealand he has only mentioned the matter to one or two intimate friends and that on making these statements to the Press lie laid himself open to ridicule if there were not a good chance of proving his claim, which may take place within several months’ time.