MILLIONAIRE IN SLUM.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5163, 10 August 1927, Page 3

MILLIONAIRE IN SLUM.

GIGANTIC FORTUNE FOB NIECE. COULDN’T AFFORD TO MARRA’. (One of the biggest estates admitted to probate recently is that of Mr William Fox Tibbitts, formerly a. wellknown. solicitor, and one of the most interesting characters in Sheffield. Details of his will were announced other day. To outward appearance a poor man, . with scarcely two coins to rub together as the saying is, Mr Tibbitts died a few weeks ago at the age of 85, leaving estate valued at the breathtaking sum of £1,472,379. The bulk of this he left to his niece, Miss Henri- ■ ctta Sarah Fisher, of Frant Road, Tunbridge Wells, the sole executrix, to whom probate has been granted. Notwithstanding his huge wealth, Mr Tibbitts lived in a poor district of Sheffield, his abode being an old-fash-ioned house among back-to-back dwellings in Meadow Street. In mode of existence he followed the example of his neighbours, taking penny tramrides for recreation. Formerly he travelled extensively on the Continent, but gave up this acreation because, in his view, hotel charges had become too high. In the place of a car he owned a motor-cycle combina- * tion. He.never married, and, indeed, •declared semi-jocularly that, he could not afford to keep a wife. Few of Mr Tibbitts’ neighbours were aware of the fact that he owned large blocks of property in the City and held a controlling interest in many industrial concerns. His will, dated October 5, 1904, is a short document of fewer than 300 words. Testator left £5OO to the Sheffield Royal Infirmary, £lOOO to his clerk, William Knowles; £3OO to his housekeeper, Annie Elizabeth Knowles ; £lOO to his foreman, George Knowles; £7O to Annie Oxley; £9OO to Annie, wife of Benjamin Gleadhill; £250 to Annie Roberts. The remainder of his property gees in entirety to his niece. The duties on the estate at this- valuation, and - according to the disposition of the ' will, will amount to over £580,000. After payment of all duties and legacies the value of the retsiduary estate, at probate valuation, will amount to about £938,000 net. When it was reported that Miss Fisher was likely to become a millionairess through her uncle’s will all she would say was : “I do not want to talk about it.” Miss Fisher has lived in Tunbridge Wells for four years, and during that time has interested herself in Conservative work.