Millions Still Waiting for Claimants

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 834, 30 November 1929, Page 18

Millions Still Waiting for Claimants

Romantic Pendrell Pension Dates Back to 1651 . . . Young Woman in New Zealand Only Bearer of the Name . . . Cab-Driver's Fortune . . .

aOW many people are un- 1 aware that they are entitled to a pension by de- 1 scent? Nobody, it might be reasonably supposed. Yet, by one of life’s strauge chances, a share in the most remarkable of all permanent pensions now awaits a rightful claimant, and twice previously shares in the same pension have gone begging. A romantic pension, this; for it links us with the days of Cavaliers and Roundheads —with the battle of Worcester in 1651. the rout of the Royal forces, the flight of Charles 11., and his escape at Boscobel, where, as every schoolboy knows, he was concealed in the branches of an oak by a yeoman family named Pendrell. What else Is commemorated by Oak Apple Day? What else could be commemorated by the wreath of oak leaves that used to be sent on that day from Tloscebel to be placed on the tomb of Richard Pendrell, who was buried in London? Where is the Missing Pendrell? A successor of the famous tree, grown from one of Its acorns, is still standing. So grateful was King Charles for the service rendered him in his flight (writes “A Next-of-Kin Agent” in ■Tit-Hits") that when he was safely on the throne he decreed that pensions should be paid annually foe ever to a number of those who had assisted him to escape. Some of these pensions are no longer issued. Two were to families named Yates, a member of which married her fifth husband when she was ninety, walked from Staffordshire to London two years later, and obstinately refused to die till she was 124 years old! In j 1534 one of the Yates pensions was commuted by the Treasury for £1,800; ! hut the other survives, aud so does the "Pendrell pension.” Nearly gone from the pay roll is! the name Pendrell, only one pensioner bearing it. She is'a young woman! in New Zealand, and when she marries the name will disappear. But j all over the world are scattered the ! known descendants of the loyalists ’> saved a Royal head, and the trust ted by King Charles more than i and a-half centuries ago cones. The money settled on those endants. with the exception «£ share at present unclaimed, is ,td regularly. Subtle Revenge te Income of the trust, which at i ent amounts to about £4OO a , Is secured on land that belonged toundheads in the days of King ••les, who thus took a subtle nge on his enemies. Since then, of course, it has changed hands innumerable times. till now the special liability attached to it is often overlooked, and many a man who purchases real estate on the west side of the Midlands is amazed to find (through receiving a demand note) that there is a charge on it as an expression of royal gratitude. Why is the unclaimed portion of this unique pension left in the hands of the trustees? Whatever the circumstances. they cannot be stranger than those iu which another portion was unclaimed some years ago. The so-called “Pendrell pension” consists of several annuities, one of which was granted to Mary, widow of Richard Pendrell. Eventually this came down to two of that yeoman's descendants —James Withington and Robert McLaren —who each received £SO a year. Like a good many other pensioners, they thought a lump sum was preferable to a small annual income, and they sold their shares. “I’ve had enough of this country.”

said Withington when he drew his money. "I’m going abroad.” McLaren, who lived in London, laid out the proceeds of his pension in a horse and cab. For about 30 years the pension was drawn without a break, first by the man who had bought it (one George Robinson) and afterward by his successor (Walter Robinson). Then the trustees, not knowing whether Withington and McLaren were alive or dead, became doubtful of that man’s ! rights. Could the two men sell more than their life interest in the pension? If ( not. and one was dead, the other was j entitled to his share, his interest in which ceased at his death. If both were dead, the pension passed to their j descendants. So the trustees ceased j paying it to Walter Robinson. A few years later he brought an I action, and the effect of the decision I was that only as long as Withington and McLaren were alive could the pension be paid to him. In this -way it became known that it was accumulating, and a hunt began for the missing men. McLaren was soon found, but over Withington the searchers were ! completely baffled. No record of his j marriage or death appeared to exist at Somerset House, and inquiries in ! foreign countries had a negative result. Searching Somerset House Nearly the earliest definite discovery made concerning the missing pensioner was that he had married and had four children. This made the outlook worse than ever, because it might be necessary to account for five more persons. But proof was obtained that the children had died without issue, and that their mother, too, was dead, 5 and some months later it was found I that Withington also had died. Ini stead of going abroad, as he said he ; would, he had remained in this couni try and been drowned in the Avon. | Simultaneously a fresh difficulty ■ cropped up. From a report of the in- ! quest it was clear that Withington j had married again. Where, then, was j his second wife? This was a problem j indeed, and when at long last it was solved —she, like her husband, was dead —it was succeeded by another. She had a daughter who. if alive, was entitled to her father’s share of the pension. As soon as she was heard of there was a fresh rush for Somerset House, aud when the searchers again failed there, they began combing all England. For months it seemed as it they might go on for ever without success; but at length somebody answered an advertisement., and it was established beyond dispute that Withington’s daughter by his second wife had died in infancy. At the same time the chief reason for all the difficulty that had arisen was made plain. As the Peudrells spelt their name in several ways— Pendrel, Penderel, Pendrill. and so on —Withington. as one of their descendants, seems to have thought he was free to do likewise. In consequence the entries relating to him and his family at Somerset House were indexed under variations of his name. His own death certificate bore the name of Wittington, and the child of his second marriage was registered as Mary Elizabeth Witherington. Had the searchers known the circumstances. they could have made speedy headway. As it was, their hunt extended over two years and a-half. His Birthright Restored What was the result of their work? Robinson was entitled to McLaren’s share and McLaren to Withington’s

share, with arrears in each case. Obviously, moreover, on McLaren’s death his successors would be able to claim the whole £IOO. By a strange coincidence, his heir had been missing tor 12 years; but the search had straightened out the tangle for the time being. McLaren, now more than 75 years of age, lived in a basement kitchen of a house in or near Pentonviiie Road, where he dragged out a bare existence on the old-age pension (at this time five shillings a week) and a little money earned by his wife at artificial flower-making. He was overjoyed on hearing that the equivalent of .the birthright he had sold was to be restored to him, though it was necessary to give him an outline of the circumstances over and over again before he could understand by what turn of fortune’s wheel so strange a thing had come to pass. When he did grasp it, the old cabby in him came uppermost. “Ah!” he said, "and now we’ll have, a hit more to eat, though food isn’t much good to me, and—yes, then’ we’ll move from this old kitchen to somewhere where the sun comes in, and 1 can sit by the window and see the horses again.” It seemed that his ambition would be achieved with ease, for he was entitled to arrears of pension, in addition to £SO n year. But before ho received the fiist instalment he died? So, as his heir was still missing, the search for the rightful claimant began again. Trustees in general do not concern themselves about such matters. Their attitude is that it is not for them to find people who may be entitled to shares in the pension: it is for those pepple to come forward and prove their title. ® This is perfectly regular. But my opinion is that the latitude the law allows to holders of unclaimed funds in the mass is scandalous. Beyond question, millions now lying dormant could be paid out to the persons entitled to them. Unpaid for Nineteen Years As an instance, two men (let us call them A. and B.) were registered i as joint owners of a number of shares in a. company. Both had addresses in an English city; but there was a special note in the register, bearing a date, that B.’s address was then in Sydney, New South Wales. A. died, and, though this was not formally notified to the company, it was well known to the officials. Nevertheless, as A.’s name appeared first j>n the register of shareholders, notices nnd dividend warrants continued to be sent to him, only to come hack, endorsed ‘(Gone away” or "Deceased.” This went on for 19 years, dividends accumulating all the time, and then B. died. Shortly afterwards his executrix claimed the dividends. The company, relying mainly on the notices sent to a man unofficially known to be dead, refused to pay most of them; but in the end they disgorged.