WCP1716

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

Feb^y 7th. 1907

Dear Miss Taylor¹

I was indeed sorry to hear of your Aunts² [sic] death and give you my condolence & sympathy on your loss. It was however, a happy thing to pass away so quietly and without the weary discomfort of a long illness, and I can but hope that an equally quiet and rapid passage to the higher life will be my own lot.

Should you ever be [2] coming to Bournemouth I shall be very pleased to see you.

I don't know whether you have heard that, after 2 years delay, the long law process of the Swinton³ Will has been settled very much in Miss Swinton's favour, as she & her mother now receive all the property intended for the L. N. S.⁴ except £3000.

This was owing to a blunder of the lawyer who drew the [3] Will, giving the revenue from the property to the L. N. S. as a perpetual income, which is illegal, except for Charities.

As soon as this was printed out and "Counsel" declared the Will was invalid, the Swintons claimed the whole but offered the Society £.3000 if they would not go to Law.

I advised the Society to claim £.5000, but they were afraid of losing all! I believe they would have got very much more, probably half the whole property, as the intentions of [4] of the testator were so very clear, and that is always considered in Will cases.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]