Legacy of Murray McLeod Wilson

Submitted by Administrator on 8 October 2008 - 3:38pm

John Hallett recently emailed copies of a very curious exchange of letters which took place in 1958/1959 between solicitors Moulden & Sons and the Department of the Army regarding Murray McLeod Wilson who died in the First World War and his grandfather Thomas Pugh who died in 1907:

Moulden & Sons writing on 1st December 1958:

re: Murray Wilson

The abovenamed was a member of the A.I.F. and was killed in action in the 1914-1918 war. His estate is entitled to a substantial sum under his grandfather's Will which we are now in the process of administering.

The letter does not mention whether they were refering to grandfather Thomas Pugh who died in 1907 or grandfather Allen Wilson who died in 1890! How did this come about? The letter did mention Murray's father Edward Percival Wilson who died in 1911 and his (Murray's) sister Louisa Wilson who died in 1922, but not his brother Percival Pugh Wilson who died in 1952. Perhaps it was this last brother through whom the bequest came.

An interesting aside which John Hallett picked up was that grandfather Thomas Pugh "... went to the Victorian gold diggings with J. Eldin Moulden" as reported in Thomas' obituary in the Observer. Pursuing this line, John found the following historical note on the Mouldens web site [the emphasis is ours]:

Mouldens was founded in 1851 (just 15 years after the proclamation of South Australia), by Joseph Eldin Moulden, who had been a solicitor in London from 1836 until he decided to try his luck in the new colony.

Needless to say the Army was not able to help.

Can anyone else?

1958 Murray Wilson - Moulden letter to Army1958 Murray Wilson - Moulden letter to Army

1959 Murray Wilson - Army letter to Moulden1959 Murray Wilson - Army letter to Moulden

‹ Foglesong Elijah Croucher born Kent about 1847 ›
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Legacy of Murray McLeod Wilson

Submitted by John Hallett on 10 October 2008 - 1:49pm.

Here is the response from Mouldens Solicitors, received 9 Oct 2008.

Dear Mr Hallett

I don't think that I can help you.

Firstly I should only divulge information to the trustees of the estate and secondly any information that we had is likely to have been destroyed or at best accessible only with some difficulty and at some expense.

You could perhaps try and get a copy of the probate from the Supreme Court Probate Registry.

I'm sorry that I'm not much help

Rod Behenna
Managing Partner
Mouldens Solicitors
80 King William Street
Adelaide SA 5000

Direct Ph: 8217 8213

Facsimile: 8212 7378
Email:

 

I have had a quick look but it appears that on-line queries to the NSW Supreme Court Probate Registry are not that possible. It would have to be done in person.

I am intrigued by the delay of many decades in settling what I presume was Thomas Pugh's estate. By the late 1950s there must have been numerous beneficiaries including my grandmother through the estate of her late husband , Percival Pugh Wilson. I recall no mention of it at the time but I was only 12yo then.

There must be some knowledge of this out there.