26th October 1930

Jersey death causes confusion in Scotland

When Annie Cameron died in Jersey on 26 October 1930, she left lawyers scratching their heads. Nobody was quite sure where she ‘officially’ lived, since her estate, valued at £77,000, was spread across Jersey, the mainland and India. She had bequeathed everything to the University of Edinburgh to fund an annual award for the best essay on bacteriology.

Who should inherit?

Some argued that £77,000 was an astronomical sum – and far too much to be given with the sole intention of establishing a prize fund. However, by the time one year and a day had passed from her death, with nobody making a counter claim, the laws of Jersey stated that her wishes, as expressed in her will, should be carried out to the letter. The mainland laws were different, though, and made it clear that, whatever her wishes, her next of kin was entitled to benefit from her estate. Naturally, those next of kin were keen that it be proved that she had lived ‘officially’ on the mainland, while the Scottish attorney general, according to The Scotsman of 15 July 1932, “suggested that the next of kin might be got rid of with a small payment”.

In the end, the court agreed, awarding two relatives £1000 each and advising the university to apply for the surplus to be sent its way.