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Authors comments on the letters The three letters from Sarah L.L. Milner in England to Fanny Eliza Scott, her Sister-in-law in South Africa in 1910 - 1911, seem to be replies to letters presumably from Fanny requesting information on family interests such as our original family tree (chart), heraldry and probable inheritances. (The Leman and Jennings (Jennens ?) estates). The letters came from Ken, via Gordon, and are hand written copies in what I believe to be my Father Reginald's handwriting with notes by Ken. In her comments on these estates and who she considers to be in line to inherit, she exposes an undercurrent of secrecy, intrigue, deception, feuding and even murder, and fear for the lives of those in line. How much of this is imagined or fact is uncertain, but certainly intriguing and most interesting nearly a century later. Regrettably she does not go into specific detail on some issues. I find it very interesting that she would not disclose the family motto in her letters, almost as though it was some sort of secret password. I believe it was not unusual for families to change their motto from time to time, usually retaining the other heraldic symbols. The historical and heraldic information seems to be essentially correct and fits in with my researched family history, with some additional information which I have not come across before. The family chart (tree) she mentions is surely the one which was sent either to Reginald or Ken by one of the Norfolk cousins, and later copied by Marjorie and which I have used in tracing the lineage. There is no doubt that the elusive fortunes were taken seriously by both Fanny, Reginald and my elder siblings. Marjorie recalls when she was a child, being "all ears when these matters were discussed", and that our Grandmother Fanny was quite vociferious about this would-be fortune which she claimed was due to our Father. A lawyer friend of Reginald's who lived in Port St. Johns, a Mr. Balsillič, was asked by Reginald to investigate the possibility of retrieving the Leman money being held in Chancery in London, but the advent of World War 1 prevented this investigation. Many years later my brother Duncan made a similar attempt to locate and retrieve this money, but was regretably also unsuccesful. In order to more easily identify the people and follow the events, I have numbered the characters as they are mentioned for the first time in her letters, and given the same numbers to those names in the more complete family tree titled "Detail of Scott Tree - Norfolk Era". I have not yet been able to identify 'Charlie', who she mentions in letter number 1. Her reference to a D. Scott married to E. Jennings in letter number 2, is possibly the D'Oyley Scott mentioned in our family tree, married to Elizabeth Abbs whose mother was a Jennens. The 'first King of Scotland' mentioned in letter number 2, is probably David I, who's wife is recorded in the Balliol Tree and in James Renat Scott's "Memorials ...." as Maud. Brian Thompsett of Hull University gives David I's wife's name as Matilda. William IV reigned in the early eighties (1831), about the time of the demise of Scot's Hall in Kent. Her reference to the 'True Sussex Scotts' in letter number 3 is new to me, but as Sussex adjoins Kent, I think it is fair to assume this was a geographic progression from Scott's Hall, Brabourne and surrounds, prior to D'Oyley Scott moving to Norfolk.
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