Show CONTEST nN FOR A I Property in New York YorI Valued at t t STORY LIKE A ROMANCE ROMANCES S I ILAND LAND ACQUIRED DURING D ING THE EARLY EARL REPUBLIC I f t I de co Washington April The history ot of atthe the colossal fortune of the he late Robert Edwards reads like one of Alexander Dumas Duma finest romances but the facts are apparently substantiated by incon records and the claimants of will wm be seen are ar the dese descendants of well known k owa families among among the early settlers of Virginia Maryland and Kentucky S The records t Of if f Northumberland coun county county county ty Virginia show that Robert Ed Edwards Edwards Edwards wards son of William Edwards of ot Lan Lancaster Lancaster Lancaster caster county who married Miss Mary Nicholson Haden Radon and whose mother moth r was Ann Harrisn daughter of Colo Cole Colonel Colonel nel Benjamin Harrison of f Virginia and an ancestor of the two presidents of that name was in 1785 when 22 years dId old fined fin d fifty pounds p of pt f tobacco for tor absenting himself from the parish church for thirty days doy which fine he reluctantly paid and then removed from the state to Manhattan Manhattan island N NY NY NY Y where he purchased lur aed land and be became became became came a wealthy In 1783 while New lew York ork City Ci was still occupied by British troops being b ng in ill 11 health and discouraged Robert Edwards leased his hi real estate on which the lower part of Broadway Broday and n adjacent streets str are now located for a asmal small smal consideration and ard soon after started on a a sea seo voyage yge from however he never returned The lease stipulated that tat at the end nd of the te term of ninetynine years or twenty twety years later as might be he arranged between the heirs and lessees the te property wIth ith all al improvements thereon should revert to his heirs He died a bachelor lea leaving tag two brothers Haden and Benjamin genjamin Ed Edwards Edwards wards of Westmoreland county Vir Virginia VIrgnia Virginia ginia gnia his only heirs Benjamin Harrison Edwards the younger brother removed to Loudoun county where he he died leaving chil chi dren Haden Edwards who wo had bad Charge darge of his fathers fathe s estate in Lancas Laticas Lancaster Lacas ter county married maled Penelope Sanford of ed o Stafford Staford county and di bed hjad h o four sons and ad daughters dt gh r John the eldest son sn removed r tra Q e in lit l O fa In tucky then ten a county of Virginia which he represented in the legislature of the state st and subsequently subsequent on the admission slon sion of ot thie tle territory into the Union as asa asa a state in 12 1782 he was wa elected elete United States senator Story of Descendants Benjamin Benamin tt second son sn married maried in 1754 4 Margaret Margret Beall Bal daughter of Beall Beahl Bel of Montgomery county count Maryland and located lot at Mount Pl Plant ant nt in tHat county He Pe wa wa was member memer of ISie t Maryland tate state convention that tat ratified the federal federl constitution and ad subsequently nt represented Ills 11 district in congress His son eon Ninian Edwards removed remove to Kentucky ln tucky in 1808 18 and ad be became became came successively territorial governor and ad United States State senator in Illinois The flue third son ln Sanford served on oa Of the te staff of o General Marion during the Re Revolutionary Revolutionary war and settled in South Carolina His Hs oldest daughter married Mr Morris of N Y His Is s fourth son married marrie Elizabeth Elzabeth Monroe Mone of Westmoreland county Virginia t e cousin cusin of o James Monroe forme president president dent of o the United Stages State Of Ol the te three daughters of Haden Edwards the old oldest oldest oldeSt est Penelope married mari William Pope Pop a distinguished lawyer remove to Ken Kentucky Kentuck Kentucky tucky tuck and had ad issue John Pope United States senator and president predent pro tern tem temo of o othe the te senate sat 1811 Governor Gove nor Nathaniel Pope Pop grandfather of Major Majr General John Pope United Unie States State army and ad oth n children The TJi Th second daughter M M Mart ry Edwards married mared William Ashmore of Kentucky and ande She third and youngest daughter Edwards married John Chancellor Chancelor a wealthy T mother mothe Jane Monroe M roe wes a sic l 1 Ide t of Andrew And Andi w a asik 4 Spence Monroe Monr of Westmoreland county ai ty nd n d I 1 h aunt of i former James mes Moie IoU Dr C W V Chancellor Chancelor of Baltimore Store late United States consul sui at Havre France now residing in this city is A a grandson of John Jon and Elizabeth Chan Ca and and the nearest of kin living lvin to the deceased millionaire Robert Ed Edi Edwards e eI i wards wad Judge James Edwards Edwar Con Contrell Contrell trell tl former forer lieutenant governor of Kentucky K and the late William Haden Edwards former foner consul general at Ber Berlin BerUn lin Un are also descendants of Haden Hade Ed Edwards Edwards wards and ad coheirs to the greed great 8 foi rO tune Interest In this claim of over ove O OW 0 tos hs s been ben recently revived revive by th discovery of Important papers paper which I It is i believed will wi enable the heirs heir t tt to tI t I substantiate e the claim caim and push it i to toa toa a 0 successful issue |