272-Year-Old Legacy Could See Teenage Boys Receive £20,000

The Courier has recently published an article about a unique 272-year-old legacy left by Charles Cairnie, a Perth shoemaker.

In what is proving to be a very interesting case, the shoemaker - who passed in 1744 - left money to the descendants of his brothers. The amount totals around £20,000 and will be paid in the form of a grant over the next decade. Every five years a vacancy opens and trustees of the estate choose the most suitable applicant – a boy whose 14th birthday falls on or closest to 11th November. If they are successful, the boys will receive the grant as a payment over the next ten years thanks to their place in the family tree.

Charles Cairnie did marry but it is understood that the couple had no children and he established a legacy in his Will that would support the futures of his five brothers’ male descendants. Over the years this has been split between 55 young men. Many of the parents of the boys have been aware of the stipulation and often write to the trustees in charge once they have been born to stake their claim.

The money itself has been generated for centuries by rent paid by the tenant farmer on part of the estate owned by Cairnie. Anyone else who feels they may be entitled to part of the estate is being encouraged to contact Graham Mackenzie at the King James VI Hospital in Perth.

What do you make of this rather unusual Will stipulation? Have you any examples of other Wills with a similar legacy?