Ross to Cardwell
No 9 Church Street
Inverness
6 May 1864
Sir
I have to apologize to you for troubling you in the matter of this letter but as I can get no reply to my private letters I have no alternative but to fall back upon you.
The affixed Note which I would thank you to return is cut from The Inverness Courier of the 14th August 1862 and refers to my deceased son.
He was at the time of his death in the service of a firm of the name of Livingston Fargo & Co who as far as I can learn were due him a considerable sum of money at his death andotherwiseManuscript image otherwise he must have left considerable effects.
In the circumstances I have to request you to take a widowed mothers feelings into consideration and issue an order on The Governor of British Columbia to institute a strict and searching enquiry into the amount of effects left by him and to order him to take the necessary measures to cause these to be restored to or remitted to me.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your mo obdt Servt
Elizabeth Ross

The Right Honble
Edward Cardwell
&c &c
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
As the writer represents her belief that a considerable sum of money was owing to her Son at his decease I think she may fairly be told that her proper course is to apply to a legal Agent in the Colony to see after her son's Estate. Cases such as these impose a considerable correspondence on this Office, & do not form a legitimate part of our business.
In case the applicant is notManuscript image acquainted with the name of any legal Agent in the Colony we might mention, tho' without recommending, that of Mr Crease, the Attorney Genl.
ABd 9 May
She thinks two things—1st That he must have died possessed of considerable effects, and 2nd that his employers must have owed him money. As to the first point, is there not some general practice about referring applicants to the Agents for Crown Colonies? I think I have seen recent instances.
TFE 9 May
A search & enquiries have been made & we cannot find that any practice, such as you suppose, exists.
ABd 10 May
I mean Intestate Estates: this Woman thinks her relative died Intestate. Is it really the case that the Crown Agents do not attend to Intestate Estates in the Colonies or receive information about them?
TFE 10 May
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Mr Elliot
Having ascertained from the several Divisions of the Office that there was no general practice for referring applications of this kind to the Agents General, I wrote to Mr Sargeaunt to ask him whether they attended to Intestate Estates in the Colonies or received information about them, and I annex Mr Sargeaunts note in answer.
EBP 12-5/64
Other documents included in the file
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11 May 1864
Dear Pennell,
We constantly make enquiries of the various Colonial Authorities about persons and property in the Colonies, if Mrs Ross would fill up the enclosed form as altered and send it here I will forward it to the Government of British Columbia with a request for information.
Yrs Faithfully
W.C. Sargeaunt
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
[Enclosure with above:]
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Printed form, "Particulars required to obtain INFORMATION respecting a COLONIST."

Minutes by CO staff
Tell Mrs Ross that the S. of State has no information on the subject of her letter, & that he is unable to undertake inquiry into the affairs of private individuals, but that if she will address herself to the Agents for Crown Colonies at No (address), they may possibly be able to give her some assistance in seeking information. Draft.
TFE 12 May
Other documents included in the file
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Rogers to Ross, 16 May 1864, advising her to contact the Crown Agents for further information.