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THE HODDLE WILL CASE.
In the Supreme Court on Aug. 7 Mr. Justice
A'Beckett commenced the hearing of a
motion to revoke probate of the will of the
late Robert Hoddle, formerly surveyor-general
of Victoria, who died in October, 1881. Mr.
Hoddle retired from the public service upon
a pension many years before his death, and
he was possessed of real estate, valued at
over £100,000, situated in Bourke-street, in
Elizabeth-street, Melbourne, and at Essendon
and at Frankston. In October, 1862, his
first wife died, and in July, 1963, he
married his second wife, Fanny Agnes, he
being at that time 69 years of age, and she
21. At his death he left three children by
his second marriage, and by his last will,
made in December, 1877, he bequeathed the
whole of his estate, valued at £28,000, to his
wife absolutely. In November, 1877, he had
made a settlement by which he made a
voluntary conveyance of all his real estate,
with the exception of the Bourke-street pro
perty, to his wife, and at a later date he
caused a certificate of title for the Bourke
street property also to be issued in her name.
Mrs. Hoddle subsequently married Mr. Richard
Buckhurst Buxton, and in 1891 her daughter,
Agnes Hoddle, who was only 14 years of
age when her father died, was married to Mr.
R. S. Wrigley. of Geelong, solicitor. Towards
the end of 1892 Mrs. Wrigley instituted an
action to have both the will and the settle
ment set aside on the ground that their
execution was obtained by fraud and undue
influence on the part of her mother, now
Mrs. Buxton.
It has been proposed that the motion to
set aside the will shall stand over till after
the trial respecting the settlement. The
matter has been adjourned till August 23.
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