Colonial Department
Downing Street
London S.W.
Copy
Shirling
344
23rd August 1900
Sir,
We beg to send you herewith copy Will or Settlement by Heil Gillies, Sergeant of Police, in the Colony of Hong Kong, executed at Bannockburn, Scotland, on 11th September 1896. The deceased's mother received a letter on the 14th inst., from a friend in Hong Kong stating that her son died in the Hospital there from Malarial Fever in the beginning of July. She has been expecting to get an official Notice of the death, but up to the present time no intimation has reached her. Mrs Gillies has instructed us to attend to the realization of any estate or effects her son may have left in the Colony.
We shall, therefore, be obliged by your letting us know if any communication has been received at the Colonial Office acquainting you of deceased's death. We should also like to know what portion, if any, of his Salary may be due, and if any sum in the Police Superannuation Fund falls to deceased's representatives. It is possible that deceased died possessed of some means, and we will be glad to learn if instructions can be given through your Office to a representative at the Government Office, Hong Kong to ingather the Estate, or if it will be necessary to execute a Power of Attorney in favor of the Captain of Police mentioned in the Will. Mrs Gillies is a Widow, well advanced in years and in poor circumstances, and we are therefore anxious to incur as little expense as possible in recovering any monies her son may have left.
We are, Sir,
Your most Obed Servants
A & I Jenkins
Solicitors.