This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: fergie17 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.general/22428/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hello, I'm doing research on my Scottish ancestors Ferguson. There has always been a story that talked about a lost Ferguson fortune. Most recently I've found that there may also be connections to this story with the English surname Steel and MacRae (or Rae) Many doubted whether the story was ever true, but there is documentation of this tale. An article appears in the Morris Daily Herald in Nov 15, 1909 (Morris, IL) Go to Scotland to Claim an Estate Mrs. Harry McNabb (formerly Janette Ferguson) and Joe Steel, Cousins, Leave Morris in Quest of Fortune of 15 million pounds. Mrs. Harry McNabb and Joe Steel, cousins, left Morris this morning having secured passage to Liverpool, England. They are going in quest of a fortune estimated by some as high as 15 million pounds, located in Scotland. The estate is said to have been in litigation for fifty years and has increased vastly since that time. Mrs. McNabb has a cousin in London who had looked up the fortune and claims that the Morris people are some of the rightful heirs. Mrs. McNabb was a Ferguson and the fortune is said to be coming to the Ferguson and Steel families from an uncle or great uncle. A follow up article appeared sometime later (don't have a date for it) Mrs. Harry McNabb and her cousin Joe steel have returned from their trip to England where they went to look after some property which is to be inheritied by them on the death of a very aged relative. Additionally, my great Aunt Hazel wrote a letter regarding some details she remembers about it. Here some excepts with details "I talked with one of Harry McNabb's exwives a few days ago, I asked her what she knew about the lost fortune, she said the crown government would not allow the money to the leave the country, so whoever claimed it would have to keep it in England. I had always heard of a story that John Steele fled the country with another man's wife. "I have heard two versions of the source of the money. One was shipping, the other coal mining which make more sense to me than gardening" "Since my father and Irwin's father were both coal miners, the ancestors may have also been coal miners, coming from a coal mining district in Scotland." "Although I was only 5 or 6 I remember vividly when Aunt Jeanette and Tom Steele went to England. The reason being that Aunt Jeanette brought back a few dime store trinkets for us kids. We were supposed to value them highly because they came from England. One time when my Aunt Lizzie was talking about the fortune she told me that this man Steele ran off with another man's wife. When it was time to settle the estate they advertised for him both in South and North America. They knew he had sailed to the Americas. Many years later he did go back to visit. He looked up some old friends who would not believe it was him. So he said he would prove it to them, he took them to a place where they used to play ball and marbles." "did you ever heard of the story about the page that was cut out of the Bible? I don't know who was in posession of the Bible. I think he was entrusted to the lawyer that was sent over the establish as a claim on the fortune. Records such a births marriages were always kept in the family Bible. My father and I presumed Joe Steele was not very educated. They were naive and trusting and it would be very easy for a lawyer to hook wink them". "You say the lawyer posed as a relative and he went through all the money. You mean of course the money he got from the relatives in Morris. He surely couldn't have collected the money from the estate or did he? I often heard he was bought off that he went into the business for himself and never came back to America. " As you can see there is a bit of varying facts from the stories, but this is pretty much the extent of the information we have now! Additionally we always heard something about missing pages in the family bible and then the lawyer in the case being murdered occurred. The person who went over there came back and it appeared that the aged relative hadn't died yet according to the paper. It was said that Jeanette Ferguson McNabb would never talk about it. Any information regarding this or where I could research would be a great help! Thanks Sarah Ferguson Potter Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.