John Watson Dwight (1884-1931) was the son of Harvey Alpheus Dwight and Mary Isabel Burton. When his father's first cousin Emily A. Watson died in 1924 leaving an estate of $12 million, John was one of the primary beneficiaries. John was not married nor did he have any children when he died in 1931. A New York Times article titled "10 Share in Watson Trust: $860,000 Fund Left to Beneficiary, Now Dead, Divided by Court". Aside from John's siblings plus one nephew and niece, the other relatives had unusual names & stories and all lived in Europe.
Aside from the 1 share set to remain in J W Dwight's personal estate, the court divided the funds into 8 additional parts to be disbursed as follows:
His siblings:
1 share each to sisters Harriet D Bailey, Jean B Dwight, Lucia K Dwight
1 share to the children of his deceased brother Harvey L Dwight: Harvey A Dwight b 1899
Jessie R Dwight Orage b 1901 (lived in & died in England)
Leaving 4 shares to be granted to his Pratt line cousins living in Europe.
1 share for siblings Herwarth Von Der Decken b 1905 & Elizabeth Grafin Finck von Finckestein
1 share for Comtesse Victoire Louise Niel
1 share for Countess Pauline Andre de Gasquet James de la Metrrie
1 share for Count George Watson Pratt de Gasquet James
REALLY ? At first I almost thought this was a joke, but no, these Europeans were in fact descendants of Abigail Watson and Zadock Pratt though their only son Col George W Pratt who died of Civil War wounds in 1862. His daughter Elizabeth Pratt, with her husband Amadee Gasquet James, was the mother of Elizabeth, Victoria, George and Pauline. More on them later.
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