PROPERTY LEFT BY 683,000 PERSONS
Average of 1904-5 to 1908-9

Deaths. Propery Left.
POOR AND VERY POOR
Died with so little property that no affidavit was sworn (Property estimated at £10,000,000, see p. 58) 592,294 £10,000,000
Died Bankrupt 1,670
Died leaving less than £100 net 15,956 900,000
Died leaving between £100 and £500 net 34,279 10,000,000
Died leaving between £500 and £1,000 net 10,404 8,600,000
Total Poor and Very Poor 654,603 £29,500,000
RICH AND VERY RICH
Died under age without property 7,500
Died leaving between £1,000 net and £10,000 net 16,910 62,100,000
Died leaving between £10,000 net and £1,000,000 net 3,980 179,500,000
Died millionaires 7 18,100,000
Total Rich and Very Rich 28,397 £259,700,000
 
 
Total Rich and Poor 683,000 £292,500,000

170 persons per annum die worth £150,000 each; 80 die worth over £250,000 each; 26 die worth over £500,000 each; and 7 die worth about £2,500,000 each.

Thus, in an average year, 26 persons die leaving between them far more than is possessed by 654,000 poor persons who die in one year. Again, in a single average year, the wealth left by the few rich people who die approaches in amount the aggregate property possessed by the whole of the living poor.

[14]   Finance Act, 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 30).

[15]   It was in the first edition of this work that attention was first drawn to this new source of information.