S C H E D U L E.
Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee of Chequers in the county of Buckingham, having expressed his desire and intention to transfer forthwith the ownership of the Chequers Estate together with certain chattels and moneys as a free gift (in trust) to the nation subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, and in order that the house may be used and maintained in perpetuity as the official country residence of the British Prime Minister, and having more particularly explained the objects of his gift in the following words:—
‘It is not possible to foresee or foretell from what classes or conditions of life the future, wielders of power in this country will be drawn. Some may be as in the past men of wealth and famous descent; some may belong to the world of trade and business; others may spring from the ranks of the manual toilers. To none of these in the midst of their strenuous and responsible labours could the spirit and anodyne of Chequers do anything but good. In the city-bred man especially, the periodic contact with the most typical rural life would create and preserve a just sense of proportion between the claims of town and country. To the revolutionary statesman the antiquity and calm tenacity of Chequers and its annals might suggest some saving virtues in the continuity of English history and exercise a cheek upon too hasty upheavals, whilst even the most reactionary could scarcely be insensible to the spirit of human freedom which permeates the countryside of Hampden Burke and Milton.
Apart from these more subtle influences, the better the health of our rulers the more sanely will they rule and the inducement to spend two days a week in the high and pure air of the Chiltern hills and woods will, it is hoped, benefit the nation as well as its chosen leaders. The main features of this scheme are therefore designed not merely to make Chequers available as the official country residence of the Prime Minister of the day, but to tempt him to visit it regularly and to make it possible for him to live there, even though his income should be limited to his salary.’
THIS INDENTURE is accordingly made the twenty-fourth day of November One thousand nine hundred and seventeen between Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee of Chequers in the county of Buckingham of the first part Dame Ruth Moore Lee the wife of the said Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee of the second part Allan Ernest Messer and Arthur Edward Nicholls both of No. 14 Old Jewry Chambers in the City of London Solicitors of the third part and The Public Trustee of the fourth part Whereas the said Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee is desirous of transferring forthwith the ownership of the Chequers Estate together with certain chattels as a free gift (in trust) to the nation subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth And Whereas the said Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee also desires to create a trust fund for maintaining the Chequers Estate And Whereas under and by virtue of two indentures of lease short particulars of which are set forth in the schedule hereto the said Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee and Ruth Moore Lee became and at law remain lessees of the greater part of the hereditaments hereinafter conveyed and settled for the term of twenty-one years from the twenty-ninth day of September one thousand nine hundred and nine and thereafter for their joint lives and for the life of the survivor of them at certain rents and subject to certain covenants and conditions in the said indentures respectively contained And Whereas under and by virtue of an indenture dated the fifth day of April one thousand nine hundred and seventeen and made between Mary Ruth Falcke of the one part and the said Allan Ernest Messer and Arthur Edward Nicholls of the other part the fee simple and inheritance of the said hereditaments and of certain adjoining hereditaments (all hereinafter shortly collectively called ‘the Chequers Estate’) was duly conveyed unto and to the use of the said Allan Ernest Messer and Arthur Edward Nicholls as joint tenants with the benefit of and subject to the said leases And Whereas the fee simple and inheritance of the Chequers Estate was in fact purchased by and conveyed to the said Allan Ernest Messer and Arthur Edward Nicholls as agents for and with the moneys of the said Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee and the same estate is now held by them in trust for him And Whereas the said Sir Arthur Hamilton Lee is also the absolute owner of the furniture pictures tapestry books manuscripts china relies works of art silver linen and other effects now in and about the Mansion House of Chequers And Whereas the trusts hereinafter declared in relation to the Chequers Estate and the said trust fund would infringe certain rules of law unless these presents were confirmed and made valid by Act of Parliament and it is intended that a Bill shall be introduced into Parliament for the confirmation of these presents accordingly And Whereas it is intended that the said Bill shall constitute the Commissioners of Works as defined by the Interpretation Act 1889 or some other body into a statutory corporation and that the legal ownership of the Chequers Estate shall be vested in the said Commissioners of Works or other body as custodian trustee and that such trust fund shall be vested in the Public Trustee but that the administration of the trusts shall be confided to a body of administrative trustees consisting from time to time of the holders of certain offices hereinafter mentioned Now This indenture witnesseth as follows:—
I.—Interpretation .
I.—Interpretation .
1. In the construction of these presents the following expressions shall have the following meanings, viz.:—
