Man leaves £220,000 to 'namesake' towns

A man has left almost a quarter of a million pounds in his will to towns across the world which share his surname.

Eric Gordon Douglas' unusual bequest came to light after Douglas Borough Council on the Isle of Man revealed it had received a cheque for £10,887.73 from his solicitors. The council replied, appealing for more information on Mr Douglas in order to recognise his donation.

Council leader David Christian said lawyers could only confirm that the gentleman's home city was Edinburgh and that Douglas Borough Council were not alone in receiving money. "There was around £220,000 left to 20 places across the globe that shared his surname," Mr Christian.



"If we can get more information then that would be excellent. We literally know nothing about the gentleman apart from his name and that we were told by his lawyers that he was from Edinburgh."

Mr Christian said the council were now brainstorming suitable ways to use the money. "Unfortunately the will doesn't stipulate what we should spend it on," he added.

Councillor David Ashford, who also sits on the committee, admitted he was "surprised" by the gentleman's generosity. "We do get bequests but it's rare for someone who has not got an association with the area to leave something," he said.