A packet of old letters, a handbill and a couple of yellowed newspaper clippings that told of a mysterious $5 million estate left by an ancestor 

in England led me on a search that culminated in the writing of this family history.

	The letters were over 100 years old. They were handed down to me by my grandmother, Hattie Marrs Trotter. They were sent to her by her uncle (my

great-grandfather's brother) Dr. James M. Trotter.

	The 13 letters were written in a 30-year-period- from 1853 to 1883-from London, 

England, and from towns and cities in the states of Florida, Tennessee, Indiana and

Mississippi.

	Here is the story they told:

	Dr. Thomas Trotter of England owned large interests in the East India Company.

	He retired to Scotland and died there in 1833 without heirs. His estate was 

inherited by his cousin, William Trotter of London, who married Caroline Dill of Scotland 

and imigrated to America.

	William Trotter was believed to have been a descendant of the Earl of Gowrie of Scotland.

	The estate was "fabulous in its enormity"according to an article in the March 19, 1883 issue

of The Indianapolis Journal. (Text of article appears on page 76.)

	The entire estate was valued to $ 500,000,000 and was said to have orininally been scattered over 

Europe-England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

	Funds of the estate "have long rusted in the Bank of England, awaiting the establishing of legal

claims," the article said.

	In a letter from London dated 25 July 1883, Dr. James M. Trotter told his niece that "Thomas

Trotter owned large interests in the East India Trading Company, which owned gold and diamond mines in the East Indies that 

were said to have produced $10,00 a month for 75 years." Thomas Trotter also

owned several ships and large blocks of building in Liverpool, according to

the letter.

	That was the first time we hear of Dr. James M. Trotter. He told his niece

he was there acting on behalf of the Trotter family in trying to recover the huge estate.

	Here at home Dr. Trotter travelled around, giving lectures and calling on members 

of the 175 Trotter families believed to be living in the United States, mostly in the south.

	He asked each family to prepare genealogical histories and to pay him $25 for his expenses.

	A genealogyical history of the family was supposed to be compiled from  the mass of 

information he collected in his researches.

	Dissatisfaction arose from some members of the family and the project was abandoned

 for six years.

	Then on 4 July 1888 representatives from 30 Trotter families met in Clarksville, Tenn.,

 but nothing was accomplished.