Landowner Beckles dies at 93

VIOLET BECKLES, the woman who said she owned the land on which Kensington Oval was built as well as 200 other properties across Barbados is dead.Beckles, 93, died at her King Street, St Michael, home last Monday afternoon. Her son, Denis Beckles, said she died of heart failure.Beckles had spent several years fighting for compensation and recognition for the many properties she owned.Her son said the latest disappointment was news that someone she trusted had withdrawn $18 000 from her account at the Scotia Bank.But he added that Beckles’ children and grandchildren would continue to fight on her behalf.The elderly woman came into the massive wealth when her aunt, Beatrice Henry, described as a local “high flyer” bequeathed all of her properties to Beckles when she died.Legal searches revealed that her wealth included land in several areas of the City, including at Baxters Road, Lightfoot Lane, Chapman Street, and properties at Bush Hall, St Michael, and the Cave Hill, St Michael section of the highway.Last year, she also said she owned the 240 acres at Six Mens, St Peter.Her son pointed out that since 1984, his mother had been engaged in an ongoing battle to secure her many properties, for all of which she possessed the title deeds.He said his mother also became the victim of many legal actions resulting in her seeking out the services of more than 50 lawyers over time.“She did not put anyone in court but people put her in court for her property and she ended up getting a lot of lawyers and paying them a lot of money even though she felt that they dragged their feet on her matters. She studied all of that and her pressure went up,” Denis stated. (MB)