Posted by Mike Field on October 16, 2004 at 10:31:40 from 203.166.84.66 user mikefield.
In Reply to: Re: Hammond Innes (was Buchan on film) posted by RichardG on October 13, 2004 at 11:06:32:
As a couple, Innes and his wife Dorothy cruised a lot, somewhat as did Eric and Susan Hiscock. And Innes, like Hiscock, wrote to support his habit -- only he wrote mostly fiction whereas Hiscock wrote about boats ansd cruising.
I think neither couple had children (although I stand to be corrected,) so when one partner in either couple died presumably his / her estate went to the surviving partner.
In the case of the Hiscocks, Eric died first and left his estate to Susan. When she herself passed on some years later she left over a million pounds to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, much of it presumably from Eric's writing.
I have an idea that Innes' wife Dorothy predeceased him, and his estate therefore would have gone straight to ASTO, as you say.
In each case, I think it would be fair to say that the writers wanted to help foster what they saw (and indeed, anyone would see) as worthwhile maritime charities.