MichealVincent Wellington
1941-1991

A youthful Micheal with his new motorcycle in 1958

Micheal Vincent in his college years 1961

Micheal Vincent returned to the estate in 1983 to take his vengeance against it, though no one really knows why Micheal turned out the way he did, there are 3 major influences that can be pointed to that may give some explanation.
The first reason for Micheals behavior was in his rejection of being a "family heir to throne" at a very young age, this idea was mostly pushed by his grandparents; Norrine in particular, and Anna had a tendancey to push this idea as well, yet Micheal rejected the notion much in the same way his father did. Micheal was closest to his father as a child and usually it was only Liam who could get Micheal to behave.
The second factor would be the aftermath of Liam's death. Anna and Micheal were not close and Liam's death didnt change that; furthermore, Micheal was aware of Anna's mischief around the estate starting around 1959 and Micheal confronted his mother about it.
Anna's way of appeasing Micheal over these problems was to give him what he wanted; a motorcycle, a car, a free ride to college, anything where Micheal could go do what he wanted and get away from the estate.
The third factor for Micheals resentment would be in the early 1970's when Anna cut him off the financial free wheel. Micheal had dropped out of college on 3 occasions, was given money time and time again and had nothing to show for it, he always came home broke and needeing more.
Micheal left the estate not to return again until 1983.
Despite Anna's frustration with Micheal, she never amended anything with the trust or how the Wellington operations were run, Micheal must have known this somehow, and returned in 1983 to claim what he believed to be his.

Micheal Vincent was present for the seniors board meeting of Wellington Timber in January 1984 to announce his intention to take over as CEO of the company.
Walter Sorrels was stepping down as CEO after a 2 year tenure and the board was meeting to vote on a new CEO, there had not been such a shake up at the top since Richard Cottington took over in 1957. The board unanimously ruled out the notion of Micheal Vincent taking over but he still held a majority vote as the senior heir of the Wellington estate, this is a point where Alexa Wellington takes some criticism since she could have attended the meeting and split Micheal's vote, however she chose not to get involved thus she lost her half of the vote by default.
Micheal Vincent would spend the next number of weeks trying to manipulate the voting panel of 5 to vote his way, it was later found out that Micheal was able to buy the vote of major shareholder Mel Dobson but the panel could not come to a majority in any direction.
A change of events took place in March when majority holder and company vice president Harold Pateegan met with Micheal Vincent. Pateegan agreed to a number of Micheal's demands if he were to be CEO of the company, Micheal made a pact with Pateegan and garnered Dobson's vote as well. Pateegan was announced as the new CEO of Wellington Timber in March of 1984.
Mr.Pateegan had been known as a long time beauracrat, a real "by the book" kind of guy but in this instance it was Mr. Pateegan who fooled Micheal Vincent. Pateegan agreed with Micheal Vincent in his environmental concerns and new that EPA regulations and such would be a huge concern for the company, Pateegan agreed to make this issues a priority,but not the way Micheal had envisioned.
Pateegan adopted a "Lincoln like" policy of keeping your enemies close at hand. Pateegan learned through various contacts that Dobson had been paid off for his vote, this was an ethics violation and thus Dobson was removed from the majority board. Dobson's replacement on the board was Moran Bannister from the Bannister family who had long been investors in the timber company. Bannisters appointment then led to local bank president and long time family friend Robert Hanlon being named chief financial officer of the company. Mr. Pateegan now had 3 votes for a majority on the senior board and warned Micheal that he could be held silent due to his ethics violations connected to Dobson.
Micheal proceeded over the next 2 years to organize rallies and demonstrations against the timber company and its practices. In one particular demonstration the protestors tresspasses on Wellington property and thereater Pateegan called a meeting of the board.
Micheal Vincent was unanimously reprimanded on ethics and conflict of interest violations and was censured for a perios of 2 years.
Micheal never attended another board meeting or business function at Wellington Timber.

Micheal Vincents "reign of terror" reached every aspect of the Wellington estate.
Micheal closed the performing arts theater at years end 1983 by cutting off all funds directed toward it.
Micheal fired the maintenance staff at the Wellington estate house and had his own people move in, at one point there was an estimated 50 or more people, better known as "squatters" who were living at the estate house, trestian manor or the guest house, all rent free of course.
In the spirit of "posession is 2/3 of the law" Micheal sold off assets and equipment used by Corey Construction as well as anything he could get his hands on from the timber company.
Alexa Wellington finally looked to confront her brother about matters surrounding the estate in 1984, when she arrived at the Wellington estate house she was ordered off the property by 3 men branding guns. The incident was not all so dramatic but clearly intimidated Alexa, who left immediately and did not return. This is exactly what Micheal had hoped to do and once again he was free to do as he wished.

The Wellington Estate remained in deadlock for the next 5 years.
Alexa handled things much like her mother, simply unwilling to confront Micheal to the extent of resovling the crisis, in the meantime, Micheal had "boots on the ground" control of the estate and was utilizing every opportunity to manipulate money out of the estate.
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Micheal Vincent was a seedy character, a villian of sorts, a counter culture type who live in, and took out of any particular moment whatever he wanted, a thorough manipulator.
Alexa remained detached toward the estate, and Micheal continued to pillage the Wellington trust fund, which was designed to pay the costs associated with the estate, and to provide a trust for any children or future heirs of the estate beyond Micheal and Alexa.
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By 1988 it was clear on many fronts that something had to be done about Micheal Vincent.
In 1989 a new factor would enter the arena of the Wellington estate crisis.
Alexa's son, Gregory Wellington Stewart proclaimed "I want Wellington" in 1989.
Gregory Wellington would be legally and financially supported by his grandfather Russell Stewart
in his pursuit of Wellington estate.
The thesis of the challenge was that Micheal Vincent was pillaging the trust fund thereby violating the rules set up by the trust fund back in the 1950's. Micheal and Alexa were in essence "diralect of duties" in the trust fund and could legally be held accountable.

Photo of Micheal Vincent somewhere around 1990

The long running saga of the Wellington Estate was about to take a new twist, and with it would come an end to Micheal Vincents reign of terror.

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