Ancient, Curious, and Famous WillsHarris, Virgil M. (Virgil McClure)
History
Ancient, Curious, and Famous Wills
Harris, Virgil M. (Virgil McClure)
Wills
A certain will reads, “to that amiable young lady, Miss Blank, who
smiles so sweetly in the street when we meet, I give Twenty-Five Hundred
Dollars.” Now in the Blank family, there were six sisters; they all
claimed to be “the amiable young lady,” but which of them got the
legacy, history sayeth not.
A SALUTATION DIRECTED
Pursuant to the will of Sir John Salter, who died in the year 1605, and
who was a good benefactor to the Company, the beadles and servants of
the Worshipful Company of Salters are to attend at St. Magnus’ Church,
London Bridge, in the first week in October, and knock upon his
gravestone, with sticks or staves, three times each person, and say,
“How do you do, Brother Salter? I hope you are well.”
NO UNDERCLOTHES IN WINTER
A crabbed old German professor, who died at Berlin in 1900, entertaining
a great dislike for his sole surviving relative, left his property to
him, but on the absolute condition that he should always wear white
linen clothes at all seasons of the year, and should not supplement them
in winter by extra undergarments.
Had $100, gave away $700,000
A singular will was that of Miss Cora Johnson, who resided in an
apartment at No. 819 Beacon Street, Boston, and who died in September,
1910, at a hospital in that city. The value of her entire possessions,
when inventoried, was found not to exceed $100, and she was buried by
friends; yet, by her will, she created bequests and legacies amounting
to $700,000; she claimed that she was entitled to a large fortune from
the estate of an unnamed person living in New York.
Miss Johnson, it is claimed, never revealed the name of this person, and
even her attorney, who drew her will, was not acquainted with it; all
she disclosed was that she expected a large estate from a wealthy,
elderly woman, who made her will in her favor and became insane, and was
in a sanitarium in New York, and this will could not be changed by
reason of the insanity of the testator. Evidently, she had a firm
conviction that the estate must reach her, in any event.
That part of the will referring to the promised millions reads:
“Whereas it is possible that at the time of my decease I shall not be
the owner of property sufficient in amount to pay the foregoing
bequests, and
“Whereas I have been credibly informed and believe that there is in
existence a certain will made by a person now an inhabitant of the city
and state of New York by which will certain property is devised and
bequeathed to me, and
“Whereas I have been credibly informed and believe that in said will it
is provided, that in case I shall die before the maker of said will, the
property therein bequeathed and devised to me, shall pass to and be paid
over and delivered to the persons, corporations and objects which I
shall in my last will name, select and appoint:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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