The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-04-30 00:00:00

LORD BEACONSFIELD'S WILL.

The will of Lord Beaconsfield was read by Mr. P.
F. Rose, solicitor, in the saloon at Hughenden Manor
immediately after the funeral, and in the presence of
the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Connaught, Prince
Leopold, and the other distinguished mourners. In
this will, which is dated December 16th, 1878, the
late Earl bequeaths all his personal estate, including
the copyright of his works, to his executors upon trust
that they shall convert it into money, and after the pay-
ment of his debts and funeral expenses, apply the
residue in the manner subsequently directed. The
will proceeds—
"l devise all that the Manor of Hughenden, with the
mansion-house known as Hughenden-manor and the plea-
sure-grounds, gardens, plantations, lands, easements, and
appurtenances, thereunto belonging or therewith held or
enjoyed together with the advowson of the vicarage of
Hughenden and all my messuages, farms, lands, tenements,
and hereditaments situate in the parishes of Hughenden
and West Wycombe or elsewhere in the county of Buck-
ingham, with their rights, easements, and appurtenances,
but subject to all charges and incumbrances affecting the
same, to the use of my nephew, CONINGSBY RALPH DISRAELI
(son of my brother Ralph Disraeli, Deputy Clerk of the
Parliaments), during his life without impeachment of waste,
and after his decease to the use of each successively, ac-
cording to seniority, of the SODS of the said Coningsby
Ralph Disraeli in tail male, with remainder to the use of
the other sons of my said brother Ralph Disraeli who may
hereafter be born, successively according to their respective
seniorities in tail male with remainder to the use of
Dorothy Sa Disraeli eldest daughter of my said brother
Ralph Disraeli, for her life, without impeachment of waste,
for her sole and separate use, independently of any husband
with whom she may intermarry and of his debts, control, and
engagements, and from and after her decease to the use of
her first and other sons successively according to seniority
in tail male with remainder to the use of Sybil Isabella
Disraeli, second daughter of my said brother Ralph Disraeli,
for ker life, without impeachment of waste, for her sole and
separate use, independently) of any husband with whom
she may intermarry and of his debts, control, and engage-
ments, and after her decease to the use of her first and
other sons successively according to seniority in tail male,
with remainder to the use of Marguerite Katherine Disraeli,
third daughter of my said brother Ralph Disraeli, for her
life, without impeachment of waste, for her sole and sepa-
rate use, independently of any husband with whom she may
intermarry and of his debts, control, and engagements, and
after her death to the use of her first and other sons succes-
sively according to seniority in tail male, with remainder to
the use of the daughters of any said brother Ralph Disraeli
who may hereafter be born successively, according to their
seniorities in tail male, with remainder to the use of my own
right heirs for ever.
" Provided always, and I hereby declare that every
person actually born in my lifetime (but not any person en
ventre sa mere at my decease) who under the limitations
herein before contained would be entitled or inheritable to
an estate in tail male in the said premises hereinbef ore
devised shall, in the place and order in which he or she
would be entitled or inheritable as aforesaid, take therein
in lieu of the estate in tail male to which he or she would
have been entitled or inheritable as aforesaid an estate for
life only, without impeachment of waste (and if such person
be a woman the said estate shall be for her sole and separate
use, independently of any husband with whom she may
intermarry, and of his debts, control, and engagements),
with remainder after the decease of such person and the
failure of issue male of his or her sons born in my lifetime
(if any) to his or her sons born after my decease succes-
sively according to seniority in tail male."
Whoever becomes possessed of Hughenden under
this will shall take the name of Disraeli only. The
trees on the estate are not to be cut down. The
mansion and estate may be let during the minority of
the heir, which extends to the age of twenty-six
years, and the rents applied for the permanent im-
provement of the property. If they grant leases, the
trustees are to reserve "the best yearly rent that can
reasonably be gotten without taking any premium."
The trustees may sell any portion of the estate, except
Hughenden Manor and its grounds, and with the
proceeds purchase other freehold or copyhold heredita-
ments, or discharge any mortgages. A discretion is
given them to make a selection from the contents of
Hughenden House of articles to be held as heirlooms.
"And I hereby expressly direct that all books and pic-
tures and other articles which hava been presented to me
either by Her Majesty Queen Victoria or the late Prince
Consort shall be included in the articles to be selected and
set apart as heirlooms as aforesaid."
The bequest of the papers of the late Earl is in the
following terms
"I give and bequeath to my friend and private secretary,
Montagu Cory, Esq., all the letters, papers, and documents,
whether of a private or of a public character, and whether
In print or in manuscript; and also all the manuscript of
any writings published or composed by me of which I shall
die possessed ; and also all the manuscripts and papers of
my late father, Isaac Disraeli, Esq., upon the trusts herein-
after declared concerning the same.

"I hereby request the said Montagu Corry, with all con-
venient speed after my death, to collect, or aid in collecting,
the said documents ; and I hereby, relying on the discretion
of the said Montagu Corry, do authorise and request film to
destroy any of the said documents, or any part thereof, as
he in the absolute exercise of such discretion shall think
ought to be destroyed, and I authorise the said Montagu
Corry to keep and deposit all or any of the said documents
as he shall think ought not to be destroyed in such place as
he shall think fit during such period of time as he shall
require to have access to them for the purposes of examina-
tion or publication. I give to the said Montagu Corry full dis-
cretion with regard to the publication of all or any of such docu-
ments, leaving to him to decide as to the time and mode
of publication, and as many of the said documents are
connected with my official and public life, and contain
matters bearing on the character and conduct of con-
temporary statesmen, and on affairs which it may be of
importance to the public interest should not be prema-
turely or indiscreetly disclosed, I give the above discretion
to the said Montagu Corry, in the full assurance that he
will scrupulously respect every confidence reposed in me,
and will cause or allow nothing to be published calculated
to do injury to the public service, or to inflict needless pain
on the living or on the families of the dead.
-- • -

"And I especially and expressly desire and direct that no
portion of my corrrespondence with her Majesty Queen
Victoria shall be published or made known until the said
Montagu Corry shall have ascertained and shall have
satisfied himself that no objection is entertained to such use
of the said correspondence on the part of her Majesty her-
self during her life, or after her death on the part of those
who may, in the belief of the said Montagu Corry, be
likely to be conversant with her wishes and opinions on the
subject.
- • --

- -
"And I hereby authorise the said Montagu Corry to sell
and dispose of the copyright of any of the said documents in
the case of their publication, or to make such pecuniary
arrangements as to the terms of their publication as he
may think fit, and if any less sum than five hundred pounds
should, after payment of all expenses of publication, be
received by the said Montagu Corry from the publication
of any of such documents, I hereby give and bequeath
such sum to the said Montagu Corry for his own use ;
but if any greater sum than the sum of flvehundred pounds,
after payment of expenses as aforesaid, shall be so re-
ceived I desire and direct that the said Montagu Corry shall
pay such surplus as sow as the same shall have been
actually received and got M by him to the trustees or trustee
of this my will, and that the said trustees or trustee of this
my will shall apply the same upon the trusts and with and
subject to the powers and provisions applicable to moneys
arising trom sales under the power of sale hereinbefore con-
tained, and investments respecting the same; but I expressly
declare that this proviso shall not be construed to give to
any person the right to interfere with any discretion of the
said Montagu Corry with regard to the time and mode of
publication of the said documents.
"And I hereby authorise the said Montagu Corry to
give gratuitous access whether for historical, literary,
or other purposes, to any person or persons to whom in
his judgment such access should be given. And with
regard to the permanent disposal of the said docu-.
ments, I direct and desire that the said Montagu
Corry will, when and so far as is consistent with the due
carrying out of the purposes of this my will as to publica-
tion and otherwise deposit the same at my mansion house
of Hughenden Manor, and allow the same to go,
devolve, and remain as heirlooms, together with my
said mansion house, so far as the rules of law and equity
will permit, but so, nevertheless, that the same shall not
vest absolutely in any person hereby made tenant in tail
male, unless such person shall attain the age of twenty-one
years; but on the death of such tenant in tail male under the
age of twenty-one years the said documents shall go and
devolve and remain as if the same had been freeholds of in-
heritance and had been devised in strict settlement accord-
ingly.
"And I hereby declare that it shall be lawful for the said
Montagu Corry to seal up and keep sealed up all or any of
such documents as he shall think proper, and that it shall be
lawful at any time for the said Montagu Corry, or for any
person bearing an order signed by him, to have access to the
said documents, and to make copies of the same, or any part
thereof, and for the said Montagu Corry to remove to such
places as he shall think proper any of the said documents,
and to make copies of the same, or any part thereof; and
for the said Montagu Corry to remove to such place as he
shall think proper any of the said documents for such length
of time as he may desire, for the purpose of examina-
tion or publication. And further, that a list shall be
made, subject to revision from time to time of the said
documents not destroyed, and shall be signed by the said
Montagu Corry, and by every person for the time being
entitled to the use and occupation of my said mansion
house, or during the minority of any person who shall be so
entitled as aforesaid by the trustees or trustee of this my
will, provided always that the said Montagu Corry shall not
at any time be responsible for any inadvertent loss or damage
which may happen to any of the said documents, but shall
not be precluded from interfering for the preservation and
protection of the said documents whenever he shall think
fit.
"And I hereby declare that if and when the said Montagu
Corry shall die or become incapable to act, or be desirous of
retiring from the execution of the trusts herein conferred
upon him, it shall be lawful for the trustees or trustee of
this my will to appoint a successor or successors to the said
Montagu Corry in the execution of the said trusts relating
to the said documents, and thereupon the execution of the
said trusts and all powers and rights hereby conferred on
the said Montagu Corry in relation thereto shall devolve
on the said successor or successors so appointed as afore-
said, precisely as if he or they had been named in this my
will.
"Provided always that all sums of money received by the
said -Montagu Corry which he would be entitled to keep and
retain for his own use under the provisions of this my will shall
remain the absolute property of the said Montagu Corry, his
executors, administrators, and assigns, and shall not pass to
such successor or successors as afdfesaid, and such sucessor
or successors shall pay to and account for to the trustees or
trustee of this my will all sums of money received by him
or them on,account of the publication of any of the said
documents after payment of all expenses incurred in con-
nection with such publication, and the trustees or trustee of
this my will shall apply such sums in the same manner as the
roomy received by them from the said Montagu Corry in
respect or the publication of any of the said documents as
hereinbefore directed to be applied.
" And I hereby direct and desire that the trustees or
, trustee of this my will shall collect or aid in collecting the
said documents with all convenient speed after my death,
1 and place the same at the disposal of the said Montagu Corry,
and I authorize them to pay all the expense of such collec-
tion out of my personal estate.
•

- -
"Provided always, and I hereby declare that upon every
or any appointment of a new trustee of this my will the
number of the said trustees may be augmented or redr.ced,
and (in addition to the ordinary powers of indemnity
and right to reimbursement by law given to trustees)
the trustees or trustee of this my will shall 1e at liberty
to accept less than a marketable tithe upon the pur-
chase or taking in exchange of any hereditaments,
and shall not be answerable for any loss thereby occasioned,
. nor for any default in title or value of hereditaments pur-
chased or taken in exchange. I hereby appoint the said Sir
Nathaniel Mayer De Rothschild and the said Sir Philip Rose
executors of this my will."

The Times, in a leader, remarking upon the provisions of
Lord Beaconsfield's will, observes that many prophecies and
rumours will be falsified. "Lord Beaconsfield has not
chosen an heir outside his family ; he has directed nothing
in the least sensational. What appears throughout is that
feeling which in him was alivays even stronger than the love
of brilliant display—the love of his race, of his family, and
of his name A settlement as strict as could be drawn vests
Ilughenden Manor in the line of the Disraelis ; and in de-
fault of male succession anyone who marries the heiress is
asked to take the name. Nothing can be better or wiser
than the words which limit the absolute discretion of Lord
Rowton with regard to the publication of all or any of his
chief's papers. There is no hint of an autobiography, or even
of any Reminiscences.' We only hear .of letters, papers,
and documents;' and all that is specified is the corresptifid-
once with the Queen. But we may be sure that the papers
must contain much that the world would be justly eager to
know, and which it may fairly hope to have before long pre-
sented to it."

"ALWAYS TRUE TO HIS PoLL."—She : With the
foreign service you have had you must have been in
every kind of action.—Warrior (youngish still) : No—
not breach of promise.—Judy.