The weekly standard., 1870-08-17
Charles Dickens Will-Copy of the Last
Will of the Late Novelist-HIs Prop.
erty Less than S40O, 200.

- - fsE al
From the London Daily News.l
The following is a copy of the will of the
late Charles Dickens, extracted from the
principal registry OF her Majesty's Court Of
Probate
I, Charles Dickens, of Gadshill place,
Higham, in the County of Kent, hereby re
woke oil my former wills and codicils, aud
declare this to be my last will and testament
give the sum of one thousand pounds, free
oficgacy duty, to Miss Ellen Lawless Ternan.
late Of Haughton place, Ampthill square, IN
the County of Middlesex. 1 givethc sum Q.
nineteen guineas to my faithful old servant,
Mrs. Anne Cornelius. gisei the sum OF
nineteen guineas to the daughter and only
child of the said Mrs. Anne Cornelius. 4
give the sum of nineteen guineas to each and
every domestic servant, male and female,
who shall be in my employ at the time Of
my decease, and shall have beensin my en-
ployment for not less period of time than
one year. l give the sum of lone thousand
pounds, free of}egacy duty to my daughter,
Mary Dickens. I a,s9 give to my daughter,
Mary, an annuity Of three hundred pounds
a year during her life, if she shall so long
continue unmarried, such annuity to be con-
sidered as accruing from day tn day, but to-
be payable half-yearly, the first of such b, m
yearly payments to be ma}ea at thesSl =
h2 tiea sald Qs pid idamHeRRtaf mRPttaa nf nsls s6s sis
annuity shall cease, and in that case, but ID
that case only, my said daughter shall share
with my other children in the provision
hereinafter made for them. ! give to my
dear sister-in-law, Georgiana Hogarth, the
sum of eight thousand pounds, free of
legacy duty. l also give to the said Geor-
gina Hogarth all my personal jewelry not
hereinafter mentioned, and all the little ia
miliar objects from my writing table and
my room, and she will know what to do
with those things. also give to the said
Georgina Hogarth all my private papers
whatsoever and wheresoeyer, and l leave her
my grateful blessing, as the best and truest
friend man ever had. give to my eldest
son Charles my library of printed books
and my engravings and prints. alsp
give to my said son Charles the silver salvar
presented to me at Birmingham, and the
silver cup presented to me at Edinburgh,
and my shirts studs, shirt pins, and sleeve
buttons; and bequeath unto my said son
| Charles and my son Henry Fielding Dickens
the sum of $4,000 upon trust to invest the
same, and from time to time to vary the int
vestments thereof, and to pay the annual
income thereof to my wife during her life,
| and after her decease the said sum OF eS, ,000
and the investments thereof shall be in trust
for my children (but subject as to my daugh-
ter Mary to the proviso hereinbetore con-
taineD, who, being a son or SONS, shall
have attained or shall attain the age of 81
years, or, being a daughter or daughters,
shall have attained or shall attain that age,
or be previously married, in equal shares if
more than one. give my watch, (the gold
repeater presented to me at Coventry, and
l give the chains and seals, and all appen-
dages l have worn with it, to my dear
and trusty friend John Foster, of Palace
Gate House, Kensigton, in the County
nl Middlesex aforesaid And l also give
10 ,i,c said John Forster such manu-
scripts of my published works as may be in
my possession ut the time OF my deceasc
And devise and bequcath all my real and
personal estate leNccpt such as is vested IN
me as trustee or mortgagce) unto the said
Gcorgina Hogarth and the said John For
ster, their heirs, executors, administrators
and assigns respectively, upon trust, that
they, the said Georgna Hogarth and John
Forster or the survivor of them, or the exc
cutors or administrators of such survivor
do and shall at their, his, or her uncoEtroll
ed and irresponsible direction, either pro
coed to an immediate sale OF conversion into
money of the said real and personal, esiat %
until such times rs they. he, or shel stai
think fit, and in the meantime may manag
and let the said real and personal estate I'm
cluding my copyrights) in such manner II
all respects as myself could do If wer
living and acting therein. 1t being my N
tention that the trustees or trustee for til
t,r,e heino of this nv will shall have tn
fullest power over the said real and person;
estate which can give to thcm him or he
And I declare that until the said real an
|, personal estate shall be sold and convertc
,, into money, the rents and annual lncon
, thereof respectively shall he paid ami a
plied to the person or persons IN the mann
and for the purposes to whom and Tor WI!
the annual income OF the moneys to an
!, from the sale or conversion thereof in
> money would be payable or appicat
= , under this my last will, in case t
u same were sold or converted into none
e and declare that my real estate shall,
the purposes OF this my will be consider
q as converted into personally upon my
cease. and declare that the said trust
!" or trustee for the time being do and shs
with and out of the moneys which sh
7 come to their, his, or her hands under or
u, u virtue of this my will and the trusts there
~ pay my Just debts, funeral and testament
AZ expenses and legacies. And declare u
" " the said trust funds, or SO much thereof
W shall remain after answering the purpc
ln aforesaid, and the annual income ther'
lso lso shall be in trust for all my children (but
ny iect, as to my daughter Mary, to the prov
rs hereinbefore contained, who, being sol
at, SONS shall have attained or shall attain
ou .y ace of twenty-one years, and being dau
h;,, ,, ter or daughters shall have attained or
,a,' mio attain that age or be previously married
.oM I'm equal shares if more than one-provlued
e'' ways that. as regards my copyrights and
produce and profits thereof, my said dal
oI 1 ter Mary, notwithstanding the proviso
'no inbefore contained with reference to
shall share with my other children the
whether she be married or not; and dt
the estates vested in me at my decease
trustee or ortgagee unto the use OF the
Georgiana Hogarth and John Foster,
~, .,i' heirs and assigns, upon the trusts, and
lIn iect to the equities affecting the same re'
1aih lively; and / appoint the said .Geore
iof, Hooarth and John Forster, executrlx
nao executor of this my will, and guardian
hao the persons of nv children, during the
~eo snectiye minorities sndlastly, as have
ever set down the form of words which my
1or ,dvisers assure me are necessary to the
MS objects of this, my will. solemnly c
me, nv. dear children always to remember
way. mnch tbey owe to the said Georgina
HE earth. and never to be wanting in gr'
ex' and affectionate attachment to her, toI
d. know well that she has been through q
stages of their growth and progress,
ever useful, self denying, and devoted
iopal And I desire here simply to record I'll
the wife since our separation by consen
and l,een in the receipt from ME OF an q
some income of six hundred pounds; WI
. rats tbe great charges of "a numerous an
l,o,,re ,,ons;ve family have devolved wholly
pits. myself. emphakcally direct una! l.
!. but ried in an Inexpensive, unosten'a.ioal'
ly oe- strictly private manner, that no puD
v use nouncement be made OF the TIME Vi
ppiug nv burial, that at the utmost ho'
e ex- than three plain mourning coacnes
m the ployed, and that those VINO attenu
is vo. neral wear no scarf, cloak, black po'
hatband or other such revolving abs
tudied l direct that my name DC insS .;.,,o,,t
up in English letters on my t0mu ,;son VIM 7
ledge, dition OF MI" OF Lsqun. ,n.Le
o man my friends on no accouns .ar,,o,
hings; subject oi any honuI1e , ~ ~,
count. testimonial Whatever -, ~, ~,
hind the remembrance OF my ooun'. VI
lt fue published works, ana 10 tne :elel
d with of my friends upon thcir eApolienoo
ast psps, for m mercy Of God through our Lord and
door to Jesus CHRIST, ana eAuo'S .so,uo hy uoS,
box, or humbly 10 uy W sg,ue .ne :,
warm teaching OF the Ne" co. es.aos - :,
cquent, spirit, and TO put no laitn - dny L.y,
lure ieit row construction OF its lettei ISLe :