The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-04

TEsTAMENTARY ECCENTRIClTIEs.-Ihe Illus
tratea London NeacS says: Among the
$4,000 wills annually admitted to probate,
there are every year some which may fairly
be called curious Wills curious from the
regularity and conditions of the requests
or directions. In writing a few articles on
curious wills we shall endeavOr to take our
illustrations from the records Of the last
twenty or thirty years, and rs fur as posi-
BILE to classify them many, however, defy
classification, and will have in this to form a
class BY themselves. There arc few wills made
without some directions being given either as
TO the place or manner Of burial frequently
the testator desires to be buried in the same
grave With his wife, or some other member OF
bis family. Weremember one case where the
testator directed that he should be buried in
the space left for that purpose between the
graves of his first and second wives, so that
be should lie with one on bis right hand and
the other on bis left. More frequently still
the direction limits the extent OF the funeral.
In some cases no carriages are to be used;
in others, the body is to be carried 10 the
grave by persons employed on the deceased's
estate. In one instance the persons so to be
employed were laborers, and they were re-
uuired on the occasion to wear clean, white
Smockfrocks, and were to he paid one pound
each for their trouble. MIR. Zimmerman,
whose will was proved in 1910, accompanied
the directions for his funeral, in case they
were not carried out, with something like a
threat. In his will be says No person is to
attend my corpse to the grave, nor is any
funeral bell TO be rung; and my desire is
to be buried plainly but in Il decent man
ner, and if this be not done will come
again-tbat is to say, if 1 cam The
Countess Dowager of Sandwich, in her will
written by herself at the age of eighty,
proved in November, 1862, expresses her
wish to be buried decently and quiety-no
undertaker's frauds or cheating, no scarfs,
hat-bands, or nonsense Mrs. Kitty Jenkyn
Packe Reading, although evidently possessed
Of sufficient means, appears by her will,
proved in. April, 1870, to have been very
anxious that one part at least of the eX-
penses attending her funeral should be kept
AZ low as possible. After saying she il to he
placed first in ieaden and then in wooden
coffin, she provides if Il die away from
Branksome wish my remains, after being
duly placed In the proper collins, to be en-
closed In plain deadlock, so that no one may
know the contents, and conveyed by goods
train to Poole, which will cost no more
.hon aoS uSuSE pdchHSc VI tue Sduuo HoiShe,
from Poole station said box TO be conveyed
in cart to Branksome Tower The con
trivance OF sending her remains in plain,
deadlock by goods train, so that 1t Will
cost no more than other packages 81 the
same weight, and ssaid box afferward 10
be conveyed in cart, sounds rather oddly IN
connection with thedignifed name Of Its des-
tination-B ranksome Tower. Mrs. Reading
seems to have considered the details of her
funeral with much. lminnteness. Among
other things, she states: The easiest way
to convey myceofiin out of the house will be
to take the window ont sof the dining>room.'
Some people--we do not know ~ bether they
would esasher not die-certainly would
rather not be buried. MIR. j. l.. Greffulhe,
of Winchester street and Cornhill, merchant,
whose will was proved in October, 1867,
thus directs ~ to the disposal Of his body !:
I do net wish to be buried. ] epjoin my ne
pbeWs to cause my body TO be embaimed and
placed In q COLIN, the top of which shall be
glazed aud NOT niuled down, so that the body
be not deprived cit her Of air or daylight. Sub
seguentiy to cause it to be burnt, IL that can
10 Legally d0ne2 IL cI,nid not he from b mo;
ave o. economy, a the personal property id