Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-06
ara GAZETTE l. VIRGINIA ADVERTISER
rrsrANENTARY ECCENTRICITIEs.

TrsrAMENTARY ECCENTRICITIES.
rbs Illustrated London News says "Among
!. ,s 900 wills Annually admitted to probate,
.S,r. are every year some which may fairly be
1SsI curious Wills, curious from the peculi-
,.;.r and conditions Of the beQuests or direc-
.:,n, In writing tew articles on curious wills
w. hall eudeayor to take our illustrations from
h, records of the last twenty or thirty years,
.'d =, far as possible, to classify them; many,
1owryer, defy classification, and will have in
-. 10 form class by themselves. There are
ar wills made without some directions being
..ren either as to the place or the manner OF
ur,,i: frequently the testator desires to be
inrird in the same grave with his wife or some
,,hrr member OF his family. We remember
,n, .,s.. where the testator directed that he
SL,uI be buried 10 the space left for that pur.
,,s, between the graves of his first and second
,r;yrs 50 that he should lie with one on his
Iah, hand aud the other on his left. More
r'nn,n,Iv still, the direction limits the extent
q, me funeral; 10 some cases no carriages are
~ h., used. 10 others the body is to be carried
- rbe grave by persons employed on the de-
,.,srd, estate in Que instance the persons so
n be employed were laborers, and they were
r,nuir,d On the occasion 10 wear clean white
.mncktrocks, and we're to be paid one pound
each for then trouble Mr. Zimmerman, whose
will was proved in lS4O, accompanied the dl.
r.rtiops for his funeral, in case they were o,
,,rried out, with something like threat. In
h. will he says, No person is to attend my
corpse to the grave. nor is any funeral bell to
he ruug, and my desire is to be buried plainly,
tpt IN Geceut manner, and, if this be not done,
will come again, that is to say, if can. The
touutc>> Dowager Of Sandwich, IN her will, writ
,eu ty herself at the age OF 50, proved IN No.
vcn,ber. 1862, expresses her WISH to be buried
icccuty aud quletly-no undertaker's frauds
or cheating, no scarfs, hatbands, or nonsense.
Mrs. Kitty Jeukyn Packe Reading, although
,y,deuty possessed of sufficient means, ap-
pears by her will, proved in April, 1870, to
have been very anxious that one part at least of
the expenses attending her funeral should be
,cpt as low as possible After saying she is to
.r placed first 10 leaden and then 10 wooden
cau, she provides if I die away from Brank-
,mr | wish my remains, after being duly
laced in the proper cofhns, to be enclosed in a
,aD deal box, so that no one may know the
1;euts, and conveyed by a goods train to
Poole. which will cost no more than any other
leakage of the same weight; from Poole sta
t,a said box to be conveyed in cart to Brank-
sne lower. The contrlvance of sending her
r.uans in plain deal box by goods train,
So,ial it will cost no more than other package
q ;te same weight, aud said box afterward
10 BE courcyed 10 cart, sounds rather oddly
10 cJaDcction with the digni6ed name of its
Standardization Tower Mrs. Read
ID, seems to have considered the details OF her
:.aera with much ninuteness. Among other
..ilg<. she states: "Tbe easiest way to convey
ny coffin out Of the house will be to take the
window out of the dining-room. Some people
We do not know whether they would rather
Dot die certainly would rather not be buried.
Nr. }. l.. Greffulhe, of Winchester street
a-l Cornhill, merchant, whose will was
proved in October, 1867, thus directs as to
lie disposal of his body: i do not wish to be
urcd. | enjoin my nephew to cause my body
. be cmbalu,ed and placed iu coffin, the top
(which shall be glazed and not Daled down
! . that the body be not deprived either OF air
l daylight. Subsequently to cause it to be
1 urut, iithat can be legally done. 1t could not
4 from motive of ecouomy, as the personal
i,nperty in Eugand was sworn under half a
| .liion sterling, and he left 100000 francs to
-'ald out in works of benefcence and charity.
Nr William kensett, by his will, proved in
D N:ber. 1855, seems to have been OF the same
/, pnlun as the members of recently formed
CD, aho have pledged themselves, for sanitary
's>Ds, to have their bodies burnt at their
sr.hs, for he recites that, believing 10 the
| IlIoIlcy of interring the dead among the living
snd as an example to others, | give my body
| :oGr days after death, to the Directors of the
| lMlerIa Gas Company, London, to be placed
I Oae Of their retorts and consumed to ashes
add lha, they will be paid fl0 by my executors
| sr the trouble this act will impose on them in
niolng. Should defence OF tanaticism and
superstition prevent their granting this, my re-
t'est, then my executors must submit to have
+ ~. rrmaius buried, in the painest manner pos.
S Soe IN my family grave: in St. Joho s-Wood
hat ueighborhood. Generally the curious
NI> are home made. The will ofMr. Kensett
'1> made by solicitor"