The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-01
NUMBER SO.
Curious Wills.

Curious Wills.
It 10 o very agreeable thing to be Q leRates !;
sometimes, however, legacy comes oiogged
with Q condition which takes off good deal
Of tho pleasure accompanying it's receipt. It
may not be an intollerabIe condition having to
take tho name and arms of an old family and
give up some distinguished name for an histor-
ical or an aristocratio one In order to inherit q
6ne estate, but it 10 often burden to o widow
to know that if she should give way TO q natural
wish and marry again, she will lose all or the
greater part of the money left to her by her
husband. On such . condition large estates
bequests to widows are only so long rs they
remain unmarried. Occasionally the condition
on which legacies can be enjoyed is that the
legatee shall not become or be married to n
Roman Catholic. The Hon. Mrs. Araminta
Monck Ridley whose will was proved in April,
1868, placed still further restraints on her leg
atees. She declares Z" that If any or either Of
my said children, either in my lifetime or ut
any time after my decease, shall become
marry u Roman Catholic, or shall join enter
any Ritualistio brotherhood or sisterhood, then.
the several provisions whether original, sub
stitutive or accruing, hereby made for tho ben
eft of such child or children, shall cease and
determine and become absolutely void"
In olden times estates were often held in
Eng gland by very curious tenurcs. Ono OF the
most ancient in the north was the tenure by y
horn. The superior lord, who might be the
king, gave possession of the land by the gift
of n horn, and the land held on condition
Of it's being blown SO as to give notice when
ever there was any danger of an actual inroaa
of the Picts. In modern times We have prop
orty held by more curious tenure still Mr..
Henry Budd, by his will, proved in February,
1862, declares "that in case my son Edward
shall wear moustachcs, then tue device herein
before contained in favor of him, his appoin-
toes, heirs and assigns of my said estate, called
Pepper Park, shall be void and devise tho
same estate to my son William, his appointees,
heirs and assigns. Aud in case my son William
shall wear moustaches, then the device herein
| before contained in favor of him, his appon-
tees, heirs, and assigns of my said estate,
called Twickenham Park, shall be void, and i
devise the same estate to my son Edward, his
appointees, heirs and assigns" Mr.. Budd 10
not singular in his objection to the moustache.
Mr.. Fleming, an appraiser and uphosterer. Of
Pimlice, by his will, proved in April, 1869,
gives to the different men in his employ El0
each but to those who persist in wearing
the moustaohe, E5 only"
Testators sometimes even venture to touch
feminine attire; for we ind Mr. james Rob
bins, whose will was proved in October, 1864,
declaring that, In the event Of my dear wife
not complying with my request to wear wild
owls cap after my decesse, and in the event Of
her marrying again, that then, and in both
such cases, the annuity which shall be payable
to her out of my estate shall be EGO per annum
and not ESQ" As thore was no stipulation 80
to the time the widows cap was to be worn,
probably Mrs Robbins found it easy to comply
with the letter Of the request in her husbands
| will and yet indulge her own taste in The mat
| ter. In contradistlnction to this example OF n
husband compelling his widow to wear tho
emblems of mourning for him whether she
mourned his loss or not may be placed tho
provisions of the will proved in May, 1865, OF
| Mr.. Edward Concanen; although the .bequest
| Ia not mado to depend upon their observance,
| the testatcr says: "And hereby bind my said
ife that she do not after my decsase offend
| artistic taste, or blazOn the sacred feelings OF
her sweet aud gentle nature by the exhibition
| of a widows cap"
| very peculiar obligation was imposed on
two of his legstees by Sir James South, the
| astronomer, whose will, with several codtclS,
was proved in 1863 By his will he gave .
pocket ctronometer each to the Earl Of Shaftes-
| bury, the Earl of ROsse, and Mr.. ArehtbaE
John Stevens, and in ono OF bis codicils no
states that they were given to them in tho
nae and wear them in the same manner 40 "
| am in the habit Of wearing my chronometerS-
| namely, In my pGntSloOn pocket properly 90
| called ia sort of pgemium to try and per-
| petu ate tho old fashion OF carrying the WaScn
! in the fob pocket, in vogue whom BIZ JamoS
South was q young man. To quote one instance
of o conditional Legacy given nearly one nun .
dred years ago, We may refer TO the oooion ~
1.-The will of David Hume, the historian, wherein
he leaves to his old friend Nr. JDhn Home, OF
Kilduf (who diSliked port, and used 70 contene
that Home" was the correct spelling DoIn Oh
his own name and Humss), " ten dozen OF my
oId claret at his choice, and one single bottle
| of that other liquor called port. l also leave
| to him six dozen of port, provided that ne AZ
| teats under his hand, aligned John Hume, ehaS
: he has himsslf alone finished that bottle Of
to sittipgs. BY this concession he will 81
once terminate the only two differences that
ever arose between us concerning tem POral Al
| fairs U-IHHsfrdted L0RdoR Ners.
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