The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-20
SOME CURIOUS WILLS
eCCENTRIclTIESA AND WHiMSICAliT,Es
OF TESTATORS.

Others Arc Noticeable For Their Breyitv.
There is refreshing quaintnoss about
somo old requests. Walter 10 Taillour.
for instance, in 1905, according to the
Will recorded in tho city of London court
OF husting, loft Ito Richard, his son, the
reversion of q tenement held by Richard
10 Bakere for life, receiving yearly imme.
oiately after tho testators death q rent of
half mark and weekly penny tart In
respect of tho said tenement" Ho also
Left fourpenco to London bridge. There Is
however, spirit Of geniality about this
Will which is very different from that of
tho man who left his son-in-Iaw lone
penny to buy him whistle"
The single shilling hos Of course boon
left In largo number of cases, but We do
not often hear of O receipt being given for
the money. Yot in 1899 Richard Hnrring-
ton OF Guided Morden, in Cambridgeshire
loft his daughter, Mary Martin, and her
husband shilling each, and his exooutrix
paid 1t and got the receipt, still In exist
once, dated March II, 1900 There was
man who In 1901 left his vito a shilling
to DO paid to her within six months after
his death, and rs his reason for doing so
remarked, "Sooing that I have had the
misfortune to DO married to tho aforesaid
Elizabeth, who ever since our union has
tormonted mo in every possible way"
a good many single shillings have boon
loft rs cheap advertisement with the OBJ
5oct of keeping the testator's namo alive
much In tho style of tho man at Wath
who left among other ct ceteras, a shil-
ling TO eyory poor woman in tho parish, a
guinea to seven navyies for pudding
him up In his grave u guinea to tho old
woman who had tucked him up in his
bed and 40 dozen penny loavcs to be
thrown from, ha oh =
cry Christmas day forever" OF this kind
OF thing There arc many examples, but
most of the shillings, sixpenccs, pennies
and penny buns have to DO displayed in
oil their glory on the testator's tombstone
ono man leaves his money to his son
ION condition that ho shave off his mus
tacho;" another leaves his to his nophcws
ION condition that they rise Mt 4 O'Clock
In the summer and o'clock in the win
teri another loavcs his to friend ION
condition that he always wears black"
another that the fortunate man should
wear u mourning ring. There was John
Reed, who left his head Ito bc prepared
so as to be used as tho skull of Yorck in
tho play of Hamlet by Shakespeare"
having evidently felt the inconvenience of
not having an article of the kind in stock.
Thorc was DR.. Wagner, who left his limbs
TO different friends for dissecting Dur
poses. Thcro was DR.. Euerby, who left his
heart to ono man, his lungs to another,
and his brain to another to be preserved
from decomposition, and pleasantly add
cd, IF either of tho gentlemen named
fail to execute this, will como and tor
ment them until thoy shall comply" thus
reminding us of the Mr.. Zimmerman who
desired in 1910 to be buried plainly and
in decent manner, land If this be not
done will come again-that Is if can!"
One gentleman, n cremationist boforo his
time, wishes his body to DO placed In one
of tho gas rctorts of the Imperial Gas COM
pany. Another desiring his body to be
converted to useful purposes, suggests
fiddle strings, smelling salts and optical
lenses as bong the forms in which no
would like 1t to appear for tho benefit of
mankind. Some profor to be disposed of
In the ordinary way, but in extraordinary
places.
But what shall we say of the gentleman
who wished his grave to DO battlefield
and left enough money to provide go Irish
mon evory year with knives and stout
shillalahS, armed with which thoy were to
meet over his grave and drink whisky by
the half pint, and then he grimly CON
tinucs knowing what I know of the
Irish character, my conviction is that
with these materials they will not fail to
oSOoiO1 CiCIl
Some people arc most considerable in
their thoughtfulness for the welfare of
those who have been dependent on thom.
Annuitics have been left to animals of oil
classes. Count Mirandola left an annuity
TO his fish, Mrs. Harper left 600 to her
black cat; Mrs Hunter left e200 a year
to her parrot; another widow left ESQ a
year to her canaries; Dr. Christiani left
GO, 600 ilorins to his dogs, with remainder
at their death to the University of Vicnn4
Mr. Garland loft annuitics to his monkey,
his dog and his cat.
a good many testators leave u joke be-
hind them, hoping apparently to enjoy il
In future state. One of the most absurd
examples of this elaborate fooling was
that furnished by tho trousers man, who
owned no less than II pairs OF those use-
ful garments. These he directed to be
taken ms they wcro and sold by public auc-
tion, no person being allowed to buy mora
than ono pair. The first pni-- futcfied but
trlfle, and great WAS inc purchasers ioy
at finding bank notes to the value of e2OO
In the pocket. Tho bidding progressed by
leaps and bounds rs every subsequent pair
was found to contain u similar amount,
but the rcsiduary lcgatee was anything
but gratificd at the return he got for that
4l4, 200 and the trousers.
Some wills arc in rhyme like that of
tho worthy Smithcrs:
AS to all my worldly goods, now or to be in
store
l give 10 my beloved wife as hers for evermore.
give nil freely. no limit fix.
This is my Will, and she's executrix
Some arc commercially short, like that
OF the city merchant who left G4OO, 600 to
his wife and children by n few lines writ
ton inside on envelope. But tho shortest
will Mt Somerset House is in eight words.