Weird Wills – Having the Last Laugh

Shakespeare’s Will 
Crown Copyright courtesy of The National Archives

by Steve Worsfold of Sussex Will Writers

Writing a will is an important task and one that shouldn’t be neglected. A Will is there to distribute your estate to the people you want to inherit and to appoint people you trust to make sure your wishes are enacted. Some Wills though, get downright bizarre:

“Item I gyve unto my wief, my second best bed…”

William Shakespeare

An odd bequest was Shakespeare’s gift of his ‘second best bed’ to Anne Hathaway, his wife. Though today this may look like a snub it was actually common to specifically gift a bed in a Will in the 1600’s as a sign of wealth.

A gift of the testator’s own skull

Andre Tchaíkowsky

Polish composer Tchaíkowsky died in 1982. He left in his will a gift of his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company that one day it be used as the skull of Yorick in Hamlet. His skull was eventually used on stage in 2008 by David Tennant portraying Hamlet.

A matching diamond necklace and earring set made from an unusual material.

Anonymous

The jewellery in question was actually made from the ashes of the testator’s parents.

A secret code to contact him after death

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist, was obsessed with spiritualism. To that end, in his will he left his wife a 10-digit code and instructions to hold a séance on every anniversary of his death, promising he would contact her from beyond the grave using the secret code.

Before making any odd requests in your Will, make sure you speak to Sussex Will Writers so you can be sure your request is actually possible.

Could you do with some FREE, sound advice on:

• Writing a Will – What do I need and how much does it cost?
• Creating Lasting Powers of Attorney – If I was incapacitated who can act on my behalf?
• Property Protection Trusts – Can these really save Care Home Fees?
• Pre-Paid Funeral Plans – With so many to choose from how do I decide which plan is best?

There is so much confusion on these vital areas of estate planning, that sometimes just a chat with an expert in the field can clear up misunderstanding and set out the way ahead, without all the legal jargon.

Steve Worsfold
Affiliate Member of the Society of Will Writers
Advising on Wills/Trusts/Probate/Powers of Attorney

Mobile: 07734 744886
Office: 01903 533681
Email: steve@sussexwillwriters.co.uk
Website: www.sussexwillwriters.co.uk

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