“1. That we revoke by the present all testaments or writings prior to this one. 2. We wish that after our death our executors here named shall cause our body to be examined by five of the most celebrated physicians and surgeons in order to make sure that we have not been poisoned, and to make an exact report in writing, signed by them, of the cause of our death. 3. We wish that our body be embalmed, and if better for its preservation, petrified, according to the printed method adjoined. We wish our funeral to be conducted with all the ceremony and splendour due to our rank of Sovereign Duke. 4. We wish our body to be deposed in a mausoleum above the ground, which shall be erected by our executors at Geneva, in a dignified and prominent position. The monument shall be surmounted by an equestrian statue and surrounded by those of our father and grandfather of glorious memory, after the design attached to this testament in imitation of that of the Scaglieri at Verona; our executors shall construct the said monument ad libitum of the millions of our succession, in bronze and marble, by the most celebrated artists. 5. We make the condition that our testamentary executors shall not enter into any sort of compromise with our unnatural relations—Prince William of Brunswick, the ex-King of Hanover, his son, the Duke of Cambridge, or any one else of our pretended family, their servitors, their agents, or any other person whatever. 6. We wish our testamentary executors to use every means to put themselves in possession of our fortune remaining in our Duchy of Brunswick, in Hanover, in Prussia, in America, or elsewhere. 7. We make as a condition that our executors respect and execute all the codicils and legacies which we have the intention to make in favour of our surroundings. 8. We declare that we leave and bequeath our fortune—that is, our chateaux, domains, forests, estates, mines, saltworks, hotels, houses, parks, libraries, gardens, quarries, diamonds, jewels, silver, pictures, horses, carriages, porcelain, furniture, cash, bonds, public funds, bank-notes, and particularly that important part of our fortune which has been taken from us by force and kept since 1830, with all the interests in our Duchy of Brunswick, to the city of Geneva. 9. We leave to Mr. George Thomas Smith, of No. 228, King’s Road, Chelsea, in England, administrator-general, grand treasurer of our fortune, 1,000,000f., and we nominate him executor in chief of this testament. We likewise appoint M. Ferdininant Cherbuliez, advocate at Genoa. This testament is entirely written and signed by our hand, and sealed with our arms.
“Duke of Brunswick.”
Will of Lord Bulwer-Lytton
The will of the late Lord Bulwer-Lytton, who died in 1873, contained special directions as to the examination of his body, in order to provide against the possibility of his being buried whilst in a trance, which appeared to be an apprehension of his. The will further provided that the funeral expenses should be limited to what was usual, simply, in the interment of a private gentleman; and that any epitaph which might be intended for his tomb should be written in the English language.
Will of Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke is believed to have been born in Dublin on the 12th day of January, 1729; he died on the 8th day of July, 1797. His gifts of oratory impressed the people of his time, and have remained models ever since; he must ever be held in affectionate esteem by Americans, for his speeches on “American Taxation” and “Conciliation with America” are regarded as the most brilliant examples of his eloquence and statesmanship. Had his counsels been adopted, the War of Independence would have been averted. Burke left strict injunctions that his burial should be private, and in spite of a great demand for his interment in Westminster Abbey, he was laid to rest in the little church at Beaconsfield, a few miles from Windsor.
His will remains on file at Somerset House, London, and the testament is here given as it there literally appears:
“If my dear Son & friend had survived me, any Will would have been unnecessary but since it has pleased God to call him to himself before his Father, my duty calls upon me to make such a disposition of my worldly affairs as seems to my best Judgment most Equitable and reasonable; therefore, I, Edmund Burke, of the parish of Saint James, Westminster, though suffering under sore and inexpressible affliction being of sound and disposing Mind and not affected by any bodily infirmity, do make my last will and Testament, in manner following; First, according to the Ancient good and laudable Custom of which my Heart & understanding recognizes the propriety, I bequeath my soul to God, hoping for his Mercy thro’ the only Merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; my Body I desire, if I should die in any place very convenient for its Transport thither (but not otherwise), to be buried in the Church at Beaconsfield near to the Bodies of my dearest Brother & my dearest Son, in all Humility praying that as we have lived in perfect Amity together we may together have a part in the Resurrection of the Just; I wish my Funeral to be (without any Punctiliousness in that respect) the same as that of my brother and to exceed it as little as possible in point of Charge, whether on Account of my Family or of any others who would go to a greater expence, & I desire in the same manner and with the same Qualifications that no Monument beyond a Middle sized Tablet with a small and simple inscription on the Church Wall or on the Flagstone be erected; I say this because I know the Partial kindness to me of some of my Friends, but I have had in my life time but too much of noise and compliment: as to the rest it is uncertain what I shall leave after the Discharge of my Debts which when I write this are very great. Be that as it may, my Will concerning my worldly substance is short. As my entirely beloved, Faithful & affectionate Wife did during the whole time in which I lived most happily with her take on her the charge & Management of my affairs, assisted by her son, whilst God was pleased to lend him to us, did conduct them (often in a state of much derangement and embarrassment) with a patience and prudence which probably have no example, & thereby left my Mind free to prosecute my publick duty or my Studies or to indulge in my relaxations or to cultivate my friends at my pleasure; so on my Death I wish things to continue as substantially they have always been. I therefore by this my last and only Will devise, leave & bequeath to my entirely beloved and incomparable Wife, Jane Mary Burke, the whole real Estate of which I shall die seized, whether Lands, Rents or Houses, in absolute Fee simple; as also all my Personal Estate, whether Stock, Furniture, Plate, Money or Securities for Money Annuities for lives or Years, be the said Estate of what nature, Quality, extent or description it may be, to her sole uncontrolled Possession & disposal, as her property in any manner which may seem proper to her to possess or to dispose of the same (whether it be real Estate or Personal Estate) by her last will or otherwise; it being my intention that she may have as clear and uncontrolled a right and Title thereto and therein as I possess myself as to the use, expenditure, Sale or devise. I hope these Words are sufficient to express the absolute and unconditioned, unlimited right of compleat Ownership. I mean to give to her the said Lands and Goods and I trust that no words of surplusage or ambiguity may vitiate this my clear intention; there are no persons who have a right or I believe a disposition to complain of this bequest which I have only weighed and made on a proper consideration of my Duties and the relations in which I stand. I also make my wife, Jane Mary Burke, aforesaid, my sole Executrix of this my last Will, knowing that she will receive advice and assistance from her and my excellent Friends Dr. Walker King & Dr. Lawrence, to whom I recommend her & her concerns, though that perhaps is needless, as they are as much attached to her as they are to me. I do it only to mark my special Confidence in their affection, Skill and Industry. I wish that my Dear Wife may, as soon after my Decease as Possible (which after what has happened she will see with Constancy and resignation), make her last will with the advice and assistance of the two persons I have named; but it is my wish also that she will not think herself so bound up by any bequests she may make in the said Will & which whilst she lives can be only intentions, as not during her life to use her property with all the Liberty I have given her over it, just as if she had written no Will at all but in everything to follow the directions of her own Equitable and Charitable Mind and her own prudent and measured understanding. Having thus committed every thing to her Discretion I recommend (subject always to that Discretion) that if I should not during my life give or secure to my Dear Niece, Mary C. Hairland, wife of my worthy Friend, Captn Hairland, the sum of a thousand pound or an Annuity equivalent to it, that she would bestow upon her that Sum of Money or Annuity Conditioned and limited in such manner as she, my Wife aforesaid, may think proper by a Devise in her Will or otherwise, as she may find most convenient to the situation of her affairs without pressure upon her during her life; my Wife put me in Mind of this which I now recommend to her; I certainly some years ago gave my Niece reason to expect it but I was not able to execute my intentions. If I do this in my life time this recommendation goes for nothing. As to my other Friends, Relations, and Companions through Life, and especially to the Friends and Companions of my Son, who were the dearest of mine, I am not unmindful of what I owe them, if I do not name them all here and mark them with tokens of my Remembrance I hope they will not attribute it to unkindness or to a want of a due Sense of their Merits towards me. My old Friend and Faithful Companion, Will. Burke, knows his place in my heart. I do not mention him as Executor or Assistant. I know that he will attend to my Wife, but I chose the two I have mentioned as from their time of Life of greater activity. I recommend him to them. In the Political World I have made many connections and some of them amongst persons of high rank; their Friendship from political became personal to me and they have shewn it in a manner more than to satisfie the utmost demands that could be made from my love & sincere attachment to them. They are the worthiest people in the Kingdom; their intentions are excellent, and I wish them every kind of success. I bequeath my brother in law, John Nugent, & the friends in my poor Sons list, which is in his Mother’s hands, to their protection as to them & to the rest of my Companions who constantly Honoured and Cheered our House as our Inmates I have put down their names in a list that my Wife should send them the usual remembrance of little Mourning Rings as a token of my remembrance. In speaking of my Friends to whom I owe so many obligations I ought to name specially Lord Fitzwilliam, the Duke of Portland and the Lord Cavendishes with the D. of Devonshire the worthy head of that Family. If the intimacy which I have had with others has been broken off by a Political Difference on great Questions concerning the State of things existing and impending, I hope they will forgive whatever of general human Infirmity or of my own particular Infirmity has entered into that contention. I heartily entreat their forgiveness. I have nothing Further to say. Signed & Sealed as my last Will and Testament this 11th. day of August, 1794 being written all with my own hand. Edm. Burke—in the presence of—Dupont—William—Webster—Walker & King.
“In reading over the above Will I have nothing to add or essentially to alter but one point may want to be perfected & explained. In leaving my Lands and Heredits to my wife I find that I have omitted the Words which in Deeds Create an Inheritance in Law. Now tho’ I think them hardly necessary in a Will yet to obviate all doubts I explain the matter in a Codicil which is annexed to this—(sic) 22 1797.—Edm. Burke.
“I Edm. Burke of the parish of Beaconsfield, in the county of Bucks, being of sound and disposing Judgment and Memory, make this my last will and testament, in no sort revoking but explaining & confirming a Will made by me and dated the eleventh of August, in which will I have left, Devised and Bequeathed all my estate of whatever nature and Quality the same may be, Whether lands, Tenements, Houses, Freehold or Leasehold, Interests, Pensions for lives or years, Arrears of the same, Legacies or other debts due to me; Plate, Household Stuff, Books, Stock in Cattle & Horses & utensils of Farming & all other my Goods and Chattels to my dear Wife I: M: Burke in as full & perfect manner as the same might be Devised, Conveyed or transferred to her by any Act or Instrument whatsoever; with such recommendations as in my Will aforesaid are made & with a wish that in the discharge of my Debts the course hitherto pursued may be as nearly as possible observed, Sensible however that in payment of Debt no exact rule can be preserved; the same is therefore left to her Discretion, with the advice of our Friends whom she will naturally Consult. The reason of my making this will or Codicil to my former Will is from my having omitted in devising by that Will my Lands and Heredits to my Wife aforesaid, the full and absolute Property thereof & therein I have omitted the legal Words of Inheritance. Now tho’ I think those words however necessary in a Deed are not so in a Will, yet to prevent all Question, I do hereby devise all my Lands Tenements and Heredits as well as all other property that may be subject to a strict Rule of Law in Deeds & which would pass if left undevised to my Heirs. I say I do devise the same Lands tenements and Hereditaments to my Wife, Jane Mary Burke, and her Heirs for ever in pure absolute and unconditional Fee simple. I have now only to recommend to the kindness of my Lord Chancellor Ld. Loughborough, to his Grace the Duke of Portland, to the most Honorable the Marquiss of Buckingham, to the Rt_. Hoñble Wm. Windham & to Dr. Lawrence of the Commons and Member of Parliament, that they will after my death continue their Protection and favour to the Emigrant School at Penn & will entreat, with a weight on which I dare not presume, the Rt. Hon. Wm. Pitt to continue the necessary allowances which he has so generously and charitably Provided for those unhappy Children of Meritorious Parents; that they will superintend the same, which I wish to be under the more Immediate care and direction of Dr. King and Dr. Lawrence, & that they will be pleased to exert their influence to place the said young Persons in some Military Corps or other Service as may best suit their dispositions & Capacities, Praying God to bless their endeavours. Signed and sealed as a Codicil to my Will or a Confirmation and Explanation thereof agreeably to the Note which some days ago I put to the end of it. This 29th. January 1797. Edm: Burke, in the presence of—Walker King—Richd. Bourke—Ed: Nagle.”