The most unusual wills. The strangest wills
A will is one of the most interesting legal documents: just think how many copies of it were broken, how many deprived relatives gritted their teeth without receiving a penny... Among quite ordinary and unremarkable documents, history knows some very original ones. I offer you ten of the very best.
The most voluminous a will the size of good story, left by American President Thomas Jefferson. In it, he not only prescribed how to dispose of acquired property, but also jotted down notes on US history. And he set a strict condition for the relatives who were claiming the inheritance: until you free all your slaves, you will not receive any money.
The most sarcastic will. In the Middle Ages, one of the wealthy peasants made a will, which probably greatly angered his wife. The wife could marry after his death, and even received a hundred coins as a dowry. And another hundred generous peasants left it to the new chosen one - as moral support. Apparently, the woman did not have an easy-going character...
The most pedantic the will was left by “William our Shakespeare.” A man meticulous about every detail, he painted all his possessions, right down to his shoes. By the way, it is this document that proves to skeptics that Shakespeare is not a literary hoax, but a real person.
The most laconic A British banker left behind a will. The document contained only three words: “I am completely bankrupt.”
The most "abusive" The will was left by a French shoemaker. There are only 20% of decent words in it, all the rest are selective obscenities. So, this is probably where the expression “swear like a cobbler” came from...
The most incomprehensible the will belongs to Niels Bohr's assistant. The document is replete with professional terms and phrases that are understandable only to specialists, so both linguists and scientists worked hard to decipher it.
The most "luxurious" Henry Ford left a will. His total donations to charity and education amounted to half a billion dollars.
The will, which is undoubtedly went down in history, owned by businessman and scientist Alfred Nobel. According to this document, his numerous relatives received only 500 thousand crowns. The rest of the fortune - about 30 million - was spent on the foundation of the award.
The most mysterious The will was written by another rich man, Michel Rothschild. The document prohibits making public the size of his fortune.
And finally the funniest thing the will, if such a document can be called ridiculous, belongs to George Dorcas, who made his millions in the film industry. His faithful dog Maximilian received all 65 million, but his wife, with whom the millionaire clearly did not get along, received only one cent. True, the wife of the deceased turned out to be more cunning: since Dorcas, in order to bequeath money to the dog, drew up completely “human” documents for her, the woman married Maximilian, and when he died, she inherited everything.
Borrowed from kvn201.com.ua
Who wrote the world's longest will? and got the best answer
Answer from Marina_Anatolievna[guru]
Brevity is the sister of talent
The shortest testament is officially considered to be the last will of the German Karl Tausch. On June 19, 1967, in the presence of a notary, he personally wrote on a piece of paper just two words: “Everything to my wife.”
Another example is the will of a banker from London. It contained three words: “I am completely ruined.”
With all due respect...
Another example of a long will was written by one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Directions regarding property were interspersed in the document with discussions of American history. According to this will, Jefferson's heirs received their shares of the inheritance only on the condition that they free all their slaves.
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Reply from 2 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Who wrote the longest will in the world?
Reply from User deleted[active]
The world's longest will was left behind by an ordinary American housewife, Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook, in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read aloud in its entirety. She wrote her will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. Mrs. Cook's fortune was modest, but the lady had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or evil - that's another matter) for all her friends and enemies.
Reply from Yofya Kotelnikova[guru]
The longest will was written by one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Directions regarding property were interspersed in the document with discussions of American history. According to this will, Jefferson's heirs received their shares of the inheritance only on the condition that they freed all their slaves.
Reply from @nyushka[guru]
The longest will was written by one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson.
Directions regarding property were interspersed in the document with discussions of American history. According to this will, Jefferson's heirs received their shares of the inheritance only on the condition that they freed all their slaves.
They come short, long and just plain ridiculous. Entire fortunes can go to animals, and shoemakers swear not only in life, but also in wills. So what are they, the most interesting wills in the world?
The shortest wills
The essence of these orders is contained in just a few words, but they are so laconic that they fully convey the entire meaning of what was written. The first can hardly be called a will. After all, the banker from London, well-known in his circles, left nothing to his heirs except three words: “I am completely ruined.”
The shortest will in the world consists of two words
His record was broken by Karl Tausch. He wrote only 2 words: “Everything to his wife,” after which he went down in history as the person who made the shortest will in the world.
The most ridiculous wills
Here the imagination of the rich ran wild. For example, Samuel Bratt's passion for smoking led him to take revenge on his wife by drawing up an unusual declaration of will. In order for the wife to take over the inheritance, which amounted to 330,000 pounds, she must smoke 5 cigars a day. Thus, he took revenge on his wife, who forbade him to smoke his favorite Cuban cigars.
One of the most unusual wills mentioned cigars
Relatives of Angel Pantoja performed last wish died in a rather shocking way. A young man was found dead under the San Juan Bridge. The killers were never found. To perpetuate the memory of Angela, relatives embalmed his body in an upright position and placed it in one of the rooms of his family home. According to the victim's brother, they fulfilled his wish to be happy and stand firmly on his feet in his home. And where else can he be happy, if not with his family? Anyone can see Angel by paying only $5.
This is how the will of Angel Pantoja was executed
The most unusual heiress was Leona Helmsley's four-legged friend. After the death of the woman, her will was made public, according to which she left $12 million for the maintenance of her beloved dog Bedka. According to the deceased, she did not want that, having lost its owner, the pet would also be deprived of proper care and its usual way of life. After her death, Bedka should be buried next to Leona in a luxurious mausoleum, costing about $1,500,000. The woman entrusted the management of the dog's inheritance to her brother, to whom she left 10 million of the national American currency. Leona did not forget about her granddaughters, bequeathing them 5 million dollars. The relatives of the deceased categorically disagree with this expression of will and are still challenging it in court.
Leona Helmsley bequeathed $12 million to her dog Bedke
But old lady Leona was surpassed by film producer Roger Dorcas, who made an absurd will in favor of his dog Maximilian, according to which the four-legged dog became the owner of $65 million. While Roger's wife received only 1 cent. The court recognized the millionaire's order as legal, since during his lifetime he gave the dog human documents. But Roger's wife was not at a loss. Having been widowed, she married the lucky heir - the dog Maximilian, because he had everything necessary documents. After the death of the Doberman, the woman, with full rights of a widow, entered into inheritance rights, because the dog did not leave a will.
The dog Maximilian is an animal that received a record inheritance
Vermont entrepreneur John Bowman also distinguished himself by writing an interesting will. 2 years after the funeral of his beloved wife and children, he died himself, having previously voiced his last wish. According to his reasons, in the afterlife he should meet his family and be reincarnated on Earth with them. Therefore, he ordered the house to be kept clean before the owners returned and the table to be set for a late dinner every night. And although the entrepreneur himself died in 1891, his last wish was fulfilled for another 59 years, until the funds allocated for the salaries of servants and for home repairs ran out.
A set table is part of one of the most unusual wills
Fulfilling the last wishes of Californian socialite Sandra West, she was buried in a silk peignoir while driving her beloved Ferrari. Moreover, the performers responsible for ensuring that the society lady was buried in comfort carefully monitored the position of the driver’s seat relative to the steering wheel and the degree of position of the mirrors, creating an ideal view. However, the executor decided to concrete the star's grave so that her car would not become a temptation for vandals.
The longest wills
The legendary person who wrote the longest will in the world is a hitherto unknown housewife from America, Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook. Her original work contains more than 95 thousand words. Not a single performer has been able to read it out loud from beginning to end. Without much wealth or luxury real estate, Frederica managed to make many friends and enemies during her life. So she dedicated her will to them, writing a few lines about each. It took a housewife 20 years of her life to create such a document. Close people who noticed her doing this activity believed that she was writing a book. And some still believe that if her will were replicated, it would turn out great women's novel.
Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook wrote the longest will in the world
Second place in creating the longest will goes to one of the founders of the United States - Thomas Jefferson. Concern about history and future fate his native country did not leave him even during the preparation of the document. Therefore, among the legally significant lines about the rights of inheritance, there were quite often lyrical digressions about the difficult fate of the inhabitants of America. As a result, Thomas's heirs were given a condition according to which they could legally dispose of the inheritance only after the liberation of all their slaves.
The longest will belongs to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. The document in which the politician disposed of his property often included discussions about the history of the country. As a result, Jefferson's heirs received the right to inheritance only if all their slaves were freed. But in 1925, the glory of the longest will passed to the hitherto unknown American housewife Federica Cook. It turned out that she had been working on her farewell document for 20 years. As a result, the will turned out to be so long (95,940 words) that those few who were able to read it to the end say that this reading is more reminiscent of a novel. After all, over the years of her existence, the woman managed to make many friends and enemies, devoting a couple of lines to each of them in her work. Of course, the will itself was not read aloud, as usually happens.
The most offensive will. It was a document drawn up in the Middle Ages by a farmer. A man bequeathed 100 livres to his wife, and if she remarried, the amount could double. The farmer explained this by saying that the future husband of such a grumpy woman would certainly need this money. The situation for the future chosen one was aggravated by the fact that divorces were prohibited in those days. Another offensive document of this kind belongs to the Australian Francis Lord. He left all his property to charities and friends, not forgetting his servants. But the wife was mentioned at the end of the list. Francis bequeathed 1 shilling to her so that she could buy a tram ticket and go somewhere to drown herself.
The most historically useful will became a document left by William Shakespeare. The writer turned out to be so meticulous and petty that he left instructions regarding all his property, including furniture and shoes. As a result, the document turned out to be almost the only indisputable document that proves the existence of Shakespeare in general.
The shortest will left by a London banker. It contained only three words: “I am completely ruined.” But this record soon fell. The laconic German Karl Tausch went down in history with his will “Everything to his wife.”
And here is the most indecent will belongs to a shoemaker, which is not surprising. One resident of Marseille made a will of 123 words, and 94 of them turned out to be such that they simply cannot be uttered in decent society.
The most difficult will to understand became a document compiled by the laboratory assistant of Niels Bohr, the famous physicist. The note contained so many special terms and complex phraseological phrases that in order to understand what the man actually meant, he had to resort to the help of linguistic experts.
Henry Ford left the largest sum of cash in his will. The industrialist ordered the distribution of $500 million among 4,157 educational and charitable organizations.
The most famous will became such from Alfred Nobel. Soon after his death, the document was disputed by relatives. This is not surprising, because Nobel left them only half a million crowns, while the remaining 30 million went to create the famous Nobel Prize and the corresponding fund.
The author of the most secret will is Michelle Rothschild. The billionaire wrote in it: “... I categorically and unequivocally prohibit any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and publication of my fortune...” As a result, no one found out the true size of the financier’s fortune.
Caring people also leave their funds to representatives of the fauna. Thus, the author of the largest fortune among animals was film producer Roger Dorcas. The rich man left all of his $65 million to his beloved dog Maximilian. Then the story took on a completely stupid tone. The court decided that such a decision was absolutely legal based on the fact that during his lifetime Dorcas was able to give the dog human documents. And according to the will, the producer’s wife received only 1 cent. The resourceful woman managed to marry the dog because he had real human documents. As a result, after the death of the animal, she was able to enter into inheritance rights, since the dog, naturally, did not leave a will.
The most vengeful will left in 1960 by a certain Samuel Brother. He knew that his wife could not stand the smell of tobacco smoke. So the man ordered that in order to enter into an inheritance of 330 thousand pounds, his widow had to smoke 5 cigars daily.
The sexiest testament left by German businessman Rolf Eden. He stated that he was leaving all his property to the woman in whose bed he would die. Now the 76-year-old businessman feels great and is enjoying the fruits of such a sexy bequest!
The funniest will left by the famous comedian Charlie Chaplin. The actor bequeathed $1 million to anyone who could blow five rings of cigarette smoke out of their mouth and pass a sixth through them. The task turned out to be so difficult that no one has yet managed to do it.
Will-prank left by the famous illusionist Harry Houdini. He told everyone that all the secrets of his tricks would be kept in a safe, which should be opened on his centenary. However, when the designated box was opened, it was found that there was nothing inside.
The most masculine testament left by lawyer Ty Zink. In 1930, due to his bad attitude to women, bequeathed at his own expense to build a library in which all books would be written exclusively by men. Initially, the lawyer even planned to ban women from entering there, but changed his mind. Zink donated his capital of 35 thousand dollars to a special fund for 75 tapes, and the interest was to be used for the construction of the Zink Womanless Library. But fortunately for mankind, the daughter of the deceased, who received only 5 dollars in the will, was able to challenge her father’s will, and the strange library was never built.
The most cosmic testament left by Eugene Rodenberry, creator of the fantastic odyssey "Star Trek". The man wished to go to the stars after his death. His wish was eventually granted - after cremation in 1997, the ashes were delivered into orbit by a Spanish satellite and scattered in the upper atmosphere. Romantically, 10 years later his wife followed Eugene.
The most touching testament compiled by Robert Louis Stevenson, famous English writer. He bequeathed his own birthday to one of his girlfriends. The fact is that the lady was born on December 25, on Christmas Day. It was not surprising that everyone constantly forgot about her holiday. The writer “allowed” his friend to take his birthday, November 13th. Such a step would change the situation. However, the court did not satisfy the will of the author of “Treasure Island” - after all, Stevenson was not the legal owner of this day, therefore, he could not bequeath it to anyone.
Testament of hope was compiled by Vermont entrepreneur John Bowman. He buried his beloved wife and two daughters. Unable to bear the loss, John died two years later. In his will, being confident that he would meet his relatives in the next world and then be able to return with them, Bowman ordered that the house be kept in perfect order while awaiting the return of the owners. Every evening a late dinner was served. From 1891 to 1950, the mansion awaited the return of its owners. But the story stopped with the end of the funds allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants.
The most influential will. Among all the eccentric wills, the document prepared by Canadian lawyer Charles Millar had the greatest impact on the life of an entire country. He died in 1926, and his last will immediately became sensationally known. In his will, Charles gave his two friends, a priest and a judge, a stake in one of the racecourses. The irony was that both of them were known as champions of any gambling. As a result of such a gift, the friends began not only to make a profit from the racetrack and bets on it, but also automatically entered the jockey club, which they had been fighting with for a long time. It should be noted that both the judge and the preacher did not refuse such a gift. Millar bequeathed shares in the brewing company to five other friends who fought against alcohol. Only one of them refused the inheritance. The lawyer bequeathed a luxurious villa in Jamaica to three other acquaintances who could not stand each other and be together. But the most interesting thing was the fact that Millar bequeathed a large sum of money to the Toronto resident who would give birth to the largest number of children within 10 years after his death. Although they often tried to challenge this clause of the will, nothing worked - it was not for nothing that Millar was a good lawyer. What then happened in Canada was called the “Great Toronto Derby.” Over the next 10 years, the surge in birth rates both in Toronto and across Canada as a whole was simply phenomenal. On May 30, 1938, exactly 10 years after Millar's death, the city court began to consider applications for inheritance. One woman managed to give birth to ten during this time, but was disqualified. It turned out that not all of her children were from one man, as Millar’s conditions required. Another woman said she gave birth nine times, but it turned out that five of the children were stillborn. However, both women received a consolation bonus of 13 thousand dollars. The main prize of half a million was divided equally between four families, in which 9 children were born during this period. Newspapers later reported that no more children were born into the families of the winners.
Divine will was compiled by a lady from Cherokee County in North Carolina. The woman left all her property to God. The court found no compelling reason to revoke the will and ordered the local sheriff to find an heir to take over. A few days later the town became famous - the sheriff wrote a report in which he said that God was not found in the territory entrusted to him. As a result, the inheritance passed into the possession of the district administration.
Satanic Testament left by one of the residents of Finland. He indicated the devil as his only heir. The country's authorities, without thinking twice, seized all the funds in their favor, becoming a kind of representative of Satan on earth.
The most theatrical testament left by actor Juan Potomaki from Buenos Aires. He decided to remain in the theater after his death. The administration of the cultural institution was asked to receive several tens of thousands of dollars from the will, but on the condition that the deceased’s skull would be used in future productions of Hamlet. The administration fulfilled the request of the deceased with pleasure, earning their considerable money.
The most cruel testament may be the one left behind by one of the residents of Springfield, Oregon. After his death, the man asked to make a binding from his skin for a collection of his own poems. The heirs wanted to fulfill the will of the deceased, but the authorities did not allow it - such treatment was contrary to the norms of the law for the treatment of corpses.
The most selfish will owned by wealthy Californian widow Mary Murphy. She loved herself so much that after her death she decided to euthanize her dog, supposedly so that she would not suffer from mental anguish. However, members of the Animal Welfare Society stood up for the dog; members of the organization were able to prove that killing a healthy dog was contrary to state laws.
Date: 2010.04.26
The most indecent will in history was left by a shoemaker from Marseille. Of the 123 words recorded in it, 94 are impossible to pronounce even in relatively decent society.
The world's longest will was left behind by the hitherto unknown American housewife Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook in 1925. It consisted of 95,940 words and was never read out loud in its entirety, as is usually the case. Mrs. Cook did not have much wealth, and her movable and immovable property could be counted on one hand. But Mrs. Cook, who had made many friends and enemies during her long life, had a brilliant memory and found a few words (good or bad - that’s another matter) to all of them. She wrote her will for 20 years, and many who saw her doing this were sure that she was writing a novel. By the way, those who were able to read the will in its entirety claim that it reads like a real women’s novel, and if it is printed, then reader success is guaranteed.
The most offensive will was made by the Australian Francis Lord, who, having written off his fortune to charities, friends and servants, mentioned his wife at the end. He bequeathed one shilling to her - so that she “buy a ticket for the tram, go somewhere and drown herself.”
The most generous testator can be considered famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who gave one of his friends his birthday. The lady was born on Christmas Day, December 25th, and her own holiday was always forgotten. Changing this date to November 13, the writer’s birthday, could have changed the situation, but the court forbade the last will of the author of “Black Arrow” and “Treasure Island” to satisfy: Stevenson was not the legal owner of the birthday, and therefore could not bequeath it to anyone.
A certain resident of the American city of Springfield (Oregon) in his will wished that his leather be used as a binding for his collection of poems. But the authorities refused to the heirs: the will of the testator came into direct conflict with the norms of local legislation on how to deal with corpses.
The last wish of Mary Murphy, a wealthy California widow, was not fulfilled either. She ordered her beloved dog Saido to be euthanized in order to “save the latter from the moral torment associated with the loss of her owner.” The Society Against Cruelty to Animals stood up for the dog and proved that killing a healthy and young dog violates California law.
The most difficult will to understand was drawn up by the laboratory assistant of the famous physicist Niels Bohr. The will contained so many special terms and complex phraseological phrases that expert linguists had to be called in to decipher it.
The stupidest inheritance story involves the name of Roger Dorcas. The millionaire and film producer left all his $65 million to his beloved dog Maximilian. The court recognized this decision as legal, since during his lifetime the millionaire straightened out completely human documents for Maximilian. Dorcas left 1 cent to his wife. But she, according to the same dog documents, married the dog and, after his death, calmly entered into inheritance rights, since the dog, naturally, did not leave a will.
The richest animal is a dog named Gunther IV. In 1991, German millionaire Countess Carlotta von Liebenstein left DM 139 million to her dog Gunther III. From him the money passed to his only son and heir, Gunther IV.
Chain smoker Samuel Bratt used his last wish purely for the purpose of revenge. Since during his lifetime his wife did not allow him to smoke, in his will he left her 330,000 pounds with one condition: in order to receive the inheritance, the widow must smoke 5 cigars a day.
Millionaire Leona Hemsley became famous for leaving 5 million to her grandchildren and 12 million to her dog. When the dog dies, it should be buried next to its owner in a magnificent mausoleum costing almost one and a half million dollars.
Gene Rodenberry, the creator of the Star Trek phenomenon, wished that after his death his body was cremated and sent to open space. In 1997, a Spanish satellite carried the ashes of the deceased into orbit, where the contents of the urn were released into the upper atmosphere.
The last wish of the misogynistic lawyer, who died in 1930, was to build a library in which all works would be written only by men, and the staff would also consist of only men. He left $35,000 for this. His daughter received $5 in the will.
A woman from Cherokee County, North Carolina, left her entire fortune to God. The court, having examined the will and finding no grounds for revoking it, instructed the local sheriff to find a beneficiary and ensure the transfer of the inheritance to him. A few days later, Cherokee County became famous throughout the world as the only place on the planet that officially recognized its abandonment by God. The sheriff's report to the local judge stated: "After extensive and careful searches, we have been unable to locate God within this county."
In turn, the Finnish government has every reason to be considered the only representative of the devil on earth. One of the citizens of the country bequeathed all his property to Satan. The state successfully sued all the money for itself.
And one of the wills that have not yet been executed was made by a certain Frenchman, who left all his property to “the first person who came into contact with a resident of any celestial body, with the exception of Mars."
One Frenchman left money for an annual competition for the most beautiful nose, to which “representatives of all nations and races are admitted, with the exception of Russians, provided that the participants in the competition have red hair and black eyebrows.” And a certain Viennese millionaire, who was afraid of the dark, demanded that a light always burn in his grave.
John Bowman, an entrepreneur from Vermont, died after burying his beloved wife and two daughters. Absolutely confident that he would meet them in the next world and somehow be able to return to this world, he ordered to keep his mansion in full readiness for his return and serve a late dinner on the table every night. Bowman died in 1891. Late dinner in his mansion stopped being served only in 1950, when the money allocated for the maintenance of the house and servants ran out.
California high society star Sandra West's last wishes were for her to be buried in a silk nightgown behind the wheel of her beloved Ferrari, with the executor tasked with ensuring the chair was reclined for maximum comfort. The last wish was fulfilled. True, the executor decided to fill the grave with concrete, fearing vandals who might encroach on the expensive car.
One of the theaters in Buenos Aires gladly accepted several tens of thousands of dollars from former artist Juan Potomac, agreeing to the condition of the will that Mr. Potomac's skull would be used in productions of Hamlet.
With all the many eccentric wills, the champion among testators can rightfully be considered the Canadian lawyer Charles Millar, whose will is not just a collection of not very kind jokes at the expense of his neighbors, but also a document that had a fantastic impact on the life of not only his hometown of Toronto, but also all over Canada.
Charles Millar died in 1928, and his last will became an immediate sensation. He mentioned in his will two friends, a judge and a priest, known throughout Canada for their hatred of all forms of gambling. He left them a large stake in one of the hippodromes. In addition to the fact that both received profits from gambling as a result, they automatically - as shareholders - became members of the jockey club, with which both had been fighting for many years. The judge and preacher accepted the gift. Millar bequeathed shares of the brewing company to five more of his comrades, principled opponents of drunkenness and alcoholic beverages. Only one in five refused the inheritance. He bequeathed his villa in Jamaica to three more acquaintances who could not stand each other so much that they refused to be in the same place at the same time. But the most important item was an unprecedentedly large sum of money, which the lawyer bequeathed to “that woman in Toronto who, within ten years from the time of my death, will produce the greatest number of children.” They tried to challenge this clause of the will more than once in court, but Millar was a good lawyer, so there was nothing to complain about. What happened next in Canada was called the “Great Toronto Derby.” The baby boom in Toronto, and indeed across Canada, during this decade was phenomenal. As a result, on May 30, 1938, exactly ten years after Millar's death, the city court began to consider applications for inheritance. A woman who managed to give birth to ten children in ten years was disqualified - it turned out that not all her children were from the same man, as Millar demanded. Another woman was also disqualified: she gave birth nine times, but five of her children were stillborn. Both ladies received a consolation prize of $13 thousand. $500 thousand was distributed in equal shares between four families, in which nine children were born over ten years. As newspapers later reported, there were no more children in these families.
