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If you’re anything like me, during lockdown you may have found yourself heading into an internet worm hole being sucked further into finding the answers to questions that you never knew you had.

I’ve wasted my time watching videos on how to remove burnt on stains from pans using things like ketchup and gaffer tape (a lot of effort for average results- I’d just stick to washing up liquid) and spent around 4 minutes watching a video on how to make a giant pencil out of thousands of normal sized pencils (as boring as it sounds but I’d started watching so I had to finish). I also spent 3 minutes and 27 seconds watching a video of cats being terrified of cucumbers, but I wouldn’t say that time was wasted as it was very funny, search for it on YouTube- you won’t regret it. In amongst the brain melting things I’ve read and watched I also found myself researching the interesting bequests that people have made in their Wills and have shortlisted my top five.

 

William Shakespeare left his wife Anne Hathaway his second best bed. He left the main bulk of his estate to his daughter instead. What a snub from beyond the grave- I’ve no idea what Anne had done to annoy him that much, but I’d say that’s 1-0 to Will!   

 

In 1897 Norman Earnest Digweed dangled a £26000 carrot for the return of Jesus Christ, the proviso was that He obviously needed to be able to prove that He was the real deal to Digweed’s executors so I’m pretty sure that that gift has so far gone unclaimed, unless anyone knows something I don’t?! 

 

The fifth Earl of Pembroke was clearly not a fan of Cromwell after he used his Will to have one last pop at him- ‘’I give to the Lieutenant-General Cromwell one of my words … which he must want, seeing as he hath never kept one of his own.” Meee-ow.

 

Iowa lawyer TM Zink hated women with a vengeance, so much so that he left $50,000 in a trust to fund the “Zink Womanless Library”. The shelves were only to be stocked with books written by men and hilariously the library was to have “No Women Admitted” signs at every entrance. I think there were ‘Mummy Issues’ at play here!

 

 

Roger Brown left £3,500 to seven of his closest friends on the proviso that they use it for a drunken weekend in Europe. Beneficiary Roger Rees was quoted as saying “We would like to formally apologise to Roger’s two sons, Sam and Jack, for taking away some of their inheritance, we spent most of it on beer, the rest we wasted.” Funnily enough I have a couple of similar bequests in my own Will!

 

There are many more out there so if you feel like disappearing into google for a bit fun, I’d recommend this topic wholeheartedly.

 

For information on writing your own Will (with or without some quirky bequests) you can contact me on 01903 821010 or via email emma.wells@nsure.co.uk.