Strange Will requests

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We stumbled across an article about strange Will requests and thought we would delve into the examples it shared.

Here are six unusual stipulations that have turned up in people’s last wishes, with one famous case in there that we had never come across.

Anti-moustache clause

Henry Budd of Berkshire died in 1862, and amongst other wishes in his Last Will and Testament, he requested that his two surviving sons inherited his estate – though the inheritance would be null and void should either of them grow or wear a moustache.

Clearing the national debt

in 1928, an anonymous benefactor left £500,000 to Britain, on the understanding that it not be used until it gained enough interest to clear the national debt. In today’s money, this would now be worth roughly £25,800,000.

Seeing that our national debt currently exceeds £2,000,000,000,000 (two trillion pounds), chances are it needs to sit in wait a little longer.

Display my body

Undoubtedly the weirdest one on this list – the spiritual founder of University College London (UCL), Jeremy Bentham, donated his body to the University to be put on display as an ‘auto-icon’, believing that “individuals should make themselves as useful as possible, both in life and death.”

Bentham’s body, complete with wax head, is still on display at the University to this day, having been moved from its original location in 2020 to a more securely controlled environment, and is the University’s biggest museum attraction.

Strange Will requests

Rotten old pig

Be careful how you treat people is the warning from this one – Albert Orton, who died in 1888, left his wife nothing but a single farthing in his Will, as he never forgave her for calling him a “rotten old pig” because of his flatulence.

Second-best bed

Famous playwright William Shakespeare died in 1616, leaving most of his estate to his daughters. His wife, however, received his “second-best bed” and an assortment of other furniture.

Only speculation can assume the value or significance of the bed itself, though it was common at the time for a bed to bequeathed to a spouse or relative.

‘The Valley of a Million Bulbs’

Keith Owen was a Canadian investment banker who found out he had a terminal illness in 2007. Before his death, he pledged £2,256,000 into the care of the Sid Vale Association, Sidmouth, with the aim of benefitting the local area and the betterment of the community.

Keith also inspired ‘The Valley of a Million Bulbs’ which, carried out after his death, went on to provide Sid Valley with an array of flowers which were planted by hundreds of volunteers.