Buzz
While the primary purpose of a will is to ensure the proper handling of financial matters after one's passing, some individuals have utilized their wills to express political statements or inject humor. Here, we explore 10 of the most peculiar final requests from both well-known and lesser-known figures.
10. Virgil Passed Away: 10 BC
Final Request: Destroy the Aeneid
Virgil, the celebrated Roman poet best known for his epic work, the Aeneid, which once served as Rome's national poem, had only completed 12 books before his death—far fewer than Homer's 24. Unfinished, Virgil initially ordered the manuscript to be burned after his passing. However, upon discovering his wish, his friends persuaded him to retract the demand. He relented, and the poem was eventually published, earning widespread acclaim. It's safe to say we owe a great deal to Virgil's friends for preserving this masterpiece.
9. William Shakespeare Passed Away: 1616
Final Request: That his wife inherit his 'second best bed'.
Shakespeare's final wish has sparked endless speculation about his relationship with his wife, Anne Hathaway. The request was not only unusual but also appeared as an afterthought in his will. While gifting a bed wasn't uncommon at the time—given the high value of a quality, pest-free bed—the nature of this bequest raised eyebrows. Further intrigue stems from the epitaph on his grave: 'Blest be the man that spares these stones, / And cursed be he that moves my bones.' Some believe it was meant to deter grave robbers, but the wording was taken so seriously that when Anne died seven years later, she was not buried alongside him.
8. Charles Dickens Passed Away: 1870
Final Request: That those attending his funeral refrain from wearing 'any scarf, cloak, black bow, long hatband, or other such revolting absurdity.'
Dickens also stipulated that his funeral should not be publicized, and the location and timing should remain private. He desired a modest, low-cost ceremony with just three plain 'mourning coaches.' However, his wishes were disregarded entirely. Instead, he was given a grand funeral procession, complete with attendees in full mourning attire. His funeral became a national spectacle, a stark contrast to the simplicity he had requested. The man who often got his way in life was denied his final wishes in death.
7. George Bernard Shaw Died: 1950
Final Request: He insisted on no religious ceremony and that his tombstone avoid 'the form of a cross or any other instrument of torture or symbol of blood sacrifice.'
Shaw was critical of religion, and his will explicitly endorsed 'Darwin’s millennial saga of creation' over the Bible's 'six-day synopsis.' He was deeply passionate about reforming English spelling and even devised a 40-letter phonetic alphabet to simplify it. In his will, he allocated a significant portion of his estate to promote this new alphabet. However, a court deemed the idea 'impossible' and redirected the funds to three institutions: The British Museum, The National Gallery of Ireland, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
6. Benjamin Franklin Passed Away: 1790
Final Request: That his daughter refrain from indulging in 'the costly, frivolous, and pointless habit of wearing jewels' while living in a democracy.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the most revered figures in the Western world during the late 18th century, made this unusual request due to his time as an ambassador to France. He was gifted a portrait of King Louis XVI set in a frame adorned with 408 diamonds. Franklin bequeathed this portrait and its frame to his daughter, Sarah, with the stipulation to prevent her from dismantling the frame to create jewelry.
5. John B. Kelly Passed Away: 1960
Final Request: That his daughter, Princess Grace, avoid incurring clothing expenses so extravagant that they might financially strain the principality of Monaco.
Kelly, a multimillionaire contractor and triple Olympic Gold Medalist, had a daughter, Grace Kelly, who became an actress and married into Monaco's royal family. His will was a lighthearted jab at his family, filled with humorous provisions. Some of the amusing sections included:
[To my son John,] I leave all my personal items, including trophies, rings, jewelry, watches, clothing, and athletic gear, except for the ties, shirts, sweaters, and socks, as it seems redundant to give him what he has already claimed.
He intentionally excluded his son-in-law, Prince Rainier of Monaco, from his will, stating:
I don’t mean to imply that I disapprove of sons-in-law. If they are capable, they will support themselves and their families. What I leave to my daughters will help cover their dress shop expenses, which, if they follow their mother’s example, will be substantial.
4. Harry Houdini Passed Away: 1926
Final Request: That his wife conduct an annual seance to allow him to make contact with her from beyond the grave.
In his later years, Houdini developed a deep fascination with spiritualism and seances, driven by the profound grief he felt after his mother's passing. After years of attempting to communicate with her through mediums, he concluded that spiritualism was fraudulent. To prove his point, he left his wife a coded message containing 10 randomly chosen words, which he promised to convey to her after his death. For a decade, his wife held a seance every Halloween, but Houdini never appeared.
3. John Bowman Passed Away: 1891
Final Request: That a meal be prepared every night after his death in the event he returned to life.
Bowman’s wife and two daughters passed away before him, leading him to believe that his entire family would be reincarnated together after his death. Motivated by this unusual conviction, he established a $50,000 trust to fund servants to maintain his 21-room mansion. He also instructed that a daily meal be prepared in case his family returned hungry. The will was followed until the trust funds were exhausted in 1950.
2. William Hearst
Final Request: That anyone claiming to be his child and providing proof receive 'the sum of one dollar. I hereby declare that any such asserted claim […] would be utterly false.'
Hearst, an influential American newspaper magnate and publisher, was the son of self-made millionaire George Hearst. He learned that his father acquired The San Francisco Examiner, a northern California newspaper, as payment for a gambling debt. Hearst requested control of the paper and eventually built a multi-million dollar media empire. He was also the grandfather of Patty Hearst, the heiress who famously experienced Stockholm Syndrome.
1. Napoleon Bonaparte Passed Away: 1821
Final Request: That his head be shaved and the hair distributed among his friends.
In an unusual turn of events, recent analysis of some preserved hair revealed high levels of arsenic. His symptoms before death, such as vomiting dried blood, align with arsenic poisoning. Some speculate that arsenic in the walls of his room (common at the time) caused his death, while others believe the English slowly poisoned him. Additionally, his doctor prescribed another poison for his stomach cancer, which also contributed to his demise.
+ T M Zink Passed Away: 1930
Final Request: That a library excluding women be established.
Zink allocated $50,000 in a trust intended to grow over 75 years, aiming to reach $3 million to fund the Zink Womanless Library. Each entrance was to bear the sign 'No Women Admitted,' and no books, artworks, or decorations created by women were allowed. In his will, he stated, 'My profound aversion to women stems not from recent events or personal conflicts but from my experiences, observations, and extensive study of literature and philosophy.' His family contested the will successfully. Zink was an Iowa-based lawyer.
