Last Requests
Selections from wills and testaments
William Shakespeare
Died: april 23, 1616
• i give and bequeath unto the poor of stratford ten pounds.
• i give unto my wife my secondbest bed, with the furniture.
• i give and bequeath to my said daughter Judith my broad silvergilt bowl.
Benjamin Franklin
Died: april 17, 1790
• The king of France’s picture, set with 408 diamonds, i give to my daughter, sarah
bache, requesting, however, that she would not form any of those diamonds into
ornaments, either for herself or daughters, and thereby introduce or countenance
the expensive, vain, and useless pastime of wearing jewels in this country.
• My timepiece that stands in my library i give to my grandson, William Temple
Franklin. i give him also my Chinese gong.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Died: May 5, 1821
• it is my wish that my ashes may repose on the banks of the seine, in the midst of the
French people, whom i have loved so well.
• i recommend to my son never to forget that he was born a French prince, and never
to allow himself to become an instrument in the hands of the triumvirs who oppress
the nations of europe.
Matthew Arnold
Died: april 15, 1888
• i leave everything of which i die possessed to my wife, Frances.
Harry Houdini
Died: october 31, 1926
• i direct that my body be embalmed and buried in the same manner in which my
beloved mother was buried upon her death, and that my grave be constructed in the
same manner as my beloved mother’s last resting place was constructed for her burial
in a vault; and i also direct that i shall be buried in the grave immediately alongside
that of my dear departed mother.
Calvin Coolidge
Died: January 5, 1933
• not unmindful of my son John, i give all my estate, both real and personal,
to my wife, grace Coolidge, in fee simple.
Leona Helmsley
Died: august 20, 2007
• i leave the sum of $12 million to the Trustees of the leona Helmsley July 2005
Trust. i leave my dog, Trouble, if she survives me, to my brother alvin Rosenthal, if
he survives me, or if he does not survive me, to my grandson david panzirer. i direct
that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in
the Helmsley Mausoleum.
• i have not made any provisions in this Will for my grandson Craig panzirer or my
granddaughter Meegan panzirer for reasons which are known to them.
