Amador Ledger-Dispatch, 17 July 1908 — Wills In England. [ARTICLE]

Wills In England.

Wills are n nompHiatlvely inodorn luxury. At one timn a worthy householder bud no OGCAIIOD to nvnil him-.-"■lf of Km si'mlchx of a solicitor. It ftftl ButUciont for all practical purposes if, when ho felt bis end approach InR, he ml. up in bed and dourly c.l.hl.iml by word ot mouth nnd before two repulnble mtuespeH wlml, lie wished to be done with bis personal tioftfcfisionfl. The wlt.iuvHen wore oxpeeled to see Mint his denlrea tvero duly carried Into Ciloot.

Later ou, If a mini wrote hla will entirely iv his own hnndwritlntf, them was no necessity for him to bother about signing it, much less getting it nitnpßßod. It wna it vnlid document without those l'oiinnlltioH,

Afterward It wns (Juumed desirable that it should bo signed. For a long time Hiibsequeutly, however, witnesses worn still considered siperlluoiifl, provided that tho body of tho will whs in tho testator's hnndwrltiiig. Now, of course, witnesses are essential. There must bo at lenst two, who must see tho will properly executed. Hut any man mnkiug his will cuu have as iiisuiy witnesses above two as lie liki'N, it' ho thinks them uecesHnry.

Iv Iho ciih'j ot a Holdier or a Bailor iv the niivy on aotlvo torvice the law does not require ho mucb formality ns lroru a mere civilian eufo ami Biiug tit, home. If by word of mouth only it is valid mm rognrda personal property thinks them ncce-sary.

A will written in fchorthnud nnd duly sigucd and witnenHeri has been held to be vnlid. A will may be written on anything, from it pustcuro to a portion of v trco stump, pro viiled it is legible aud in proper form.

A man's will is nowadays rcvokod or annulled if bo gets married after making it. At one time liin will was revoked, uot ouly wheu bo got married, but whenever a now baby arrived iv tho family. This was iv order that each new arrival should have fair play and be given nt least a chanco of being mentioned iv his or her father's llual dispositions.

Iv tlie days of Henry VIII, a man had no right to dispose of hia personal property— that is, bis money nnd movables— just an ho pleased. 11 ho left a widow aud children, half his property, at least had lo be divided among them, no matter whether ho liked it or not. If be left a widow ouly, or only children', then the widow or tbe children bad a right to v third of his goods.