Strange Will Requests and Bequests: Exploring the Vaults of Somerset House

Britain's archival treasure of Last Wills and Testaments reveals how final words expose conflicts, quirks, and the living character behind bygone lives.

Tucked away in the vaults of Somerset House lies one of Britain's most revealing and eccentric historical treasures: a vast archive of Last Wills and Testaments. These documents, often the final words of the dead, hold more than just legal instructions; they're windows into the character of those gone before, into their conflicts and lives.

From vengeful codicils and heartfelt farewells, to wills etched on eggshells or hidden in hollow bedposts, this book uncovers a trove of bizarre and entertaining bequests. Here are men and women who used their final words to settle scores, impose odd conditions, or deliver one last laugh -- sometimes at the expense of expectant heirs.

For family historians, these wills offer more than just names and dates. They reveal values, relationships, secrets, and social customs that breathe life into ancestral records. Whether you're tracing your ancestors or simply enjoy tales of posthumous mischief, this journey into the strange world of testamentary history proves that death doesn't always mean silence.