How many people leave it too late to make a will?
A distant relative, James heron when writing his testament in 1825 started by saying "I Consider it to be every mans duty in his own lifetime to settle his affairs in such a manner as to prevent all disputes after his death....."
He then went on to leave all his estate to his only son, also James. He survived for a few more years and in the meantime son James was apprenticed as a solicitor and became a member of the Society of Writers to the Signet,
Inheriting some nine thousand pounds James decided not to work anymore especially when he later inherited the estate of his uncle, William Heron a substantial addition to his coffers. Time slipped by, as it does, James lived the high life and did not think he was going to die. He did, of course, but earlier than he anticipated so had not had time to either marry or make a will. Ironic that a man with legal training should die at the age of thirty eight and had not made a will.
The result of dying intestate was that his elderly aunt, Elizabeth McKie, as his next of kin, inherited everything. According to the legal records, she was too aged and infirm to even write her own name so she quickly disposed of much it, giving the Dalmore house and estate to her brother William in trust for his daughter. She also gave railway shares to her neice, Helen which enabled Helen's husband to retire from his bakery.
Doubtful if this how young James would have disposed of his goods, etc had he got round to making a will.
So the moral of this story is, if you want to decide who gets all your goods and chattels then make a will.
A distant relative, James heron when writing his testament in 1825 started by saying "I Consider it to be every mans duty in his own lifetime to settle his affairs in such a manner as to prevent all disputes after his death....."
He then went on to leave all his estate to his only son, also James. He survived for a few more years and in the meantime son James was apprenticed as a solicitor and became a member of the Society of Writers to the Signet,
Inheriting some nine thousand pounds James decided not to work anymore especially when he later inherited the estate of his uncle, William Heron a substantial addition to his coffers. Time slipped by, as it does, James lived the high life and did not think he was going to die. He did, of course, but earlier than he anticipated so had not had time to either marry or make a will. Ironic that a man with legal training should die at the age of thirty eight and had not made a will.
The result of dying intestate was that his elderly aunt, Elizabeth McKie, as his next of kin, inherited everything. According to the legal records, she was too aged and infirm to even write her own name so she quickly disposed of much it, giving the Dalmore house and estate to her brother William in trust for his daughter. She also gave railway shares to her neice, Helen which enabled Helen's husband to retire from his bakery.
Doubtful if this how young James would have disposed of his goods, etc had he got round to making a will.
So the moral of this story is, if you want to decide who gets all your goods and chattels then make a will.
