Famous Wills Make History in the UK
For the first time in history, a comprehensive database of wills has been made available online at Ancestry.co.uk, the British version of the genealogical website Ancestry.com.
The National Probate Calendar is a summary of all the wills in England and Wales from 1861 to 1941 and provides information on over six million estates, including the name of the deceased, when and where they died, the name of their executor and, in many cases, details on specific bequests.
What has captured the most attention is, of course, the notable names who passed on during that time period, and the value of their estates. For example:
Karl Marx carried his anti-capitalism beliefs to the grave, leaving an estate worth only $390 ($36,000 today).
Charles Dickens died with an estate worth $125,000 ($11 million today).
Charles Darwin left his heirs in good shape, with an estate of $230,000 ($20 million today).
Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, died in 1931 with almost $100,000 (about $4.7 million today).
Over 18,000 people in The National Probate Calendar died in the U.S., and the database contains the wills of several well-known American family members, including John Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, who perished on the Titanic.
You can leave your own place in history – and make things a lot easier on your family – if you have a will. For more information about creating a will, contact our Jacksonville estate planning law firm.
