To W. M. Hacon 11 September 1881
Sept 11— 1881—
My dear Sir
Owing to my accession of property, from my late brother, I shd. be much obliged if you wd make me a new will.— Perhaps you have copies of my present will & codicils; if not & you will inform me by telegraph or letter I will immediately send you either the attested or duplicate copies. I am very anxious that there shd be no delay in my new will being made & signed.— I wish all the old provisions to stand; with the following exception, namely that all my property be divided amongst my children in the proportion of 12 to my sons & 7 to my daughters. For instance if my property were to return only 74 thousand pound, each of my 5 sons wd receive 12,000£ & each of my 2 daughters 7000£. As all my children are now above 21, the clause about minors, I suppose, is superfluous— Since my will was made, stock to be estimated at 5000£ has been settled on the wife of my son Horace; & there is an additional 5000£ settled on her of which I pay interest, but no property was transferred into her Trustees hands.. The codicil about the pictures &c & books to stand.—
Had I better sign my new will in duplicate & deposit the 2 copies in different places, or is this a superfluous caution?
I also wish to leave two legacies, each of 1000£ (free of Duty) to Sir J. D. Hooker & Professor H. T. Huxley, “as a slight memorial of my life-long affection & respect for them.’
I shd be much obliged if you would send the new will by Post as soon as you, so that I may read it over, & then I will request you to send a Clerk who together with my Butler might serve as witnesses; for I have no [other], whom I should like to ask
Manuscript Alterations and Comments
1.1 accession] after del ‘considerable’
1.1 from my late] above del ‘left me by’
1.2 present] interl
1.3 codicils;] semicolon over ‘—’
1.3 & … letter] interl
1.4 either the] above del ‘the any’
1.4 or duplicate copies] interl after del caret and ‘copies’; before interl & del ‘of them’, before del ‘where I possess them’
1.5 my … signed.] interl above del ‘making & signing my new will.’
1.5 with] after del ‘[‘exc’ del] but I suppose it is of no use’
1.6 namely that] above del ‘that I wish’
1.6 be] after del ‘to’
1.6 divided … children] before del ‘&’; above del ‘given’
1.7 For instance] above del ‘So that at the’
1.7 if my] ‘my’ interl
1.8 only] interl
1.8 12,000£] ‘£’ above ‘12,000’
1.9 7000£] ‘£’ above ‘7000’
1.9 As all] after del ‘I su’
1.9 above] after del illeg
1.10 is] above del ‘are’
1.10 stock] after del ‘5000£’; ‘£’ above ‘5000’
1.11 5000£] ‘£’ above ‘5000’
1.11 has been] above del ‘was’
1.11 the wife of] interl
1.11 additional 5000£ 1.12] ‘£’ above ‘5000’
1.12 on her] interl
1.12 property] after del ‘st’
1.12 was] interl
1.12 into … hands. 1.13] interl
1.12 her] interl
2.1 Had … deposit] large opening square bracket
2.1 my new] above del ‘the’
2.1 the different] above del ‘one copy [‘at’ del] in some [‘oth’ del] safe’
2.2 places,] ‘s’ added; comma below del ‘?’
2.2 or … caution?] added
3.1 1000£] ‘£’ above ‘1000’
3.1 Duty] after del ‘Legacy’
3.2 affection … them 3.3] after del ‘friendship *with them [interl] & admiration [below del ‘respect’ and ‘admiration of’] *for them [below del ‘of the service to Sciences’]’
4.1 be] after del ‘always’
4.1 new] interl
4.1 by Post] after del ‘when’
4.1 as soon as you,] interl
4.2 I will] ‘will’ above del illeg
4.2 who] after del ‘as a witness’
4.3 might … witnesses] above del ‘will I [hope]’