Ella Wheeler Wilcox's Last Will and Testament

I APPOINT the Mechanics Bank of New Haven Connecticut aforesaid (hereinafter called my trustee) to be the sole executor and trustee of this my will
I DIRECT my trustee to pay all just debts and funeral and testamentary expenses and death duties and I also direct that all the legacies and bequests given by this will shall be paid and delivered to the respective legatees free of death duties and inheritance tax
I GIVE AND BEQUEATH to Harry Wilcox of Los Angeles California the nephew of my late husband Robert W Wilcox such of my securities as my trustee may select to the value of Ten thousand dollars and to his sister Ethel Wilcox such other of my securities as my trustee may select to the value of Seven thousand five hundred dollars
I GIVE AND BEQUEATH to May Louise Randall for her loving care of and service to me during the past two years such of my securities as my trustee may select to the value of Five thousand dollars
I GIVE AND BEQUEATH to Susan Wilson who has been my nurse through my long illness the sum of Two hundred and fifty dollars
I GIVE AND BEQUEATH the following pecuniary legacies:- To my brothers and sister Marcus P Wheeler Edward G Wheeler and Sarah Wheeler Bond Three thousand dollars each : To my nephews and niece Archie E Wheeler Rollin Bond and Ella Wheeler Bond Two thousand dollars each : To my nephews Frank Wheeler and Leslie Wheeler the sons of my said brother Marcus P Wheeler Five hundred dollars each: To Catherine Booth Rickard of Hartford Connecticut One thousand dollars : To Ruth Wilcox Bigelow of Stamford Connecticut and Hattie Wilcox Booth and Edith Wilcox Conway both of Hartford aforesaid Five hundred dollars each : To Ellen Christy of Sandy Hook Connecticut Elizabeth Meney of Branford and madame Mary Soriel of Bridgeport One thousand dollars each and to John Wiese son of Mrs. Theodore Wiese of Philadelphia Five hundred dollars.
I GIVE AND BEQUEATH to Justus Buckley of Hartford Connecticut as a token of affection and esteem any one he may select of the scarf pins formerly belong to my said late husband
I GIVE AND BEQUEATH all my rings and the remaining scarf pins and rings formerly belonging to my said late husband to Ruth Chapin Ritter the wife of Will Harwood Ritter to be distributed and disposed of in her absolute discretion
I GIVE AND DEVISE to my friends and neighbours of many years the said Will Harwood Ritter and Ruth Chapin Ritter for their loving care and kindness in my business affairs my property at Short Beach known as Deepwood Park
ALL MY PROPERTY both real and personal not hereinbefore specifically disposed of I GIVE AND DEVISE AND BEQUEATH UNTO my trustee UPON TRUST for sale and conversion into money and after payment out of the proceeds of such sale and conversion of my debts funeral and testamentary expenses and death duties I direct my trustee to hold the residue thereof IN TRUST for Ruth Leinhardt and Elizabeth Leinhardt of Hartford Connecticut in equal shares if and when they shall respectively attain the age of twenty one years and if only one of them shall attain that age the whole to be in trust for that one

SIGNED SEALED PUBLISHED AND DECLARED as and for her last will and testament by the said Ella Wheeler Wilcox in the presence of us who in her presence and at her request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

Norman Lavers, M.D.
Bailbrook House, Bath, England

Edwin Horatio King
6 Northumberland Building Bath England

The within named Preston King Norman Lavers and Edwin Horatio King all of the city of Bath England do hereby severally make oath and say that they witnessed the within will of the within named testatrix Ella Wheeler Wilcox and subscribed the same in her presence and at her request and in the presence of each other that the said Ella Wheeler Wilcox at the time of her execution of the said will appeared to be of full age and of sound mind and memory and that she signed and sealed the said will and declared the same to be her last will and testament in their presence and that they make this affidavit at the request of the said testatrix.

Subscribed and sworn to at the request of the within named testatrix Ella Wheeler Wilcox the twenty-third day of June One thousand nine hundred and nineteen at the city of Bath England.

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Consul of the United States of America
In the City and County of Bristol in the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

I, Robertson Honey, Consul of the United States of America at Bristol, England, do hereby certify and make known to whom it may concern that Frank S. Ingle, who hath signed the attached instrument and hath affixed his official seal thereto is a Notary Public at Bath in the County of Somerset in England, duly authorized, admitted and sworn and to me well known: that his signature to the attached document is true and genuine, and that to all acts authenticated as the same full faith and credit are and should be given.

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Robert Honey
Consul of the United States of America at Bristol