MARIE CORELLI’S WILL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 August 1924, Page 14

MARIE CORELLI’S WILL.

The will of Marie Corelli, extracts irom which are published in an English paper, will interest many, and are as follow: In it she herself mentions the secret of her birth, but can throw no lght on it, stating: “I hereby declare that as the adopted daughter of the ate Charles Mackay, LL.D., P.S.A. (who adopted me in infancy and was the only father I ever knew), I have no living person who has any claim upon me or my estate, the terms of mv adoption having been of complete surrender.” Miss Corelli -was reputed to be of mingled Italian and Highland beottish connections, and was adopted by I>r. Charles Mackay, the song-writer and author. She left £24,076, all of which passes to her “dearest lifelong friend,” Miss Bertha Vyver. Miss Corelh asks that on the death of Miss \ yver a trust or company be formed for the care of Mason Croft, her Strat-ford-on-Avon estate. The uses to which the property are to be put are clearly detailed. “The house and grounds ” she diiec-ts, “shall he at tlie service of any such selected or distinguished pci son or persons whom my trustees •shall approve visiting the' town of Stratford-upon-Avon, and who would otherwise seek their quarters in a • - • absolutely excluding actors actresses, and all persons connected with the stage.” She “strictly enjoins that no person or persons connected with Stratford-upon-Avon shall bo connected in carrying out the trust.” She empowered her literary agent Mr Alexander Strachan Watt,'to deal'with all copyrights of her literary work as well as all correspondence between herself and others, “which he and his successors ,shall most faithfully *niard and hinder from sale or publication “ Small bequests on the death of Miss \ yver include- that of a walking si irk used by Sir Walter Scott, which is to be given to the City of Perth, along with a silver cruet stand engraved with the crest of her adopted father. Numerous gifts are made to servants Her chauffeur receives her motor-car and enough money to “rare for her ponies kindly until the natural end of their lives.” Her first maid and gardener each irerjeives a cottage, while two maids shave her jewellery.