SIR RIDER HAGGARD'S WILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 10

SIR RIDER HAGGARD'S WILL

M.S. OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

WIDOW- AS LITERARY EXECUTOR.

Extracts wero recently published in London from the will of Sir Henry Eider Haggard, K.8.E., novelist, farmer, and social worker, of Ditchingham House, Norfolk, who died on May 14. He left estate of the value of £61,725, with not personalty £57,285.

By his win Sir Rider Haggard gavo to his Wife the copyrigKt of all his literary works published or unpublished, including all dramatic rights, stating, M I make this bequest relying (without imposing 1 any trust or legal obligation) upon ray wife to make such ultimate disposal for the benefit of our descendants as may seem to her most desirable, having regard to the circumstances that may arise in the fature, and I wish to earnestly impress upon her the advisability of apt making any sale or disposal of the same and of not entering into any agreement | except after consultation with and under the advice of my literary agents, A. Pi Watt and Sons, and I would earnestly impress upon her the mad visability of any out and crat sales. - " With the concurrence of my •,« desire * that the passing for press "and • general literary handling of all my works, published or unpublished, and. of any films or other forms of dramatic, irepresentation shall be left to the direction of Ida Hector, my secretary. , " I desire that, if possible; the issn« of a uniform cheap edition of my books shall be arranged. " As to the MS. of the work I have designated 'The Day? of My Life,' an ; autobiography; I enjoin my wife' not to destroy such MS. under . any circumstances, and I express the hope and belief that she wilX reflect well and take sound and expert advice not only as. to when it shall be published, but alsp £8 ■ .to what passages, if any, should. n be omitted." . : ;7\ , Among other bequests. Sir Ridet Etaggard gave £IOOO to his secretary, tlda ■ '-l Sector, "as a small and inadequate acknowledgment of my gratitude for her long aud faithful service," and the large portrait of himself by Maurice Greiffenhagen, A.R.A, and his Egyptian arid Mexican curious to the Coroporation. of the City of Norwich, 'to be added to . his other gifts in the Castle Museum.