Literary Legacies: Four Famous Fictional Wills

It is inevitable that every one of us will come face to face with the contents of a will at some stage of our lives - whether it comes time to write our own, or we become the beneficiary of someone else’s. The universality of this human experience means that it has often become woven into facets of popular culture, acting as a point of tabloid intrigue when a celebrity passes away, or as a crucial plot point in film and literature. In our novels, wills unveil once hidden truths, propel characters into sudden fortune and even create familial tension. In this blog, we take a look at five of the most famous wills that literature has to offer.



1. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Sense & Sensibility is a classic example of a novel which is shaped around a will. Henry Dashwood’s uncle leaves his wealth not to his own family, but to his son from a previous marriage and a 4-year old grandson. His wife and young daughters, who took care of the old man for years before his death, suddenly become disinherited in favour of a child who earned his affection by “an imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks and a great deal of noise”.

2. The Other Family by Joanna Trollope

Famous pianist Richie Rossiter dies suddenly, leaving his partner Chrissie to explain to their three daughters that the couple were never married. The contents of his will comes as a surprise, failing to protect her from posthumous duties, instead leaving all rights and his most lucrative assets to his previous, “other” family.

3. Middlemarch by George Eliot

When Casaubon’s will is read, newly widowed Dorothea learns of his true nature. Despite leaving her his whole estate, he does so on the condition that she never marries his rival: the handsome Will Ladislaw. This naturally has the opposite effect, essentially destroying any affection the widow had for her late husband, and drawing her closer towards Ladislaw.

4.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Rowling’s penultimate instalment of the Harry Potter series sees Harry coping with the loss of his godfather, Sirius Black, who was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange at the end of the previous novel. Fortunately, however, Sirius had the forethought to write a will leaving everything to Harry. Sirius was disowned by his parents for his refusal to deal in Dark Magic, but his older brother Regulus died intestate, meaning that Sirius inherited the family fortune and was thus able to leave it to Harry. Most crucial of his assets is 12 Grimmauld Place - coincidentally providing a schoolchild attempting to save the wizarding world from with access to a magical, impenetrable property in London from which to base his efforts.

Seek Legal Advice for Wills & Probate Matters

Writing and executing a will shouldn't have to be a dramatic affair like it is in books, especially when you have an experienced, compassionate will solicitor on your side. For legal advice regarding wills and probate matters, please get in touch with Mark Redler Solicitors.