Last Will and Testament for Dame Louise Paget

Date: 24 Jan 2023 [unknown]
Location: Soames House,Kingston upon Thames, London, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: Paget Dame Louise Margaret Leila Wymess

I DAME LOUISE MARGARET LEILA WEMYSS PAGET of Soames House Coombe Hill Road Kingston-upon-Thames Surrey Widow of Sir Ralph Spencer Paget, K.C.M.G., C.V.O., and a Grand Dame of the Order of the British Empire hereby revoke all previous Wills and other testamentary dispositions at any time made by me and DECLARE this to be MY LAST WILL and TESTAMENT
1. I APPOINT JOSEPH LEONARD REED and LAWRENCE RICHMOND SMITH both of No. 3 Finch Land Cornhill London E.C.S. Solicitors (who and the Trustees or trustee for the time being of this my Will are hereinafter referred to as “my Trustees”) to be the EXECUTORS and TRUSTEES hereof.
2. I BEQUEATH free of all death duties to my brother Captain Arthur Wyndham Louis Paget, M.C., and his wife jointly if they both survive me or to my said Brother if only he shall survive me the whole of my jewellery (the bulk of which is deposited in the Drummonds Branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland) but it is my earnest wish that they or my said Brother (as the case may be) shall retain such jewellery and eventually give or bequeath such jewellery to their daughter Rosalind. Should my said Brother predecease me then I GIVE the said jewellery to my said Niece Rosalind if she survives me but if she also shall predecease me then such jewellery shall fall into and form part of my residuary estate.
3. WITHOUT in any way creating a trust it is my wish that the members of my staff (indoor and outdoor) and such other persons as I shall name in any written Memorandum left by me shall have the right to select from my personal effects (other than jewellery) as they may wish to have. Any items not selected shall be sold or given away as my Trustees in their absolute discretion shall decide.
4. WHEREAS I have for some long time past in collaboration with Mr. H. R. Aldridge a Deputy Keeper in the Department of … Gloucester Road Kingston-upon-Thames been engaged in collecting and assembling Letters Documents and other Papers (hereinafter collectively referred to as “the said manuscripts”) of or relating t the Paget family both on my side and on my late Husband’s side with the object of presenting same to the Trustees of the British Museum for preservation in the Manuscripts Department. All the said Manuscripts are contained in Tin boxes and elsewhere in Soames House the whereabouts of which are known to the said Ernest Hambloch NOW I HEREBY DECLARE that if the collections and assembly of the said Manuscripts has not been completed prior to my death the said Ernest Hambloch in collaboration with the said Mr. H. R. Aldridge shall be permitted to have access to all Letters, Papers and other documents in my possession which in any way relate to or affect the Paget family as aforesaid in order that the work of collecting and assembling the said manuscripts may be completed as soon as possible after my death. I accordingly bequeath to the Trustees of the British Museum such of the said Manuscripts as shall not have been handed over to them prior to my death. It is my wish that access to the said Manuscripts by members of the public shall be left to the absolute discretion of the said Trustees in view of the fact that some of the Letters and other documents contained in the said manuscripts have been received from various members of the Royal Family. In the event of the death of the said Ernest Hambloch before he shall have completed the said work then I DECLARE that the said Mr. H. R. Aldridge of (if he shall have died) the Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum shall have the power to nominate some person to carry on and complete the work upon which the said Ernest Hambloch has been engaged.
5. In connection with the matters referred to in the preceding Clause 4 I have been paying the said Ernest Hambloch for his services. If he shall continue his work after my death then I DIRECT my Trustees to continue to pay him for his services at the same rate as I shall have been paying him up to the date of my death and in addition I give to him free of all duties the legacy of Five hundred pounds but if he shall have completed his work prior to my death then I give him free of death duties a legacy of One thousand pounds in place of the aforesaid Legacy of Five hundred pounds.
6. If I have not destroyed or disposed of my private papers in my lifetime, I DIRECT my Trustees to destroy all such papers. These papers are contained in the bottom shelf but one of the Tin Cupboard on the first floor of Soames House.
7. I GIVE to Charles Anthony Fisher a former partner in the firm of Allen and Overy Solicitors free of death duties a legacy of One thousand pounds.
8. I GIVE to my Accountant Mr. Charles H. Clemetson free of death duties a legacy of One thousand pounds.
9. I GIVE to Marie Kovacevi who was housekeeper to my late husband at Les Cous St. Raphael (Var) France and who is not residing with me at Soames House a legacy of Two thousand five hundred pounds free of duty as some slight recognition of her long and devoted service with my Husband and myself.
10. IT being my desire to give legacies to members of my staff but being uncertain as to the ultimate value of my residuary estate it is my wish that my Trustees shall exercise their discretion as to the payment of legacies to the following members of my staff up to the maximum amount mentioned in each case and I accordingly give to each of such members of my staff free of death duties a legacy of such sum as my Trustees shall decide up to but not exceeding the amount mentioned in each case namely:-
a.) TO my Housekeeper Louise Beatrice Folkett whether or not she is in my service at the date of my death not exceeding Two thousand five hundred pounds
b.) TO my Secretary Miss H. D. Baker not exceeding Two thousand pounds
c.) TO my Chauffeur Wilfred H. C. White not exceeding One thousand five hundred pounds
d.) TO my Gardener Christopher William Slatter not exceeding One thousand two hundred and fifty pounds
e.) TO John L. Comfort (Boilerman) not exceeding Eight hundred pounds
f.) TO John Kersley (Carpenter) not exceeding Five hundred pounds
g.) TO A. Bayliss (odd man) not exceeding Three hundred pounds.
I DECLARE that the aforesaid legacies shall be paid whether or not the respective legatees are in my service at the date of my death unless I have dismissed them for misconduct
h.) TO every other employee of mine both inside and outside at the time of my death who shall not be under notice to leave either given or received a sum equal to one year’s wages or salary in the case of those employees who have been in my service for three years or more a sum equal to and a sum of half a year’s wages or salary in the case of employees who shall have been in my service for less than three years
I DECLARE that all the legacies bequeathed by this Clause shall be in addition to any wages or salaries which shall be owing or accruing at the date of my death. If my Trustees shall experience any difficulty in deciding the amount to be paid to the above mentioned legatees or any of them they shall consult with my said Brother and act upon his advice and my Trustees shall not be under any liability to any of the said legatees in making any payments to them on the advice of my said Brother. If my residuary estate shall not have been ascertained within twelve months after my death my Trustees shall within such period pay such sums on account of the said legacies as they shall think fit and I DECLARE that the said legatees shall not be entitled to interest on their legacies in the event that such legacies are not paid within twelve months after my death.
11.SUBJECT to the payment of my debts and funeral and testamentary expenses and duties and the legacies bequeathed by this my Will or any Codicil thereto and the duties thereon I DEVISE and BEQUEATH all the residue of my estate both real and personal and wheresoever situate (including all property over which I have shall have a general power of disposition by Will) unto my Trustees UPON TRUST to sell and convert the same into money with the full power to postpone such sale and conversion for any period which my Trustees shall consider expedient or in the interests of my estate and shall stand possessed of my ready money and the proceeds of the aforesaid sale and conversion UPON TRUST for my said Brother absolutely but if he shall predecease me then UPON TRUST for my said Niece Rosalind absolutely. It is my desire that if it shall become necessary for my Trustees to sell any of my Antiques (whether furniture of effects) the firm Messrs. Christie & Co. shall be employed for this purpose.
12. I DECLARE that in the winding up of my estate my Trustees shall be entitled to retain any employee who shall be in my service at the date of my death for such period or periods as my Trustees consider desirable and all wages or salaries paid to any such employee shall be paid by my Trustees out of either the capital of my estate or the income produced thereby as my Trustees shall in their absolute discretion think fit and further that my Trustees may employ and pay either out of capital or income as they shall think fit any other person or persons in connection with the realisation and administration of my estate.
13. ANY Trustee shall not be liable for any loss or damage resulting to or suffered by my estate or any legatee hereunder unless caused by their own wilful neglect or default or dishonesty.
14. I DIRECT that all Orders or Decorations which I have and which on my death are required to be returned shall be returned by my Trustees to the proper department or Official.
15. ANY Trustee for the time being hereof who shall be a Solicitor or engaged in any profession or business shall be entitled to charge and be paid out of my estate (and free from all Death duties) his usual professional or other charges for work or business done or transacted by him or his firm in the execution of or otherwise in relation to the trusts hereof including therein any work or business which he might as a Trustee been required to do or transact in person.

IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand this
Tenth day of September One thousand nine
hundred and fifty seven
SIGNED and ACKNOWLEDGED by the
said DAME LOUISE MARGARET LEILA ::::::::} Louise Margaret Leila Wemyss Paget
WEMYSS PAGET as and for her last Will
and Testament
hereunto subscribed
our names as attesting witnesses: -

R E Wood 49 Charing Cross London SW 1 Bank Clerk

W. W. Hume 49 Charing Cross London SW 1