The last will and testament

Will (law)

A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...

 of Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook, who died 9 January 1925, age 68, is thought to be the longest will ever filed for probate

Probate

Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...

.

The will

The will was 1066 pages (95,940 words) and occupied four gilt

Gilding

The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...

-edged, leather

Leather

Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...

-bound

Bookbinding

Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...

 volumes

Volume (publishing)

A volume is a single book that is part of a collection; also a bibliographic identifier for a sequence of periodicals....

. It was entered into probate at Somerset House

Somerset House

Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...

, the then home of the probate registry in London, on 2 November 1925.

Of the four volumes in which the will was bound, two contain 702 pages each, and the other two 406 pages each. The paper is gilt-edged and the bindings are of leather with heavy corners and canvas covers.

Aside from the pages containing the introductory clauses, the pages are ruled with a single column and contain a priced inventory of laces, jewelry, furs, embroideries, dressing bags and objects of art. A large number of the articles are explained in footnotes. A large part of the will is in Mrs. Cook's own handwriting. It is dated 17 October 1919, but there is a codicil

Codicil (will)

A codicil is a document that amends, rather than replaces, a previously executed will. Amendments made by a codicil may add or revoke small provisions , or may completely change the majority, or all, of the gifts under the will...

 dated 2 March 1924.

Probate of the will was granted to Mrs. Cook's brother and son, both of them Londoners, the latter a racing motorist. Practically all of her bequests were to her children, and her two executors were directed to burn her diaries, to bury her wedding ring with her, and to see that her age is not inscribed on her tombstone. She is buried in Richmond Cemetery in Richmond, England

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...

; section J, grave 1289.

Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook

Frederica Evelyn Stilwell Cook was the daughter or F. J. Freeland, and married Wyndham Francis Cook, son of Sir Francis Cook, 1st Bt. and Emily Martha Lucas, on 22 November 1887. Her children were:

• Humphrey Wyndham Cook b. Mar 1893, d. 1978
• Cecil Emily Freda Wyndham Cook b. 1 Jul 1896
• Ursula Maud Wyndham Cook b. 20 Nov 1900