Writing a Will may not sound like a fun way to spend your time, but Canadian lawyer and financier Charles Vance Millar certainly had a great time writing his. Even when faced with the prospect of his own death, Millar made a big joke of it - or at least was extremely eccentric about it.
Millar graduated from the University of Toronto with an average pass rate of 98%. As he was such a scholarly, bright man, it might be thought that he would have little time for humour. But writing a Will, for Millar, was the perfect way to demonstrate his extremely inventive sense of humour.
Millar had no dependents to whom he could leave his extensive fortune - for he had been extremely successful in his working life. His will was laden will hilarious pranks and playful bequests, regarding a number of his associates. Wouldn't it be great to be given access to Millar's impressive holiday home in Jamaica as part of his Will? Well, that depends on who you have to share it with; Millar generously granted access to the property to three men - all of whom deeply despised one another.
In another jocular bequest, stock of the O'Keefe Brewery worth 700,000 dollars was left to 7 notable Methodist ministers and advocates of temperance. A difficult set of choices lay ahead of these morally fibrous crusaders. As if tempting the clergy with tasty O'Keefe beer isn't enough to add a little humour when writing a Will, Millar gave 3 campaigners against horse racing 25,000 dollars worth of stock in the Ontario Jockey Club.
But Millar's will malarkey didn't end there; he entered himself into the annals of history with the Great Stork Derby, making the art of writing a will a potentially hilarious event in anyone's death. In clause 9 of his will, Millar offered a large part of his fortune to the woman who gave birth to the most children in the 10 years following his death. It was possibly meant as a way to highlight movements against birth control, which produced many unwanted pregnancies. In the event - an event which took a whole decade to bear fruit - 4 Toronto women produced 9 children each. They each received a share, along with a smaller share for two other women with more dubious claims. He had taken writing a will to a whole other level.
If Millar intended to rectify his childless life, he succeeded in stimulating the births of 36 extra Canadians, who would otherwise, arguably, have not graced the Toronto district. Even more fun than generating offspring in the conventional manner, Millar's japery ensured midwives were scowling while many a casual observer was chuckling. Writing a will had never had such comic effect. Thoughtfully, considering the extra pressure generated by the bairns, the Toronto Welfare Department also received some cash from Mr. Millar.
Although Millar might not be considered the most glittering example for those thinking of writing a Will, he certainly showed that even the most outlandish and morally questionable provisos can be inserted into one's Last Will and Testament. So if you're about to put pen to paper and draw up a list of hilarious requests, you're in good company (or will be when the time comes).
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