His epitaph was written out, and in this he had allowed himself considerable margin, as he fixed the date of his death forty-five years later than it actually occurred.
The letters of announcement were all prepared:
“M. et Madame Lappey ont l’honneur de vous faire part de la perte douloureuse qu’ils viennent de faire, dans la personne de M. Boby, décédé en sa demeure rue de Louvois 10. Les convoi, service et enterrement auront lieu le ... 1890, à midi très précis à Saint Roch.”
According to _this_ date he would have been one hundred and forty.
Dr. Ellerby died in London in February, 1827. He was a member of the Society of Friends. He passed for being a very eccentric character, and all his habits bore the stamp of originality. In his will are to be found some singular clauses, among them the following:
“Item: I desire that immediately after my death my body shall be carried to the Anatomical Museum in Aldersgate Street, and shall be there dissected by Drs. Lawrence, Tyrell, and Wardrop, in order that the cause of my malady may be well understood.
“Item: I bequeath my heart to Mr. W., anatomist; my lungs to Mr. R.; and my brains to Mr. F., in order that they may preserve them from decomposition; and I declare that if these gentlemen shall fail faithfully to execute these my last wishes in this respect I will come--if it should be by any means possible--and torment them until they shall comply.”
This threat did not much alarm the above-named parties, for it appears that they unhesitatingly renounced their several legacies.
John W. Wallace, of Brooklyn, New York, died on the 28th day of December, 1909; his will contained the following novel provisions, which it is reported were literally carried out:
“I direct that my body be placed in a pine box not to cost more than five dollars; placed in an express wagon and taken to a crematory; that after cremation, the ashes shall be scattered in a field. The entire cost of the disposal of my body is not to exceed fifty dollars. My reason is, that I believe a man gets out of life all that he is entitled to, according to the amount of brain and energy he puts into it, and when he dies, should not occupy ground that may be needed for highways, or for planting corn, or for any other purpose that future generations may have for it. I believe that when I die my money, if I have any, should go to those dependent upon me, and not into expensive coffins and flowers.”