LONDON, March 17 (UPI) -- One million wills from five centuries of British life are now available online, including those of Shakespeare and Jane Austen.
The wills of ordinary British people are accessible, too. Anyone with British ancestors whose wills were collected by the National Archives in London can download them online for a fee of $5.43 (3 pounds), says the daily the Independent.
The Shakespeare will is available for free.
As is well-known, the Bard bequeathed his "second-best" bed to Anne Hathaway, his wife. Experts believe Shakespeare meant no disrespect to his spouse. In the language of that day, he was referring to the bed he shared with her. The so-called "best" bed in the household would have been passed on to a Shakespearean heir.
As for Austen, the author of "Pride and Prejudice," her will consisted of just one paragraph. She named her sister, Cassandra Elizabeth, as her heir and executrix.
