Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Second volume)

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THE WILL OF CHARLOTTE STUART
a clear voice in the presence of the said archbishop and the under
signed witnesses, and its purport is as follows, viz. :—
In the name of God. Amen. This 14th day of November 1789.
Her Grace the Duchess of Albany, Charlotte by name, being grievously
sick in body, but of sound mind and in full possession of her senses,
thanks be to God, not wishing to leave this world without disposing of
those goods of fortune of which she is possessed, after having received
the Holy Viaticum and humbly commended her soul to God, her Creator
and Redeemer, and again beseeching His pardon for all even to the
least offence which she may have given Him during the whole course of
her life, and trusting to His infinite mercy—
Declares in the first place, that she desires to be buried without any
pomp whatever, asking only such suffrages for her soul as may be decided
upon by the Lord Cardinal Archbishop, whom she has requested to take
down her will in writing, further recommending him not to allow her
body after her death to be opened in any way, and if possible that it may
be kept above ground for four days, not enclosed in a coffin.
In the second place she desires to be buried in the parish church of
St Blaise of Bologna, to the poor of which she leaves a hundred scudi,
to be distributed to them by the curate of the said church. Coming to
the legacies, or pensions, she requests her royal uncle, hereinafter con¬
stituted him her sole heir, to send to her lady mother1 in Paris an
annual pension of fifteen thousand francs during the term of her
natural life, and further, to allow her the power of disponing at her
death of fifty thousand francs in favour of any of her necessitous
relations.
She leaves to Mrs. Northen2 an annuity of two thousand francs
for the term of her natural life, also a gold enamelled box, and the
English clock which her Grace uses daily, further requesting her royal
uncle to provide for the lady more abundantly should this pension
not suffice.
To Canon Cesarini,3 rector of Frascati she leaves an annuity of a
hundred scudi, for the term of his natural life, as a mark of her attach¬
ment, and more especially on account of the respectful and particular
affection which he has for her royal uncle.
To the Count Monsignor Consalvi she leaves an enamelled box as a
remembrance.
To the Abbate Waters,4 as a mark of her gratitude for his services to
her royal father and herself, she leaves an annuity of a hundred scudi
1 Clementina Walkinshaw.
2 Her dame d’honneur, who had apparently succeeded Mme. O’Donnell. She
is also called ‘ M. Countess of Norton ’ (Braye mss., Hist. MSS. Com. Report,
p. 239). In 1795 she was residing in Penna (ibid. p. 242).
3 Mgr. Angelo Cesarini, afterwards Bishop of Milevi, for forty years an intimate
friend of Cardinal York.
4 Most likely a near relative of George Jean, Comte de Waters, who was
banker to the Stuarts in Paris.