Theos-Talk Archives (November 2004 Message tt00366)

I found an interesting article published in The Theosophist February 
1939 and I am reproducing part of it here. It is interesting to say 
that she did not mention Judge at all...

Erica 

The will was made on 31st , January 1885. It is interest to note 
that full effect has never to it because Mme. Blavatsky ordered that 
her body should be buried in the Headquarters compound, Adyar, and 
her death actually took place in London, and her cremation at Woking.

When she made the Will, H.P.B. was seriously ill. Her suffering was 
intensified by the Coulomb affair and the attacks of the 
missionaries, and apparently she did not expect to live much longer. 
But her Master intervened at a critical point, and restored her so 
that she might write the Secret Doctrine. Under medical advice, 
however, two months after making the Will, she left India on March 
31st for Europe, and began to work on The Secret Doctrine at 
Wurzburg.

Until quite recently there was no permanent record of the Will at 
Adyar. Neither Mr. G.R.S. Mead nor Bertram Keightley was aware of 
its existence. Mr. Mead, in a Letter dated 24th May 1932 to Mr. 
Besant, head of the London T.H.P., wrote: "H.P.B. left no will … she 
being intestate. . ."

Mr. Mead's statement is easily explained by the fact that the Will 
was made and registered in India, while she died in England, and 
there was nothing among her papers there ((M r. Mead was her private 
secretary) to show that she had left a Will. Yet Colonel Olcott, as 
her executor, had published extracts from her Will as far back as 
1892 in his official communication regarding the observance of White 
Lotus Day.

In Old Diary Leaves (IV, 444) the President-Founder records having 
copied the Will in 1892: "On the 6th May I went to the Chingleput 
Registrar's Office, had H.P.B.'s Will opened and recorded, and took 
an official copy of it." This is almost word for word with the entry 
in his Diary for 1892 in the Adyar Archives.Col. Olcott's purpose in 
opening and copying the Will was plainly to fulfil H.P.B' s desire 
as to the commemoration of her death-date. On May 6th the copy was 
taken, and two days later her death was commemorated (Sunday) he 
makes this entry:

"First white Lotus Day" celebration in memory of H.P.B.'s death a 
year ago. Address Gita Slokas chanted, translation read, extracted 
from Light of Asia, paper by S.E>G. on the mystical meaning of the 
White Lotus. 50 delegates. On May 9 he enters: Madras Mail has ¼ 
column about White Lotus Day.

The immediate call for the will in 1938, was the need to discover 
H.P.B.'s disposal for her literary interests. An officer was sent 
from the Headquarters of the Chingleput Registrar's Office (in 
Madras) and it was again copied , where the Colonel had taken a copy 
of it 46 years earlier. The will reads:

This is the last will and statement of me Helena Petrovna Blavatsky 
of Adyar, Madras, India. I desire my body to be burned in the 
compound of the Theosophical Society Headquarters at Adyar, Madras 
and the ashes to be buried in the said compound and that none who 
are not Theosophists should be present at the burning. I desire that 
yearly, on the anniversary of my death some of my friends should 
assemble at the Headquarters of the Theosophical Society and read a 
chapter of Edwin Arnold's "ight of Asia" and Bhagavat Gita. After 
payment of my just debts (if any); and funeral and state expenses I 
give devise and bequeath unto Colonel H.S. Olcott of Adyar, Madras; 
my books, for the use of the literary committee of the Theosophical 
Society. Also my property in "Isis Unveiled" and the "Secret 
Doctrine" and "The Theosophist" also one of the two pairs of 
candlesticks given me by my aunt, also to Damodar, Babajee and 
Ananda, my three silver mugs. Also to Dr. Hartmann one of the pairs 
of the candlesticks given me by my aunt. Also to my nieces all my 
dresses and clothing (but not sheets or bedding) also to Louisa 
Mitchell the shawl now in the possession of Mr. Holloway. 
Note that the oval silver box is in the property of Damodar and as 
to the residue and reminder of my property, I give devise and 
bequeath the same unto Colonel Henry S. Olcott requesting him to 
distribute any small articles of no great value which I may die 
possessed of, to such friends and acquaintances as are 
Theosophists, according to his own discretion, and I hereby appoint 
Colonel Henry S. Olcott and Damodar K. Malavankar, or the survivors 
of them to be executers of this Will as witness this 31st day of 
January 1885 Adyar, Madras, India. 

H.P. Blavatsky

Signed and acknowledge by the said Helena Petrovna Blavatsky the 
testator as and for her last will and Testament in the presence of 
us being present at the same time; who at the testator's request and 
in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as 
witness. P. Shreenivas Row. E.H. Morgan. T. Subba Row. C. Ramaiah.
(Copied by A. Etirajulu Reddi, Ag. 5th clerk. Examined by K. 
Ananthachariar, Head Clerk. T.C. Ryru Kurup, Registrar).

The Theosophist February 1939...