A British man’s handwritten will, drafted on the cardboard packaging of a frozen fish box and a mince pie packet, has been ruled valid by the High Court, clearing the way for a diabetes charity to inherit his estate worth approximately £180,000.
asserted
charity → draft → estate
Malcolm Roy Chenery, who lived in York, England, recorded his final wishes on two separate pieces of food packaging shortly before his death in May 2021.
uncertain
who → live → May
His estate included a three-bedroom house, money, jewellery and a large collection of ornaments and pottery.
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estate → include → ornaments
He named the British Diabetic Association, now known as Diabetes UK, as a principal beneficiary, while allocating his ornaments and pottery to the Hornsea Collector’s Society.
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He → name → Society
The unusual format prompted legal questions over whether the two pieces constituted one valid will.
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pieces → prompt → will
How a frozen fish box and mince pie packet became a £180,000 will
Chenery wrote the first part of his will on the back of a Young’s frozen fish fillets box and the second on cardboard from a Mr Kipling mince pie packet.
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Chenery → become → packet
The pieces were small, measuring approximately 15 by 20 centimetres, and the writing appeared on their plain inner sides.
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writing → measure → sides
The first piece, marked “1”, set out instructions concerning his house, bank accounts and household contents, which he wanted to leave to the “Diabetic Society”.
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he → mark → Society
It also specified that his ornaments and pottery should go to the Hornsea Collector’s Society.
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ornaments → specify → Society
The second piece, numbered “2”, carried his signature and the date 3 May 2021.
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piece → number → signature
Two neighbours also signed it as witnesses that day.
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neighbours → sign → witnesses
Chenery died the following day.
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Chenery → die → ?
What did the £180,000 estate include?
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estate → include → What
The estate was valued at approximately £180,000 and included Chenery’s three-bedroom house, money, jewellery and personal possessions.
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estate → value → house
His handwritten instructions divided the intended gifts between Diabetes UK and the Hornsea Collector’s Society.
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instructions → divide → UK
The charity was the principal beneficiary, while the collectors’ society was named to receive the ornaments and pottery.
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society → name → ornaments
The documents also recorded his wishes concerning his funeral.
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documents → record → funeral
Chenery requested cremation and wanted his ashes buried or scattered at York Cricket Club, a place associated with happy memories of spending time there with his mother.
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ashes → request → mother
Why did the unusual will end up in court?
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will → end → court
The dispute centred on whether the two pieces of cardboard could legally be treated as a single will.
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pieces → centre → will
Although the documents were numbered consecutively and dealt with connected aspects of his estate, they came from different food packages.
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they → number → packages
The neighbours who witnessed the second piece could not recall seeing the first when they signed.
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they → witness → first
This raised questions about whether the two pieces together met the requirements for a valid will under English law.
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pieces → raise → law
Diabetes UK sought to have both pieces admitted to probate as Chenery’s final will.
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pieces → seek → will
If the court had rejected the documents, his estate would instead have been distributed under the rules governing intestacy, which apply when someone dies without a valid will.
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someone → reject → will
Why did the charity argue that the two pieces belonged together?
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pieces → argue → ?
The charity’s barrister, Sam Chandler, argued that the two pieces were part of the same document.
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pieces → argue → document
Both had been written in the same pen, appeared to have been produced at the same time and contained overlapping subject matter.
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Both → write → matter
The claim also had support from members of Chenery’s family, some of whom explained that diabetes had affected relatives.
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diabetes → have → relatives
This helped establish why the charity might have been a meaningful beneficiary for him.
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charity → help → him
Although one sister had initially raised concerns about the circumstances, she later indicated that she would not actively oppose the claim and would leave the decision to the court.
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she → raise → court
What did the High Court rule?
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Court → rule → What
On 8 November 2024, Master Katherine McQuail of the High Court’s Chancery Division ruled that the two pieces of cardboard should be admitted to probate as Chenery’s last will.
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pieces → rule → will
The court considered the requirements of the Wills Act 1837, including whether the documents could be treated as one testamentary document and whether the necessary formalities had been met.
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formalities → consider → document
The judge accepted that the pieces were connected and reflected Chenery’s intention to distribute his possessions.
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pieces → accept → possessions
The court also considered the principle that a person should not be presumed to have intended to die intestate when the evidence indicates a clear intention to make a will.
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evidence → consider → will
It concluded that the two pieces should be admitted to probate, allowing the estate to pass in accordance with his wishes.
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estate → conclude → wishes
The decision was reported in November 2024 and meant Diabetes UK could proceed with the legacy.
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UK → report → legacy
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