In
the name of God Amen.
I, HENRY JOSSEY
of the County and State aforesaid, being of sound and disposing mind and
without any improper motion, me hereunto moving and freely and of my own
accord, make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, knowing the
uncertainty of life and that as it is appointed that all men shall die and can
carry none of their worldly goods into eternity, I dispose of my property,
goods and effects in this my Last Will according to the following Items.
And I do hereby
bequeath my love to God hoping that it will be purified by the merits of a
gracious Saviour and find rest in eternity when my
frail body shall be still in the confines of the grave. I wish to be buried in
decent and becoming manner and according to my condition in life
ITEM First: I do hereby give and bequeath to my dearly
beloved wife SARAH JOSSEY, WILLIS, EVELINE, and NANCY, Three negro slaves, the first a
Man about Twenty Five years of age and the second a Woman, the Wife of said
WILLIS of or about the age of Twenty Five years and the Third a Woman of the
age of Fifty years and the future increases of the said negro Woman EVELINE and
NANCY, and the following tracts or lots of land. I do give to my beloved wife
SARAH JOSSEY, Lot of land number One Hundred and Thirty Six (136) in the Ninth
district of Formerly Troup County, now Meriwether County and part of lot of
land number One Hundred and Eighty Five, to wit, The West part of said last mentioned
lot to be bounded by a line commencing on the South line of said lot to run a
due North course by a Well usually known as the Widow Gray's old Well on the
said lot of land. and to terminate at the North line of said lot of land
situated in the County and District aforesaid, and I do give to her, my said
Wife, all my household and kitchen furniture, A Bar coach which I now own and
two mules or horses such as she may choose, of those of which I may be
possessed at the time of my decease. A
yoke of oxen and an ox cart, two cows, and calves, such as she shall choose of
my stock of cattle, and two choice sows and pigs, ten shoats and ten head of
such sheep as she shall prefer. and such an amount, meat and corn and other
grain and fodder as my executors shall consider necessary for the support of
and well management of the family for One year after my decease, and such
Plantation tools as shall be thought proper and necessary for the use of the
farm, the foregoing property real and personal with all the improvements and appurtances on the said lot and part lot of land, including
a Gin if there should be one, and all property goods and effects before named
and hereby given to my said beloved Wife.
She is to have, hold and keep for her own proper use and benefit for and
during her natural life ( except such part of the
household and kitchen furniture as shall be hereafter directed to be given to
my Children as they shall marry or settle to themselves) and after the death of
my said beloved Wife SARAH JOSSEY, all
the aforesaid property to go to the vest in my Children. Viz. SARAH M REEVES, formerly SARAH M JOSSEY;
JOSIAH W JOSSEY, HARRIETT WILLIAMS, formerly HARRIETT JOSSEY, JOHN H JOSSEY, MARY E JOSSEY, ROWENA JOSSEY,
KITTY ANN JOSSEY and WILLIAM J JOSSEY.
ITEM 2nd. I will that
my Children hereinafter named, to wit,
JOHN H JOSSEY,
ITEM 3rd. I will that my Two youngest Children, KITTY
ANN JOSSEY, and WILLIAM J JOSSEY, shall have the expense of their education
paid out of my Estate, without any deductions from that part or portion of
property to which they may or shall be entitled, as if such expence
of education may or shall not be made.
ITEM 4th. I will that the balance of my property real
and personal shall be disposed of by my Executor according to the following
directions. Viz,
The negroes to be equally divided between my Children in the first Item
of this my Will named, and all of my personal Estate not herein before disposed
of, to be sold and the proceeds thereof divided between my said Children, and
my Children, JOHN H JOSSEY, MARY E JOSSEY, KITTY ANN JOSSEY, and WILLIAM J
JOSSEY, each shall have a good feather bed and furniture and bedstead, a cow
and calf, and a horse, or the value of such last mentioned articles, and my
real estate, I wish to be rented or sold as my executors shall deem for the
best interest of the legatees to my said Estate.
ITEM 5th. I do hereby constitute and appoint my trusty
and kind friend's RICHARD J WILLIS, of the County of Wilkes, and WILLIAM D
MARTIN, and my Son JOSIAH W JOSSEY, of the County of Meriwether, and all of the
State of Georgia, my true and lawful executors, confiding in their providence
and fidelity for the faithful execution of this my Last Will and Testament.
In testamony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal
this the Twenty-Fifth day of April in the year Eighteen Hundred and Thirty
Seven.
Signed, Sealed and delivered before us
the day and year above written HENRY
JOSSEY
ABRAM HILL
ALBERT G HILL
CHARLES R GREEN