Last Will & Testament

William Lancaster

  

 

State of Tennessee - Obion County

 

 

I, WILLIAM LANCASTER, do hereby publish this my last will and testament. First I direct that my funeral expenses and all my debts be paid as soon after my death out of any moneys that I may have died possessed of or may first come into the hands of my Executor. Secondly, I give and bequeath to my children who are living on the same tract of land on which I now live, being my sons THOMAS H. LANCASTER and HENRY LANCASTER and my daughters, NANCY GOLDEN and ELIZABETH CAROLINE LANCASTER, the tract of land on which I now live containing by estimation one hundred ninety five acres, lying and being in the county of Obion and the State of Tennessee on the head waters of Grove Creek to be equally divided between them, the division to take place or be made by my children together or by men chosen by them for that purpose, and to her I give and bequeath unto my daughter ELIZABETH CAROLINE my bay mare named Sal and to my sons THOMAS H. and HENRY, and my daughter ELIZABETH CAROLINE one bed and bedding each, and further this condition is to take place in the division of land namely that the improvement made on said land by WM. L. GOLDEN and THOMAS H. LANCASTER is not to be taken into consideration in the above division - - and thirdly, I give and bequeath unto my daughters ANNA RAGSDALE and LUCINDA RAGSDALE, all the remainder of my personal property to be divided equally between them after the manner as the above division of the land and further if there is not enough of personal property to make the amounts of those last named daughters equal with those that share the land, those that share the land shall bear an equal proportion in making it up as my earnest desire is that all my children share equally in my property though in different properties.

 

 In witness where of I do set my hand and seal to this my will, this 8th day of July 1844.

 

 

 WILLIAM LANCASTER

 (his mark)

 

 

 Signed sealed and published in our presence and we have subscribed our names hereunto in the presence of the Testator this 8th day of July 1844.

 S. M. Rowland

 C. C. Coleman

 

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 References:

 

 County Minute Book of Obion County, Tennessee, 1843-44, page 243, September 1844

 Personally viewed and transcribed at the Obion County Court House by Michael Ragsdale, 1995