Ransom Seale Will and Inventory, Butler, AL submitted by: Wilda Murphy ***************************************************************************** USGenWeb NOTICE: Libraries and individual researchers may download this file for personal, non-commercial use only. Any other use requires written permission from the transcriber. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ****************************************************************************** Butler County, Alabama Will Book 1, page 173: State of Alabama Butler County In the name of God Amen: I, Ransom Seale of the County and State aforesaid being of sound mind and memory and considering the uncertainty of Life and certainty of death, and being desirous of disposing of my Estate in time, do therefore make ordain and publish this to be my last Will and Testament, that is to say, First, after my funeral expenses and all other of my lawful and just debts are paid off and discharged the residue of my Estate Real Personal and mixed, I devise and bequeath as follows: First, I ordain and publish the following persons to be my Legatees and they only. < 1 word illegible > Elleanor Seale, my wife - - Susan A Clark, wife of John Clarke and her bodily heirs, Allen B Seale, Amelia Stein wife of Robert Stein, John W Seale, Lidia Stallings, wife of Robert Stallings, Abi Freeman, wife of William Freeman, Francis M Seale, Mary M Seale and Clara Seale, all of which are my children (save my wife) who shall share and share alike in my Estate as hereinafter ordained and provided.; Secondly It is my will and desire and it is hereby ordained that all my heirs to whom I have hitherto given my Property or to whom I have advanced any money, that they shall account for the same under the Law regulating advancements, now in force in this state, upon the Final Settlement of my Estate, and it is further my will and desire, the following heirs shall account to my Executors upon the final settlement of my Estate for the amounts I have heretofore given them as hereinafter specified, towit that Susan A Clark shall be charged with one Negro Lidia, valued at six hundred & 75 dollars and two hundred and fifty dollars in money; - - that Allen B Seale shall be charged with one Negro boy Sic, valued at twelve hundred dollars, that - - Amelia Stein wife of Robert Stein, shall be charged with one Negro woman and two children, valued at twelve hundred dollars; that John W Seale shall be charged with one Negro boy George , valued at twelve hundred dollars; - - that - - Lydia Stallings, wife of Robert Stallings shall be charged with one Negro woman Mariah and two children valued at twelve hundred dollars; that Abi Freeman, wife of William Freeman shall be charged with one Negro woman Rachel, valued at one thousand dollars, all of which property was given to said heirs as advancements, - - and it is further my will and desire that as soon as my other heirs arrive at majority that they shall each have advanced to them property of an equal value, or approximating near to it; Thirdly it is my will and desire that all my Estate not hereintofore bequeathed or devised shall be kept together during the natural life of my beloved wife Elleanor Seale, unless the same shall be in a wasting condition, or that my Estate will be greatly injured thereby, and it is my will and desire that the proceeds made on my farms by my Negroes, and all other profits of my Estate while the same may be so kept together, shall be expended in the support, maintenance and education of my beloved wife Elleanor Seale and of my heirs not of age, and should there remain anything after my beloved wife Elleanor Seale shall have been comforted cared for annually, and my minor heirs shall also be educated and provided for then it is my will and desire that it be invested in real estate or some other property which shall be distributed as my other property. But if it should be deemed inexpedient and injurious to keep my Estate together, then it is my will and desire that my beloved wife Elleanor Seale shall have and hold during her natural life the following Negroes and their natural increase "in esse" and yet to be born "to wit", Caroline, Louisa, Comfort and Cherry(?), and after her death to revert back, and to be equally divided among my said heirs Fourthly, it is my will and desire that whatever of my Estate Susan A Clark and her bodily heirs shall take (which I desire shall be one share) shall < 1 word illegible > in Robert Stein and John W Seale, for the sole and separate use of the said Susan A Clarke and her bodily heirs forever, free from the control of her present or any future husband - - and it is further my will and desire that said Robert Stein and John W Seale together as aforesaid, shall take immediate possession of whatever property the said Susan A Clark and her heirs may inherit by virtue hereof and manage the same as they may think proper, and apply the rents, profits and hires thereof to the support maintenance and education of the said Susan A Clark and her bodily heirs until her youngest child shall arrive at majority. Then it is my desire that the property held in trust at that time shall be equally divided among the said Susan and her bodily heirs then living. Fifthly, it is my will and desire that after all the advancements shall be equally legally and justly settled then all my heirs shall share and share alike in my Estate subject to the foregoing specifications. I likewise make, constitute and appoint Robert Stein and Allen B Seale to be executors of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made. Given under my hand and seal, this the 8th day of February A D 1862. Ransom Seale Signed sealed published and declared by the said Ransom Seale, as and for his last will and testament in presence of us, who at the request of said Ransom Seale and in his presence, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses thereto. Franklin Vickery Anderson Seale John Gamby ****************************** State of Alabama Butler County In the Probate Court of Butler County in the matter of the Probate of the last Will and Testament of Ransom Seale Dec'd Before me S J Bolling Judge of the said court personally appeared in open court Franklin Vickery and Anderson Seale, who having been by me first respectively duly sworn and examined did and do depose and on oath that they are subscribing witnesses to the instrument of writing now shewn to them and which purports to be the last Will and testament of Ransom Seale deceased late an inhabitant of this County, that said Ransom Seale since deceased signed and executed said instrument on the day the same bears date and declared the same to be his last Will and Testament; and that affiants set their signatures thereto on the day the same bears date as subscribing witnesses to the same in the presence of said Testator; that said Testator was of sound mind and disposing memory, and in the opinion of deponents fully capable of making his will at the time the same was so made aforesaid; affiants further state that said Testator was on the day of the <1 word illegible> of said Will of the age of twenty one years and upwards. Sworn to and subscribed before me May 12th 1862, Anderson Seale Saml J Bolling Franklin Vickery Judge of Probate ********************** Butler County, Alabama Estate Record Book 5, page 192: State of Alabama Butler County Know all men by the presents that we, Allen B Steene (sic, should be Seale), Robert Steene James J Thigpen of Wilcox County and Jonathon M Yeldell, of Butler County and State aforesaid are held and firmly bound unto S J Bolling Judge of the Probate Court of said County and his successors in office in the final Sum of one hundred twenty thousand dollars for which payment well and truly to be made and done, we bind ourselves our heirs, executors and administrators jointly and severally by these presents. Sealed with our Seals and dated this 18th day of June A D Eighteen Hundred and Sixty two. The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas the above bound Allen B Seale and Robert Steen have been appointed administrators of the Estate of Ransom Seale deceased Now if the said Allen B Seale and Robert Steen shall well and truly perform all the duties which are or may be by law required of them , then the above obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force. Approved this 18th day A. B. Seale of June 1862 Robt Steene S J Bolling J. J. Thigpen Judge of Probate ********************** Also on page 192: Wilcox County, Alabama, June 24th A.D. 1862 The following is a list of the Property of Ransom Seale appraised and the amount of appraisement, to wit 483 acres of land @ $15.00 per acre $7245.00 2000 bushels of corn @ $1.00 per bushel 2000.00 2000 lbs fodder @ $1.00 per 100 lb 20.00 30 head choice hogs @ $15.00 per head 450.00 25 head second " " @ $8.00 per head 200.00 45 head third " @ $2.50 per head 112.50 Carried forward 10,027.50 ************************* Page 193: Appraisement of the Estate of Ransom Seale, Cont'd: Amount brought forward $10027.50 Amt. brought forward $12198.00 1 four horse wagon 100.00 1 two horse wagon 50.00 1 four horse wagon 100.00 1 lot plows & gear 56.00 1 wheat fan? 15.00 1 Negro wom.& child Caroline & Kisiah 1000.00 1 first choice yoke of oxen 100.00 1 " " infant Polly 1000.00 1 second " " " 100.00 1 " " Martha 800.00 1 grindstone 3.00 1 " " Tilda 500.00 1 set blacksmith tools 15.00 1 boy Stewart 800.00 4 beef hides & 1 deer skin 17.00 1 Negro " Viney 700.00 1 lot of old iron 75 lb 2.50 1 " " Lucinda 500.00 1 double barrel rifle & shotgun 30.00 1 " " Levi 325.00 1 rifle gun 15.00 1 " " Sela 200.00 1500 lb bacon @ 2? (sic) 375.00 1 " " Mariah 200.00 1 first choice mule 225.00 1 " " Lucy 200.00 1 second " " 200.00 1 " boy Bill 600.00 1 third " " 200.00 1 " " Isaac 1000.00 1 fourth " " 200.00 1 " " Ceaser 800.00 1 fifth " " 190.00 1 " " Alick 1100.00 1 mare 175.00 1 " " Gobe 1000.00 30 bales cotton 1200.00 1 " " Will 1000.00 1 cotton gin & ? 25.00 1 " woman Chany? & child 800.00 --------- 25,855.50 Butler County Ala. June 25th 1862 400 acres of pine land @ $5.00 2000.00 1 note on Carter & Knight due 30 1 Negro man Charley 50.00 June 1861, with credit of $240 S? for 450.00 1 " " Israel 850.00 1 note on Wilson Murphy due 1 " " Tenna? 400.00 1st January 1862, for 50.00 1 " " Judah 600.00 1 note on Arthur Sims & Francis 1 " " Ralph 475.00 Vickery, due 30th June 1861 for 25.00 1 " " Delila 325.00 1 note on J E Thompson due 1 " " Alford 200.00 1st January 1862 for 75.00 1 " girl Louisa 100.00 1 note on Danl T Davis & Julia, Susan & Sol 700.00 John W Seale due 1st Jan. 1862 30.00 One gray horse 25.00 1 note on J H Stokes and W E Coleman One brown mare 5.00 due 12th Mch 1861 15.00 One bay stud & colt 120.00 1 note on Jourdan Fenster? and One buggy 125.00 Stephen Bird, due 28th Mch 1861 10.00 One ?ans saddle 6.00 1 note on Jackson Booker and One prd?, old wagon wheel 5.00 W E Coleman due Nov 1861 30.00 17 hogs @ $8.00 136.00 1 note on Franklin Vickery due 2 sows & 10 pigs @ $2.00 24.00 Jan 7, 1861, credit $45.00 Aug 18th 1861 84.00 20 head of sheep 78.00 One judgement against 1 double barreled gun 30.00 Joseph Hicks Febry 11th 1861 for 36.50 4 cows & calves @ $30.00 120.00 4 head cattle 80.00 (Note from wrm: Jackson Booker and W E Coleman lived in Monroe County (census 1870-1920) near Sally Murphy and William J Watts. In 1899 they attested to his confederate service, for his pension application. Also, there is an Amanda L.Coleman, wife of W.E. Coleman, Nov 2, 1831 - Apr 13, 1852 (note: she was the sister of John Lowry Langham) buried at Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery, Pine Apple, Wilcox County, Alabama - - see (http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/wilcox/cemetery/friendship.txt))