Chambers Co. AL - Will of Paul Tillman Willis, Sr.

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Submitted by:  Sarah Sharpless  sks6@earthlink.net
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Will of Paul Tillman Willis, Sr.


Chambers Co., AL, Will Record 3 (1855-1895), pp. 10-13
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Paul T. Willis, Sr., Will

The State of Alabama.   In the name of God, Amen.  I, Paul Tillman Willis
Senr. of the County of Chambers and said State, being of feble health,
but of sound and disposing mind and memory, calling to mind the
uncertainty of human life, and being desirous of settling my worldly
affairs and directing how the estate with which it has pleased God to
bless me shall be disposed of after my decease, do make and publish this
my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all other wills and
Testaments by me heretofore made; and first, I commend my soul to the God
that gave it, and my body to the earth, to be decently interred; and as
to my worldly estate, and all my property of which I may die, seized and
possessed, or to which I shall be entitled at the time of my decease, I
divide, bequeath and dispose of in the manner following to wit:

First:     I give and bequeath to my wife Mary Willis, Miles a Negro man,
Emily a woman, and her three children, viz:  Martha and Nancy [?] and
Mary Jane, all that came by her; also my carriage, and two carriage
mules; also four choice cows and calves and two head choice hogs; also,
two beds, bedsteads and furniture, formerly hers; all of which I give in
fee simple, to dispose of as she may desire; also, one note that I hold
of Jesse Fitzpatrick, for four hundred dollars, prin-cipal; it being
formerly her money I give that as above; also one hundred and twenty four
acres of land in Tallapoosa County, the [number ?] not recorded, that was
hers; I give also in fee simple for her to dis-pose of at her pleasure.

Second:     I loan to my beloved wife Mary Willis all that portion of
land lying west of direct line, starting East of my gin-house, and
running due north so that it leaves my spring, and all my buildings or
the part for my wife during her natural life or widowhood; after her
marriage or death, sold and divided among my lawful heirs as after
directed.

Item third: 3d -     I give, devise and bequeath to my daughter Mary Ann
Gunn [?], wife of George W. Gunn [?], to the sole and separate use of my
said daughter and her children, all of the slaves and property here named
with the increase and profits thereof; to wit:  Amy a woman, and all of
her children; and Louisa a woman that has no child.

Item 4:     I give, devise and bequeath unto son Paul Tillman Willis Jr.,
all the property here named, with the increase and profit thereof, to
wit:  David a man, and Mary a woman, and all of her children; all of
which property he is not to sell or dispose of; nor shall it be sub-ject
to his debts, contracts or liabilities, but to be retained by him, and at
his death to be equally divided between his lawful heirs.

Item 5:     I give, devise and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Edna Gunn
[?], wife of John G. Gunn [?], to the sole and separate use of my said
daughter, Sarah, and her children, all of the slaves and property here
named, with the increase and profits thereof; to wit:  Ann and all her
five children, Lureney [?] a girl and Whitman a boy; and a set of silver
Table spoons, by the request of her former step-mother.

Item 6:     I give, devise and bequeath unto my daughter, Nancy Haney
Talbot, wife of William B. Talbot, to the sold and separate use of my
said daughter, Nancy, and her children; all of the slaves and property
here named; with the increase and profits thereof; to wit:  Emsey a
woman, and both of her children, Martial [?] a man, and Arshely [?] girl;
also one set of silver Tea spoons.

Item 7:     It is my will and desire that my trusty woman Mimy [?] be
allowed to privilege of choosing her a home with either of my children.

Item 8:     I desire that Simon a man, be sold and equally divided
between my daughter Mary A. Gunn [?] and my son Paul T. Willis.

Item 9:     I also give to my daughter Sarah E. Gunn [?], Armelia a girl,
in the same manner that I gave her the other slaves.

Item 10:     It is further my will and desire, and I hereby intend by
this instant, that all the property herein given to my daughters, Mary A.
Gunn [?], Sarah E. Gunn [?], and Nancy H. Talbot, or which they may
severally receive under this my last will, shall be and [illegible] to
them as their separate property to their sole and separate use of my said
three daughters and their children; not subject to the debts of either of
their present or any future husband, or liable to be sold, by them or
either of them; nevertheless, the receipt of the husband of either of my
said daughters shall be a good and sufficient voucher, for my executors;
said receipt being executed as trustee for the wife and children.

Item 11:     I here constitute and appoint George W. Gunn [?], Paul T.
Willis, John G. Gunn [?], and Wm. B. Talbot, to be my executors of this
my last Will; directing them my said Executors to pay all my just debts,
and funeral expenses; and the legacies herein given out of my estate, so
soon after my decease as practicable.

Item 12:     It is my will and desire that my beloved wife, Mary Willis,
shall have one years support extra of what has been before given, with
the cooking utensils; also any thing not named that she had or held
before our marriage, as I wish her to have all that she formerly owned.

Item 13:     It is further my desire and I hereby devise all the balance
of my estate, real and personal, or of what several kind, the same may
be, after the payment of all my just debts and funeral expenses, and all
estate or interest to which I may be in any manner entitled, and not
heretofore otherwise given or disposed of shall be divided equally
between my several children, viz:  Mary A., Paul T., Sarah E. and Nancy
H., share and share alike, subject to survivorship or descent to the
children of each of such as may die, and my Executors are hereby fully
empowered to make sale of all such parts or portions of my estate as may
be necessary to be sold, and to make all proper conveyances thereof,
without any order of Court, and to do all things which may be necessary
to be done in the management of the trust being reposed, after proof of
this will, up to final settlement without any order of Court therefor,
and to make a final settlement, with an order for Publication in a ga!
zette but upon notice given in person or by the post.

In testimony whereon I hereunto set my hand and seal, and publish and
declare this the foregoing or preceding paper and the above to be my last
Will and Testament, in the presence of the witnesses named below this
28th day of February in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred
and fifty seven.

                                                                                     Paul T. Willis Sr. {LS}

Signed, sealed, published and
declared by the said Paul T.
Willis, Senr, as and for his last
Will and Testament, in presence of
us, who in his presence, and the presence of
each other and at his request have subscribed
our names as witnesses hereto.

Wm. A. Slaughter, Selia (her X mark) Mitchell, John Griffin

The State of Alabama  }          Court of Probate
Chambers County      }                      September 7, 1857


     Personally appeared in open court, William A. Slaughter and John
Griffin, two of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will who being
each duly sworn, depose and say on oath, that they saw Paul T. Willis,
Sr., the testator, sign, seal and publish the same, as and for his Last
Will and Testament on the day the same [bearing ?] date; and that they
believe the said Paul T. Willis Sr., to be of sound and disposing mind
and memory at the time of signing the same, that they, deponents, each
signed the same as subscribing witnesses, at the request and in the
presence of said testator, that they saw Selia Mitchell, the other
subscribing wit-ness sign the same, at the request and in the presence of
the said testator, and that they all signed the same in the pre-sence of
each other.

Wm. A. Slaughter
John Griffin

Sworn to & subscribed in
Open Court, this 7th day of
September 1857.

          Wm. L. Crayton
           Judge of Probate