Pike County GaArchives Wills.....Ford, Sarah S. J. May 20 1898 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bill Russell dragonraj@comcast.net October 25, 2004, 12:24 pm Source: Pike County Probate Court Written: May 20 1898 Recorded: June 6 1898 Will of Sarah S. J. Ford Georgia Pike County In the name of God Amen I S. S. J. Ford of said state and county being of sound and disposing mind and memory do hereby make and constitute the following to be my last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills that I have made. Item 1st I hereby will devise and bequeath to my beloved husband J. W. Ford, my entire property both real and personal, consisting of Eighty eight acres of land more or less in the Zebulon Dist. Of Pike County, the same being part of land lot No. 197 and bounded as follows, on the north by lands of the Wallers Estate, on the East by lands of W. D. Berry & J. W. Head, on the South by lands of Robt. Elliot and on the west by lands of W. M. Hartley & C. F. Dupree, and known as The Tan Yards place [?] , also house shop and lot in the town of Zebulon, the place whereon I now live and known as the Ford Shop lot lying adjoining and east of the Jale [?] lot and being lots Nos 3 & 4 in square A in said town and containing three fourths (¾) of an acre more or less, also my entire personal property, consisting of household and kitchen furniture and all other personal property, And to my said husband I give the right to sell any of my personal property either at public or private sale. Item 2nd It is my will that the said J. W. Ford have all my personal property for and during his natural life, and after the death of my said husband, it is my will that all my personal property if any, be equally divided between my children or their issue share and share alike. I have previously given some of my children some personal property, and it is my will, that the other children to whom I have not given any personal property be made equal before the distribution. Item 3rd It is my will that the said J. W. Ford have all my real Estate for and during his natural life and after the death of my said husband, It is my will that all my real Estate be divided as herein after provided in this my will. Item 4th I Hereby will divise [sp] and bequeath to my Daughter Sadie Ford, after the death of my said husband J. W. Ford, the house shop and lot whereon I now reside and known as the lots Nos. 3 & 4 in square A in the town of Zebulon and containing three fourths (¾) of an acre more or less and known as the Ford lot. Item 5th I hereby will divise and bequeath to my children Mrs Hattie Foster, Mrs. Toni Patterson [?] , Mrs. Linda Berry, Mrs. Myrtice Rawls, J. S. Ford and W. C. Ford, or their issue, share and share alike, after the death of my said husband J. W. Ford, the eighty eight acres of land more or less in the Zebulon District of Pike County. The same being part of land lots No. 197 and known as the Tan Yard place. Item 6th It is my will that the indebtedness of my estate be paid out of the notes and accounts that are payable to me, and if there are other indebtedness, then it is my will that the property that I have willed to my daughter Sadie Ford in Item fourth in this my will be subject to pay one seventh (1/7) of my indebtedness and that the property that I have willed to all my children except my daughter Sadie Ford in Item fifth of this my will, be subject to pay six sevenths (6/7) of my indebtedness. Item 7th I hereby constitute and appoint my beloved husband J. W. Ford Executor of this my last will and testament. This the 20th day of May 1898 Sarah S. J. Ford Signed declared and published by S. S. J. Ford as her last will & testament in the presence of us the subscribers who subscribe our names hereto in the presence of said Testatrix at her instance and request and of each other, she signing in our presence and we signing in her presence. This the 20th day of May 1898 J. B. Mathews W. F. Childs J. W. Means Georgia Pike County Personally came before me J. B. Mathews named as a witness to the within writing purporting to be the last will of Mrs. Sarah S. J. Ford, who being duly sworn deposes and says that he with named W. F. Childs & J. W. Means did on the 20th day of May 1898 attest as witnesses the within writing in the Presence of Mrs. Sarah S. J. Ford who in their presence voluntarily signed and published the same as her last will and that the said Mrs. Sarah S. J. Ford was at the time of said attestation and signing of sound and disposing mind and memory J. B. Mathews Sworn to and subscribed before me this June 6th 1898 J. W. Means Ordinary Recorded June 10th 1898 J. W. Means Ordinary File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/pike/wills/gwl147ford.txt Additional Comments by Lynn Cunningham Oct 28, 2004 Sarah died 8 days after writing this will. Her obit is in the archives: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/pike/obits/ob1192ford.txt Her husband outlived her and died in 1917. The way the will reads, Sarah is the owner of the town property and it is located somewhere close to the jail. But in an article found in an 1888 Pike County newspaper, this was written: "Old Ford Place, one of the most historical places in Pike county, which is located two miles south-east of Zebulon. In December, 1829, William Ford located there and every child of his, seven in number, were born there and he died there when eighty four years of age. The Ford place encompasses 155 acres of which 75 are cultivated and thereon are grown nearly everything in the cereal and vegetable kingdom. The old-fashioned home built fifty years ago is simple and inviting and is surrounded by a congregate of buildings large and small. There is the tannery with thirty three vats manufacturing upper, sole, the best of harness leathers which are shipped to Macon and utilized by the Ford harness factory at Zebulon. Then the store houses and the bark sheds, the stables, barns, grain and cotton houses attached, while the Ford home and tenant houses make a semi-village. Joseph W. Ford, the present proprietor was born in 1833 and he thinks be began to work when he was born and has worked ever since. He was only about six months at school yet he has been a diligent student and besides being a thoroughly practical tanner and currier he is a general leather manufacturer of a high order and a business man of ability with the highest elements of gentlemanhood combined. He comes form a leather race, as his father, grand-father and great-grand father were all tanners. The subject of this sketch has always been enterprising and has employed at one time fifteen men and always had the reputation of paying the highest wages given to his own detriment. Besides the tannery he manufactured shoes extensively, and his harnesses are reputed all over the country. His harness factory is now quite busy and if he has not accumulated wealth, it is owing to the fact that his public spirit has overshadowed his individual interest. Mr. Ford is one of the most genial of men and a citizen who is appreciated throughout several counties as a man whose friendship is an honor." 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