SCREVEN COUNTY, GA - WILLS Wilson C. Cooper Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Carole Drexel" http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007406 Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/screven.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF WILSON C. COOPER I, Wilson C. Cooper, of the County of Scriven and State of Georgia, being of sound and disposing mind, memory and discretion, and being about to enter the Confederate Army in defence (sic) of my country where my life will be necessarily exposed to all the dangers and hazards of war, deem it right and proper, both as respects my family and myself to make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all others heretofore made by me. 1. Item: I hereby constitute and appoint my beloved wife, Eliza Jane Cooper, executrix of this my last will and testament. 2. Item: I desire and direct that my executrix shall, in the event of my death, proceed, as soon as is practical, to sell either at public or private sale, or in any other manner to dispose of, as shall seem in her discretion to be best for my family and creditors, so much of my estate, either real or personal, or both, as shall be necessary to discharge all my just debts. 3. Item: I desire and direct that after my debts shall have been paid, the property of whatever kind remaining, shall be kept and managed by my executrix for the support of herself and our children, and for the education of the latter; and in order to accomplish these purposes, it is my will that she have power to sell, buy or exchange; to remove from place to place, or from State to State; and in short, that she shall have as full and entire control over all such property, as I would myself were I living. 4. Item: Whenever one of my children shall become of full age, or when one of my daughters shall marry, then it is my will that in each case all my estate shall be divided into as many equal shares as then shall be children living and my beloved wife counted with them, and one of these equal shares shall be placed in the hands of a trustee or trustees for the benefit of such daughter and her children should she have any, and shall not be subjected to the debts or liabilities of her husband nor be disposed of in any way by him. And should my wife marry again, she shall be entitled to a child’s part of the property, as in the case of the marriage of a daughter. And in that event, too, it is my desire that she turn over all the remaining property belonging to the children into the hands of the trustee or trustees. 5. Item: If it should be necessary to appoint a trustee as provided for in Item 4, above, I desire that my dear father- in-law, Francis B. Durant, now of the State of Texas, shall be appointed such trustee if living; and if he is not, then my brother-in-law, George W. Durant of the same State; and if he is not living, then my brother-in-law, James B. Durant also of the same State, if he is living; and in the event of none of these being in life, then the trustee or trustees to be appointed by the court of the county, having such power, wherever the property may be at the time. This is the twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and sixty four. Wilson C. Cooper L.L. Signed, sealed, declared, and published by Wilson C. Cooper as his last will and testament, in the presence of us, We the subscribers, who subscribed our names hereto, in the presence of said testator, (at his special instance and request) and in each others presence. Personally appeared in open court, William Cooper, who being duly sworn deposeth and saith, that on the Twentieth day of July in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and Sixty Four he saw Wilson C. Cooper, (whose name appears subscribed to the foregoing last Will and Testament) sign, seal, declare and publish the foregoing writing as his last Will and Testament, in the presence of this Deponant, Hiram S. Creech, Arabella Farr and Georgia A. Creech, all of whom together with this deponant, signed the same as witnesses thereunto, at the special instance and request of said Wilson C. Cooper, and in his presence and in the presence of each other. D. E. Roberts, Ordinary William Cooper Georgia, Scriven County Court of Ordanary (sic) of said County-July Term 1866 I do solemnly swear, that this writing contains the true last Will, of the within named Wilson C. Cooper, deceased, so far as I know is liking and that I will, well and truly execute the same, in accordance with the laws with the laws (sic) of this state, So help me God. Sworn to in open court Eliza Jane Cooper this 16th July 1866 D. E. Roberts, Ordanary (sic) This Last Will and Testament of Wilson C. Cooper was found in the Original Wills File at the Probate Court in Screven County, Georgia, and transcribed by Carole Farr Drexel, February 19, 2003. No part of this may be used for commercial profit or gain.