Upson COUNTY GA Wills - Thompson Graham File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by : "Billie Ford" http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/upson/wills/graham.txt Upson County, State of Georgia, Court of Ordinary Will, Book B, 1875-1915 Georgia, Upson County I, Thompson Graham, of said State and County, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, make this my last will and testament. Committing my soul to God, I desire and direct a Christian burial in Mount Zion Cemetary in Pike County, by the grave of my wife and a tomb over my grave like the tomb over her grave. Item 1: I direct my burial expenses and just debts first paid. Item 2: I have sold and transferred all my lands to Thos. B. Bethel for the consideration expressed in my deed, by his paying the incumberance thereon - and if from any cause there remains to me any title or interest therein at my death, I devise and bequeath to him the same Thos. B. Bethel my entire real estate absolutely in fee simple. Item 3: I give and bequeath to John Thos. Ford my lounge or single bed with mattress and bedding, my wardrobe, and my personal apparel, my shotgun and $100, one hundred dollars in money. Item 4: I give and bequeath to Robt. M. Ford my room bedsteads and mattress, with one quilt, one coverlet, and one sheet, also my black trunk. Item 5: I give and bequeath to Fannie Bethel my lady’s double case gold watch and chain, and to Graham Bethel my double case silver watch and chain, and to Thos. B. Bethel my gentleman’s double case gold watch and chain, my gold sleeve buttons, shirt buttons, and the rest of my personal jewelry. Item 6: I give and bequeath to J. A. Cotton my horse and buggy and harness. Item 7: I give and bequeath to Dora Bethel and her children, to be hers while she lives and to be disposed of by her as she desires during her life or at her death, all my parlor furniture and carpeting, my clock, all my silver ware and other wares, all my household and kitchen furniture, table cookery and utensils of all kinds, all my bedsteads, mattresses, beds, quilts, coverlets, bedding, and all my entire personal household effects not already specially named and disposed of. Item 8: I give and bequeath to Thos. B. Bethel all my right, title, and interest, to all the mules, horses, hogs, cattle, and stock of all kinds, farming tools and other kinds of tools and implements, all the produce and personal property that I may own or have an interest at my death to be his absolutely. Also my notes, accounts and choses in action with the promise that my burial expenses and the $100 to John T. Ford and my just debts and the expenses of administration be paid out of them. Item 9: The residue of my property both real and personal I have and own or that I may hereafter acquire, I give, devise, and bequeath to Thos. B. Bethel absolutely. Item 10: I nominate and appoint J. A. Cotton and Thos. B. Bethel as executors of this my will, with the power to sell any property, real or personal, at public or private sale without ord(er) of court or advertizement and make deed to same ny virtue of this item of my will - when in their discretion it should become necessary to do so in the execution of my will. Item 11: No bond shall ever be required of my executors and no appraisement had or made of my estate unless my executors deemed it, But the probate and record of this will shall be sufficient for settlement with my legatees, and upon the receipts of John T. Ford and Robt. M. Ford and Dora Bethel being made for their legacies to my executors and such receipts recorded in the Court of Ordinary, my executors shall be discharged on their application, or either of them may be so discharged. But the legacies of a watch each to Fannie Bethel and Graham Bethel shall be held by Thos. B. Bethel for them, till they are of such age as he may deem fit to give the same over to them. This 2nd day of Feb’y 1883. Witness my Hand and Seal (Thompson Graham) Signed, declared and published by Thompson Graham as his last will and testament in the presence of us the Subscribers, who subscribe our names hereto in the presence of the testator, at his instance and request - and in the presence of each other, he signing in our presence and we signing in his presence. J. E. F. Matthews E. B. Thompson Geo. W. McKinney John C. Fox Georgia, Upson County To J. C. Williams, Ordinary for said County. The petitions of J. A. Cotton and T. B. Bethel show that Thompson Graham, late of said County, departed this life on the 25th day of April 1887 after having made his last will and testament, wherein your petitioners are nominated the executors. Your petitioners produce said will in Court and pray that the same may be admitted to record upon the proof thereof in common form, and that letters of Testamentary issue to said J. A. Cotton and T. B. Bethel, petitioners or either of them in terms of the law. J. A. Cotton T. B. Bethel, Petitioners Georgia, Upson County We, E. B. Thompson, John C. Fox, and J. E. F. Matthews, do swear that we as well as Geo. W. McKinney saw the within named Thompson Graham sign and publish the within paper as his last will and testament, that we subscribe the same as witness thereto at the special instance and request of the said Thompson Graham and in his presence, as did also Geo. W. McKinney, that the said Thompson Graham signed the same freely and voluntarily, and was at the time of such signing of sound and disposing mind and memory. Sworn to an Subscribed before me this 2nd day of May 1887, J. C. Williams, Ordinary J. E. F. Matthews John C. Fox E. B. Thompson Upson Court of Ordinary, May Term 1887 Upon the foregoing affidavit of J. E. F. Matthews, John C. Fox, and E. B. Thompson, Subscribing witnesses to the within will of Thompson Graham, deceased, it is ordered by the Court that said will be admitted to record as satifactorily proven in common form, and it is further ordered that letters testamentary issue to J. A. Cotton and T. B. Bethel, the executors named in said will or either of them, upon their taking and subscribing the oath required by law. This May 2nd, 1887, J. C. Williams, Ordinary Georgia, Upson County I, T. B. Bethel, do solemly swear that this writing contains the true last will of the within named Thompson Graham, deceased, so far as I know or believe and that I will well and truly execute the same in accordance with the laws of this State, So help me God. T. B. Bethel Sworn to and subscribed before me this 2nd day of May 1887. J. C. Williams, Ordinary The will of Thompson Graham, (died 4/25/1887, Upson County, Georgia) was obtained from the Georgia State Archives on 8/630/1999. Upson County Ordinary Court Will Book B, 1875-1915, page #72-75, DR 147, Box 53 Notes: Identification of legatees and witnesses Thomas B. Bethel is Thompson’s nephew. He is the son of Benjamin Bethel and Eliza M. (Whitaker) Bethel. Eliza is the sister of Thompson’s wife, the former Frances R. Whitaker. Dora Bethel is Nancy Eldora “Dora” (Parker) Bethel, wife of Thomas B. Bethel. Fannie Bethel and Graham Bethel are the children of Thomas B. Bethel and Nancy Eldora (Parker) Bethel. John Thos. Ford is Thompson’s nephew. He is the son of Richard A. Ford and Martha (Graham) Ford. Martha is Thompson’s sister. Robt. M. Ford is Thompson’s nephew. He is the son of Richard A. Ford and Martha (Graham) Ford. Martha is Thompson’s sister. J. A. Cotton is a nephew of Thompson’s wife, Frances, and served in the same company as the Ford brothers during the Civil War. ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============