Will :Jesse Oates, 1831, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky

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Submitted by: Rick Giirtman rickman@worldpath.net
Date: March 24, 2001
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Source: Muhlenberg County Will Book 3, page 10


In the name of God Amen. I, Jesse Oates, of the County of Muhlenberg &
Commonwealth of Kentucky. Believing it my duty While in my proper mind to
dispose of my worldly goods wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with.
Not knowing how soon I may be called from this world. My wish is to make an
equitable division of my property among my children & my beloved wife. I
therefore proceed to give & dispose of the same in the following Manner.
To wit:

First. I give & bequeath to my beloved Wife Zilpha the following slaves. To
Wit. Olive, Press, John, Hardy & two old slaves, James & Becky. During her
natural life. My will is that my beloved wife have the use of my farm
whereon I live together with my Oxen & cart waggon & geer & a sufficient
number of horses to Cultivate the farm. And also so much stock of every
description as my Executors may think necessary for the comfort &
maintenance of my Family until my son Charles C. Oates arives to the age of
Twenty One.

I give and bequeath to my son Mathew Oates Two hundred & Seventy five acres
of land including(?) **ails, Cabbin & the Lick lying in two surveys, twenty
five acres of which was patented to V. L. Dillingham & the ballance in my
own Name. And whereas I have purchased ninety acres of land from William
Roark & have executed my note for the payment. My will & desire is that said
Roark make the conveyance to my said son Matthew. I also give & bequeath to
my said son Matthew two slaves. To wit: Peter & Mahalia. To him & his Heirs
for ever. It is also my will that my Executors furnish my said Son with a
good horse Creature out of my Stock with a decent Bridle & Saddle & one
feather bed & furniture. To him & his Heirs forever.

I give & bequeath to my Son Oliver H. Oates a tract of land containing Six
hundred acres lying on Thompson Creek. Being the tract conveyed to me by
David Campbell. To him & his Heirs forever. And some doubts being
apprehended as to the title of said land and should it be taken from him by
prior claim, my Will is that my Executors pay him Four Hundred dollars out
of my estate. I also give him the following slaves. To wit: Jacob, Fanney &
William. To him & his Heirs forever. And that my Executors furnish him with
a good horse beast, a decent Saddle & bridle & a feather bed and furniture
out of my estate.

I give and bequeath to my son Wyatt Oates the following lands. To wit: four
hundred acres deeded to me by J. Cravens called & known as by the Cravens
place. Together with a part of the Surveys I live on Beginning at Cravens
N. E. Corner. Running Northwardly across to the fence by the dich to the
Main Road. Thence west with the Road binding on my son Richards line,
including all my land on the South of the Main Road, & to the Beginning. I
also give him the following slaves. To wit: Daniel, Everitt & Sarah. To him
& his Heirs forever. And I desire My Executors to furnish him with a good
horse beast, a decent Saddle & bridle & a feather bed & furniture out of my
estate.

I give & bequeath to my son Richard M. Oates a tract of land containing Two
hundred acres on which he now lives. Called & known by the name of the John
Grissom place. An Twenty acres out of Lucy Parkers survey adjoining together
with a part of the Survey on which I live. Beginning at a large White Oak
Stump in the Road. Thence Running N88 W to the back line of the Harris
Survey thence with said line West to the corner. Thence South with a line
thereof to the corner. Thence to the N. E. corner of the Lucy Parker Survey.
Thence down the branch with a line of the Same to a Small branch a short
distance above the Ford(?) leading from said Richards to Dearing's place.
Thence my said branch to Cravens line. And with said line North to the
Corner. Thence N88, E to a Small branch, thence down the branch with the
meander(?) thereof to a line of Marked trees to the Beginning. Containing by
estimate One hundred acres. I also give him a Negro woman Slave by the name
of Charlotte & her two children & one feather bed & furniture to him & his
Heirs forever.

I give & bequeath to my Son Charles C. Oates the ballance or Remainder of
all the Surveys on which I live including the house *** for the use of my
beloved wife & family untill my said Son arrives to the age of Twenty One
years. Together with one hundred acres that has been surveyed in name but
not yet patented, adjoining the Cravens Survey on Thompson Creek. And my
will is that my beloved Wife enjoy the Same benefit of the farm after my
said Son arrives to the age of Twenty One during her life time or widowhood
that she now does. And I furthermore give to my son Charles the following
Slaves. To wit: Bayles, Riley & Ally. To him & his Heirs forever. And I
desire my executors to furnish him with a good horse Creature, a decent
Saddle & Bridle & feather bed & furniture out of my estate.

I give & bequeath to my son John M. Oates the tract of land on which he now
lives as conveyed to him by Jethro Oates. Also the tract of land I purchased
of Jesse Case(?) adjoining, a negro boy called Waitman, in addition to what
property I have heretofore given him. To him & his Heirs forever.

Whereas I have heretofore given to my Daughter Rachel Boggess Sundry species
of property but not enough to make her part equal to the rest of my Children
and being desirous to do so, I have thought it advisable to give her my
Slave Bristo, provided he is humanely treated. Otherwise it is my will that
my Executors (who are to judge of his treatment) shall sell him at private
sale for the best price they can get & pay the proceeds thereof to my said
Daughter or her Heirs.

And having heretofore given to my Daughter Betsey Dillingham now in her
possession. I now give & bequeath to her in addition thereto, my negro woman
Polly to her & her Heirs forever.

I give & bequeath to my Daughter Zilpha Oates three slaves. to wit: Nihor(?)
, Isaac, & Bobb, one Chest of Drawers, one feather bed & furniture. To her
& her Heirs forever. And I desire my Executors to furnish her with a horse
Saddle & Bridle when convenient out of my estate.

I give & bequeath to my Daughter Harriet Clough(?) three slaves. To wit:
Peggy, Esther, & Jackson, one feather bed & furniture. To her & her Heirs
forever. And I Request my Executors, when convenient, to furnish her with a
horse saddle & bridle out of my estate.

Whereas I have heretofore given to my Daughter Nancy Campbell a proportion
of property nearly equal to the Rest of my Children, but from her destitute
Situation I feell it my duty to make some provision for her Orphan sons. I
therefore Request my Executors when they can find it convenient between my
death & their arriving to the age of Twenty One years to pay to my Grand
sons John Campbell & William Campbell one hundred & fifty dollars each out
of my estate.

It is my will & desire that all my hands be kept on the farm for the season
until my crop be secured for the benefit of my wife & family.

And it is also my desire that all the property remaining on the farm that
will not be necessary the use of the family be sold on a credit by my
Executors & pay my just debts. With the ballance placed at interest for the
education of my youngest children.

And it is my will that when my son Charles comes of age that all the
Remainder of my estate not herein bequeathed, saving what may be necessary
for the benefit of my wife. Allowing her a decent genteel support sold
then(?) sold & equally divided among all my children except for(?) my sons
Jethro, William & David, believing that I have given them sufficiently
heretofore.

And it is my will & desire that my beloved wife dispose of the property
hereby bequeathed to her in such manner as she may think proper at her
death.

I now nominate & appoint my beloved wife Zilpha, Richard M. Oates, Vachel(?)
L. (or D.?) Dillingham Executors of this my last will & Testament. Hereby
requesting them to consult with my friends J**** Weir & Charles F. Wing in
all important cases arising un*** this will, as I wish their concurrence in
all the acts *** said Executors. I hereby revoke all former wills *** me
madeand declare this to be my last Will a** Testament. Witness my hand &
seal this 15th day of April 1831
                                             Jesse Oates -seal
Teste.
Ezias M. (or W.?) Earle
Robert Williams
Ch. F. Wing

Muhlenberg County
September County Court 1831
The foregoing last will & testament of Jesse Oates deceased was exhibited in
to court & proven to be the act & deed of the said Jesse by the Oaths of
Ezias W. Earle, Robert Williams and Charles F. Wing, subscribing witnesses
thereto & ordered to be recorded.
                                            Att. Ch. F. W i n g, Clk