Madison-Yazoo-Bolivar County MsArchives Wills.....Balfour, William Lovett April 17, 1857 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ms/msfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nicka Sewell webmaster@atlasfamily.org May 21, 2008, 1:29 pm Source: East Carroll Parish Clerk Of Court - 10th Judicial District Of Louisiana Written: April 17, 1857 Recorded: June 3, 1857 Succession Record, Book I, 1857 – 1859, Page 1, William L. Balfour To the honorable the judge of the Tenth Judicial District Court of the State of Louisiana in for the Parish of Carroll; The petition of Horace G. Blackburn *Should be Blackman* and John W. Balfour who reide in the county of Madison in the State of Mississippi with respect shows that Dr. William L. Balfour who resided in the said county of Madison in the State of Mississippi departed this life on or about the 8th of May 1857 in the said county of Madison. That on the 17th of April 1857, he made and published his last will and codicil thereto were duly proved probated and ordered to be executed by the Probate Court of the County of Madison of the state of Mississippi all of which will more fully appear by the certified transcript hereto annexed made a part of this petition marked “A”. Your petitioners show that part of the succession of the said William L. Balfour consisting of a plantation and Negroes, mules, horses and other property is situated in the parish of Carroll, the state of Louisiana, which it is millpoing? To administer under the provisions of the said will under the provisions conferred upon your petitioners as the executors thereof, wherefore your petitioners pray that the said will probated as aforesaid may be ordered to be recorded and executed: That an inventory may be ordered to be taken of the property situated in this state and that your petitioners have letter testamentary issued to them for general relief – Short and Parham, Attnys for Ptr State of Louisiana, Parish of Carroll Upon consideration of the foregoing petition and the transcript thereto annexed it is ordered that the will of the late William L. Balfour be recorded and execute. That the said Horace G. Blackman and John W. Balfour be confirmed as executors of said will and that letters testamentary issue to them upon their giving bond and security conditioned according to the law. It is further ordered that Sanders D. Oliver, Recorder and Ex-Officio Notary Public be appointed to take an inventory of the said succession lying in said parish of Carroll and to return the same to the clerk of said Tenth District Court. Red and signed this 3rd day of June 1857. PW DeFranjce Clk The last will and testament of the William L. Balfour of the county of Madison and the State of Mississippi – First – I direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses may be paid by my executors hereinafter mentioned: Second – I will and direct that all the meat, meal, flour, corn and their provisions of every kind which shall be on my several plantations at the time of my deceased shall be appropriated to the use of the respective plantations and that the same shall not be inventoried by my executors or any account taken of it in settlement of my estate Third – I will and direct that my plantation in Madison County Mississippi on which I reside and my plantation in Yazoo County Mississippi and Carroll Parish Louisiana shall be carried on my executors until my youngest son Horace B. Balfour shall reach the age of twenty one years and the proceeds of these places after defraying the necessary expenses thereof shall be applied to the maintenance and education of my four sons vig: James, Joseph, Louis and Horace or so much thereof as may be necessary until they severally reach the age of twenty one years and when each one reaches his majority. I will and direct my executors the survivors or survivor of them to pay to him fifteen thousand dollars in cash and twenty first rate Negroes, ten males and ten females all of whom shall be efficient hands. Fourth – I will and bequeath unto my sister Eliza the sum of five hundred dollars per annum until my son Horace arrives at the age of twenty one years and then my executor are to pay her a sum of money which with the amounts already paid her will make the sum five thousand dollars. Fifth – I will and devise unto my brother Charles all my interest in a tract of land in Sunflower County in the state of Mississippi which is now owned jointly by us in the proportion of two thirds to me and one third to him. Sixth – I will and direct that my four sons above named shall have their homes at my daughter Mrs. Mary Blackman, until they attain their majority. I hereby direct my executors to deliver to my said daughter any two of my slaves that may selected to be held and possessed by her without hire or charge of any sort until my son Horace arrives at the age of twenty one years. Seventh – I will and bequeath my gold watch to y son Horace and will and direct my executors to purchase one for each son Louis and Joe, above named. Eighth – I will and bequeath my portraits and other pictures to my daughter Mrs. Mary Blackman. Ninth – I will and direct my executors to pay my son Louis the sum of three thousand dollars when my son Horace attains his majority this is intended to cover and be in lien of the thousand dollars which my mother in law and directed me to hold and pay to Louis. Tenth – I will and bequeath to my son Horace a like sum of three thousand dollars when he reaches his majority in addition to the bequeath mentioned in 3rd article. Eleventh – It is my desire that year a plantation shall be commenced on my land in Bolivar County and I hereby direct my executors to in their discretion and good policy and direct that for this purpose some of the Negroes be taken from Madison and Yazoo Counties. Twelfth – I will and direct my executors invest any of the proceeds of my plantations as they may deem judicious and wise and calculated to advance the purpose of this will and to also empower them to sell and dispose of any property by me owned not specifically devised for the purpose of carrying out the bequeaths herein contained or direction herein given. Thirteenth – I will and direct that after the payment of the above mentioned legacies and the performance of the above directions and when my son Horace has reached the age twenty one years that then my executors or the survivors or survivor of then shall divide all the rest and residue of my property real and personal equally amongst all my children namely: Mary Blackman, William S., John W. Charles R., James R., Joseph D., Louis G. and Horace B.. Fourteenth – If my son Horace B. shall die before he reaches his majority then it is my will that the legacies bequeath and directions made contingent upon his arriving at the age of manhood shall be all paid discharged and performed when the youngest of my youngest son should attain that age. Fifteenth – I will and bequeath my excellent friend Mrs. Emma Balfour wife of Dr. WT Balfour of Vicksburg as a mark of my affectionate appreciation of her the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid by my executors without unnecessary delay. Sixteenth – If my daughter Mr. and Dr. Blackman shall prefer to occupy my residence then I will and direct that they shall have the house Garden and Stables and free of any costs or charge whatever until the general distribution as herein provided for shall be made. Seventeenth – As my grown children during their minority and allowance of pocket money, I desire that my minor children have a like indulgence. I direct therefore my executors to allow each of them a sum not exceeding three hundred dollars which their receipt individually to them is a sufficient voucher. Eighteenth – I bequeath my old carriage horses called the William Balfour Carriage Horses to my sister Eliza. Lastly, I do hereby nominate and approve my son in law Horace G. Blackman, my son William and John executors of this my last will and testament in witness thereof. I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of April AD, Eighteen Hundred and Fifty Seven. William L. Balfour –Seal- Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said William L. Balfour as for his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence of each other have hereunto set and subscribe our names as witness hereto this 17th day of April AD 1857. E. Mason, J. Roach, WH Lake. Codicil of William L. Balfour Will Whereas I William L. Balfour of County of Madison and the state of Mississippi have made and duly executed my last will and testament in writing bearing date 17th day of April 1857. Now I do hereby declare this present writing to has a codicil to my last will and direct the same to be annexed thereto and taken as a front thereof whereas I have heretofore given to my children that have attained their majority certain property some real and some personal to which I have made them no other title than that of more alleging possession. Now I hereby confision? to my daughter Mary Blackman all that property of the giving tract of land situated in Yazoo County near Kibbley’s Ferry on Big Black and lying south or west of the road leading from said Ferry to Satartia? And now consisting of a part of the “hope on” plantation recently sold by my son in law to Henry Allen, this bind I have given to my said daughter and she and her husband Dr. Blackman put in possession of the same. I also devise to Dr. HG Blackman my son in law a thousand acres of land or thereabouts which he bought of me in the year 1844 or 1845 formerly a part of the Gobsey tract and lying west of the road heading from Kibbley’s Ferry on Big Black to Yazoo City and north of the road heading from the same Ferry to Satartia? The said land was paid for by Dr. Blackman and never conveyed to him – I also devise to my daughter Mary all that tract of land in Madison County known as Sherwood Place now occupied by Dr. Blackman and adjoining my Homestead. I also give and devise to my sons John and Charles the place respectively on which they at present reside in Madison County and to my daughter Mary and my sons William, John and Charles the personal property that I have heretofore put them in possession of and intended as a gift to them. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 30th day of April in the year of our Lord 1857. WL Balfour – Seal- Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said WL Balfour as and for a codicil to his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto set and subscribe our names as witnesses hereto this 30th day of April AD 1857. WA Lake, J. Roach, John Willis. Additional Comments: Please see - http://www.sankofagen.com/Louisiana and http://www.sankofagen.com/Mississippi and look for plantations with the last name Balfour File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ms/madison/wills/balfour97gwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/msfiles/ File size: 11.3 Kb