Will of Mercer Wadlington State of Mississippi, Madison County. I Mercer Wadlington of the state and county aforesaid considering the uncertainty of life and being of sound mind and disposing memory do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following, to wit... First I will that all my just debts shall be paid out of my estate __ also share of my executors disposing of such property thereupon __ may think most expedient. If my widow Polly Wadlington after my decease should wish to remove from my present dwelling my will is that my executors cause a comfortable and __ log house is to be built on an eighth of land which I purchased of Moses Cook [?] and all other necessary buildings for the use of my said widow and family as they may require. I also set apart for the use of said widow and family eighty acres of land which I purchased of William Stout, likewise twenty acres of the __ __ of the west half of the north east quarter of Section thirty __ in Township nine of Range one west so soon as said buildings are prepared my will is that my executors and heirs then of age shall set apart for the use of said widow and family such negroes, stock, household and kitchen furniture all they may deem necessary for __ their use so long as she remain my widow. My executors are hereby requested to furnish out of my estate all reasonable expenses which may be necessary for a comfortable living for my said widow and family including schooling. It is also my will that my executors call on the following named persons and in each year to examine the situation of my estate and give their advice respecting the same, viz. John Goosy, William N. Haslip, William N. Collins, Mark Cook, and William Wilson if it should be the opinion of the majority of the said last mentioned neighbors and executors by their filling a certificate with the executors that it is imprudent to sell all or any part of my land excepting what is heretofore reserved for the use of my widow and family likewise all or part any part of my negroes excepting those hereafter mentioned and those set apart for the use of my family. Also __ and every other property belonging to my estate not otherwise disposed of them in that case it shall be the duty of my executors to sell said property or any part thereof to the most advantage and the __ thereof where realized in each shall be __ an interest in the most safe and profitable way till a general settlement of my estate shall take place reserving from time to time sufficient in and for paying all legacies as they may __ all and also for the support of the family and if a sale is not necessary my executors will manage my farm, hands to the best advantage for the interest of the heirs taking care the slaves are treated in a humane and proper manner and the farm and stock well taken care of. Should it so happen that my said wife should marry and become the wife of another man after my decease that being the situation my will is that she shall receive out of my estate one negro woman, one horse saddle and bridle, one __ bed and furniture and two cows and calves which are to belong to her during her natural life but __ that said property to become part of my estate again. I __ __ __ to my daughter Cinitha Garner deceased former ___ ___ ___ ___ quarter of section then ____ . . . ...in township nine of range one west excepting two acres being as follows beginning at the half mile station on the section __ divides Section thirty four and thirty five then running south ____ poles to a stake thence west one hundred and sixty poles to a ____ thence north two poles to a stake, thence one hundred and ____ poles to the place of beginning, and as a compensation for said two acres of land I have given to the said Thomas H. Garner two ___ acres of land being as follows beginning at the south ___ corner of Section thirty four in Township nine of Range ____ ____ then running north with the section line to a creek called ___ to a stake thence to a stake so as to include two acres the __ to the beginning. I have also given to said Guither Barn__ one negro woman, one horse, saddle and bridle worth one hundred and twenty dollars, two good feather beds and furniture and two cows and calves. I have heretofore given to my daughter Cinitha Garner, wife of Charles G. Garner and my daughter Maris Wadlington wife of Felix G. Wadlington each a sum about equal and given to the said Cinitha Garner ____ . I give and bequeath to my son Irvin C. Wadlington one negro boy named Anthony, and one bed and furniture worth fifty dollars, two cows and calves, and one hundred dollars in cash. I give and bequeath to my son ___ M. Wadlington one negro boy named Winston, one horse, saddle and bridle worth one hundred and fifty dollars and two cows and calves and four hundred dollars in cash. I give and bequeath to my son John F. Wadlington four hundred dollars in cash. I give and bequeath to my son William P. Wadlington one negro boy named Henry, one horse, saddle and bridle worth one hundred and fifty dollars, one bed and furniture worth fifty dollars, two cows and calves and four hundred dollars in cash. I give and bequeath to my son Walter [or Wallace] H. Wadlington one negro boy named Jack __ fifteen years of age, one horse, saddle and bridle worth one hundred fifty dollars, one bed and furniture worth fifty dollars, two cows and calves and four hundred dollars in cash. I give and bequeath to my son Cordell N. Wadlington one negro boy named Alfred, one horse, saddle and bridle worth one hundred fifty dollars, one bed and furniture worth fifty dollars, two cows and calves and four hundred dollars in cash. The above named property given I wish them to receive respectfully as each of them shall become __ or should any of them marry whichever. I will it that __ they should also receive said property and one year after my death__ __ as each are entitled to the said property as above stated. My will that they shall each receive the said sum of four hundred dollars as such. I also give and bequeath to my minor daughters __ may __ become of age the following named negros to wit to daughter Mary one negro girl named Nancy [?]. To my daughter Eliza one negro girl named ___. To my __ __ __ __ __ Catto __ __ __. [A negro] girl named Sarah to my daughter Margaret and a [negro girl ] named Amy. Should any of the above named negroes are __ by accident or otherwise I will that my beneficiary should __ equal out of my estate. I give and bequeath to the __ infant daughters each of them one feather bed and furniture __ fifty dollars and two cows and calves or the value of thereof [at the direction] of my executors. My will is that should it be the __ of my executors together with those named as their advisors __ there could be any danger that my estate would not be __ to __ the aforementioned legacies then in each case they __ proportionately each one share as he or she may be __ receive it so those who may afterwards be entitled may share equal proportions to those who have been __ before them. I will that when my youngest child shall become of lawful age then at that time my five youngest daughters Elizabeth Ann, Nancy, Catherine and Margaret, shall each have two hundred and fifty dollars to what has been mentioned above. And at that time I will that all the [rest] of my estate shall be equally divided amongst all my __ all my sons and all my daughters and likewise [my] grand children May, Lewis and Thomas Garner which children are to share the amount of what would have been their mother Cinitha Garner had she been living and I do appoint my said wife Polly Wadlingham executrix and __ __ W. Wadlingham and William Pack executors of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the eleventh day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two. Signed sealed and delivered by the above named Mercer Wadlington as his last will and testament in the presence of us who __ unto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of testator. /s/ Mercer Wadlington The following __ were made before signing. The word dollars left out on the seventh line from the top of ___ fifth. Also the word child on the seventeenth line and the word __ on the twenty second line on the same page. Witnesses P.C. Goosey, Charles H. Veeder [?], John B. Williams ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Tony Abruscato ====================================================================