Madison County MsArchives Wills.....Ward, Rachel K. October 15, 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: Dorothy Winters dorothymwinters@charter.net August 25, 2008, 2:34 pm Source: Copy Of Original Written: October 15, 1857 Recorded: December 1857 Rachel K. Ward Will Sharon, Madison Co. Mississippi, Oct. 15, 1857 In view of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, I, Rachel K. Ward of the town of Sharon, County and State aforesaid, being of sound mind and disposing memory do make this my last will & testament. Item 1st. It is my will & desire that all my property be sold according to law, said property being composed 1st of all my household & kitchen furniture; 2nd two milch cows; 3rd my house & lot of land containing twenty one acres more or less lying & being situate in the town, county and State aforesaid and bounded as follows, viz: North by the lands of K. Divine, E. by the land of the Sharon Female College, S. by a public street and W. by the land of G. M. Rogers and K. Divine; 4th three Negro slaves, viz: Mary aged about thirty-five years, her son Steny, aged about twelve & her daughter Rachel aged about ten years. [DMW note: Another person has interpreted Mary’s age to be about “twenty-five” years. It appears to me that an “I” has been dotted in the word.] Item 2nd. When the money is collected for the sale of the property as described in Item 1st, after paying all my liabilities, I wish it, the money, to be divided amongst my children and grandchildren as hereinafter directed. Item 3rd. To my son John K. Ward I will & bequeath five dollars. To my son Moses C. Ward I will & bequeath five dollars. To my son Jesse B. Ward I will & bequeath five dollars; to my son Thomas M. Ward I will and bequeath five dollars; to my daughter Ann D. Sullivan I will & bequeath five dollars; to my daughter Harriet P. Thomas I will & bequeath five dollars. After these bequests are deducted, I will and desire that the remainder of the monies as described in Item 2nd shall be equally divided between my son Charles B. Ward, my daughter Letitia K. Hurst subject to the directions hereafter given. Item 4th. It is my will and desire that my daughter Letitia K. Hurst should receive her portion of the aforesaid money in fee simple to use as she may desire best living or dying. [DMW note: the spelling of Letitia’s name appears to be “Lienticia.”] Item 5th. It is my will and desire, as my son Charles B. Ward is at this time non compos mentis, that my son Thomas M. Ward should be come his legal guardian and take charge of his portion of the money as bequeathed to him in Item 3rd and control it as he may deem best for the interest of my son Charles B. Ward, and should the said Charles B. Ward ever by restored in the Providence of God to soundness of mind and should remain uninterruptedly for the space of three successive years, then in that event it is my will and desire that he be placed in personal possession of the aforesaid bequest as found in Item 3rd or any part thereof that may be found in the hands of his guardian in fee simple to use as he may deem best living or dying. But, should he remain non compos mentis and die without a bodily heir, then in that event, it is my will and desire that the money as bequeathed to him in Item 3rd or any part thereof as found in the hands of his guardian shall be equally divided between my four following granddaughters or their bodily heirs, viz: Ann Eliza Lusk, Mary Ellen Hurst, Mary Elizabeth Rachel Thomas and Rachel Kidd Ward. Item 6th. It is my will and desire that my son Thomas M. Ward and my son-in-law William P. Anderson should act as Executors of this my last will and testament. Signed and attested in presence of S. F. Gard, E. F. Divine, H. H. Montgomery. [Her signature] Rachel K. Ward The State of Mississippi Probate Court December Term 1857, Madison County. This day was presented in open court a certain instrument in writing purporting to be the last Will and testament of Rachel K. Ward, Des. and therefore also was produced in open court Saul F. Gard, E. F. Divine, and H. H. Montgomery, the interceding witnesses thereto who by each duly sworn did declare and say that they were present and saw the testatrix sign seal publish and declare said instrument to be her last will and testament; and that they each as attesting witnesses signed the same in the presence and at the request of said testatrix and in the presence of each other on the day and year therein specified and that at the time of the signing sealing and publication of said last will and testament that the testatrix was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and more than twenty-one years of age. It is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed that said instrument be and the same is hereby established as the true original and last will and testament of said deceased and that the same be recorded and filed in this County. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ms/madison/wills/ward109gwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/msfiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb