Alexander County, NC - Will of James Wilson Stafford, 1897 LAST WILL and TESTAMENT of JAMES WILSON STAFFORD In the name of God Amen! I, J.W. Stafford of the County of Alexander and State of North Carolina, do hereby make this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking any and all Wills by me heretofore made- 1st I direct my executors herein after named to pay any burial expenses and all my just debts and liabilities as soon as can conveniently be done after my decease, 2nd I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Mary Jane Stafford all my personal and real Estate to be hers during her widowhood or natural life, I further direct that at her death or marriage an equal division be made among my seven children- 3rd I hereby nominate, constitute, and appoint my said wife Mary J. Stafford, Executrix of this my last Will and Testament in Witness Whereof I have herein subscribed my name and affixed my seal – This the 2nd day of August 1897. his J.W. x Stafford (seal) mark Signed, Sealed, published and declared by the said testator J.W. Stafford as and for his Last Will and Testament in the presents of us who at his request and in his presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses - Attest J.J. Keller R.J. Teague North Carolina Superior Court- Alexander County Before J.B. Pool C.S.C. November 11, 1897 This day personally appeared before me J.B. Pool C.S.C. for Alexander County – Mary J. Stafford the wife of J.W. Stafford and presented a paperwriting purporting to be the Last Will and Testament of J.W. Stafford Dec'd-late of said County & the said paperwriting is proven to be the Last Will and Testament of J.W. Stafford Dec'd-by the oath & Examination of J.J. Keller and R.J. Teague the subscribing Witnesses thereto who being duly sworn by me depose and say and each for himself deposeth & saith that he is a subscribing witness to a paperwriting purporting to be the Last Will & Testament of J.W. Stafford Dec'd which is now shown them and bears date of August 2nd 1897. And that the said J. W. Stafford did sign & acknowledge the said paperwriting in the presence of these deponents declaring it to be his Last Will and Testament and therefore these deponents did sign their names at the end of said paperwriting as subscribing witnesses in the presence of and at the request of the said Testator and they further say that at the time the said J. W. Stafford signed the said paperwriting and acknowledged it was his Last Will & Testament and at the time these the deponents signed their names at the end thereof that the said J.W. Stafford was of sound & disposing mind and memory and of full age to make a Will & was under no restraint to the knowledge, information or belief of these Deponents and further these deponents saith not J.J. Keller Sworn & subscribed before me- R.J. Teague This November 11th 1897. J.B. Pool C.S.C. North Carolina In Superior Court. Alexander County Before J.B. Pool C.S.C. November 11th 1897 The foregoing paperwriting purporting to be the Last Will & Testament of J.W. Stafford of said County was this day offered for probate by Mary J. Stafford wife of J. W. Stafford Dec'd-and the due execution thereof was proven by the oath & Examination of J.J. Keller & R.J. Teague the Subscribing Witnesses thereto, who being sworn by me depose & say that they are the persons who signed their names to said Will and attesting Witnesses thereto, that the said J.W. Stafford declared in their presence that he signed and executed said paperwriting & that it was his Last Will & Testament whereupon these deponents signed their names at the end of said paperwriting as attesting witnesses in the presence of and at the request of the said J.W. Stafford and that at the time the said J.W. Stafford was of sound and disposing mind and memory, and of full age to make a will and was under no restraint to the Knowledge, Information or belief of these Deponents-Therefore let the Will & Certificate of Probate & this certificate be Recorded. J.B. Pool C.S.C. Submitter notes: Transcribed and typed and from a photocopy made by the Clerk of Superior Court in Alexander County, Taylorsville, NC from a “faded ink” copy of the original handwritten paper – page 372 and 373. A note from the clerk stated this was the best copy possible from the office copier. It was “dim” as the Clerk stated, but the submitter found it readable. James Wilson Stafford, aka J.Wilson Stafford, mostly used his middle name “Wilson”. He was the son of Alfred/Alford Franklin Stafford and Serena/ Cyrena/Irena Price Stafford. He was born 29 December 1856, married 01 October 1874 to Mary Jane Lael, daughter of Noah and Eliza Lael, in Alexander Co NC. James Wilson Stafford died 21 August 1897 and is buried in the Friendship Lutheran Church Cemetery in Taylorsville, Alexander Co NC. ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Suzzette Yandle - yandles2@charter.net ______________________________________________________________________