Will of William Gattis - Aug 1854

In the name of God Amen

        I William Gattis Senr. of the County of Orange
and State of North Carolina being of sound mind
and desposing[sic] memory but considering the uncertainty
of life and the certainty of death do make and
publish this my last will and Testament in Manner
and form as follows.

    First I Commend my soul to God who
gave it and my body I direct shall be decen
~tly buried ~~

    Touching my worldly estate which God
in his goodness has been pleased to bestow upon me
I desire after paying all my Just debts shall
be desposed of as follows

Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth
Gattis during her lifetime or widowhood all the residue
of my estate after paying my Debts both real and
personal And at her Death If My Daughters Frances
& Martha should be here single and shall need
a home they with My Youngest daughter Eliza
beth Jane shall have the plantation on which
I now live for a home and My Daughter
Elizabeth Jane shall have a support off of the
same during her lifetime and at her death
said Plantation to be sold and the proceeds equally
divided between all my Children after those of my Children
shall bring in the amount given to each of them
on their leaving me or since they arrived at full age

    Lastly I nominate and appoint my wife
Elizabeth Gattis and my son John W Gattis My Executors
to this my last will and testament believing they will carry
out the same according to my wishes
Signed & sealed in our presence who witness the    William Gaddis (seal)
same at the request of the Testator
John W. Carr  Jurat
Alex. Gattis  Jurat

[Will Book Volume G, page 55]
In the name of God Amen

    I William Gattis Senr. of the County of
Orange and State of North Carolina being of
Sound mind and disposing memory but
considering the uncertainty of life and the [x-out]
certainty of death do make and publish this
my last Will and Testament in manner
and form following

First I Commend my Soul to God who
gave it & my body I direct shall be
decently buried

Touching my worldly estate which God in his
Goodness has been Pleased to be stow upon
me I desire after paying all my Just debts
shall be disposed of as follows

Item I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth
Gattis during her lifetime or widow hood all
the residue of my Estate after paying my debts
both real and personal and at her death
if My Daughter[s] Frances & Martha should be
here single and shall need a home they with
[x-out] My Youngest daughter Elizabeth Jane
shall have the plantation on which I now
live for a home and My Daughter Elizabeth
Jane shall have a support off [of] the same during
her lifetime and at her death said plantation
to be sold and the proceeds equally divided
between all my children after those of my
Children shall bring in the amount given
to each of them on their leaving me or since
they arrived at full age

Lastly I nominate and appoint
my wife Elizabeth Gattis and my Son John
W Gattis my Executors to this my last Will and
Testament believing they will carry out the same
according to my Wishes
                                 William Gaddis (seal)
Signed & sealed in our presence }
who witnessed the same at the request of the Testator }
John W. Carr
Alexander Gattis

[Will Book Volume G, page 56]
Orange County Court August Term 1854
The Execution of the foregoing alt Will and
Testament of William Gattis Senr decd. was
duly proved in oppen[sic] Court by the oaths of
John W. Carr and Alexander Gattis The
Subscribing Witnesses thereto and ordered
to be recorded and filed and at the
Same time John W. Gattis one of the Executors
therein named appeared in Open Court and
duly qualified as such by taking the oath
required by law
                Test    Geo. Laws CCC

Additional Comments:
Will Book Volume G, pages 55-56
proved Aug 1854

Original will bears no date

Estate Papers comprise nine pages and are found in a folder labeled "Gattis, William (1854)". Inventory of 16 Oct 1854 includes accounting of Notes, Bonds, stock and furniture.  No slaves listed. The stipulations in the will are that the estate should be sold after the testator's wife dies or marries.  The estate sale was held 21 Oct 1872, so any slaves would have been already emancipated. Final settlement was 26 Oct 1874 and includes a line item for Elizabeth's funeral (42.50)

Distributees include:
Mary A McCauley            52.64
Fanny E. Gattis            52.64
Artilda A Poe              13.16
Rosa A Gattis              13.16
Samuel Gattis              13.16
Effa Gattis                13.16
John W. Gattis             52.64
James R Gattis             52.64
William A Gattis           52.64
Thomas J Gattis            52.64