Will of Zebulon Rudulph, Sr. Lowndes, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/lowndes/wills/willbookb/zrudulph-sr.txt ==================================================================== USGENWEB PROJECT 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file is copyrighted and contributed by: Carolyn Golowka ==================================================================== September 2004 Will of Zebulon Rudulph, Senior Lowndes County, Alabama Will Book B, pages 318 – 321 In the kind and wise providence of God, I have been spared to see my children except one (my third) live to years of discre5tion and all in the most pleasing cordiality and in as prosperous circumstances as could be expected under the imperfect teaching that could be supplied to them by myself and beloved wife. We thank God for the grace, which He condescended to us, and the success resulting there from. Having both of us passed four score years of age and having withstood trials common to humanity, been blessed by the teachings of the Gospel for nearly 48 years and no trust having had our hearts opened to profit by those teachings, we were helped of the Lord to sey our children and some of our grand children make a hopeful profession of the faith in Christ our blessed Redeemer, which all ought to strive for and attain; and we most earnestly pray the Lord in mercy to grant. Having recently had an eldest son, Zebulon Rudulph, Jr., called from us with whom he had been an innate and a counselor and help for 18 years with his only son reared by his beloved sister, E. Y. Peay, under our united tender regard, I had from time to time made and remade a last will and testament and always with satisfaction to my entire family as had reason to believe and especially one in 1853 with the concurrence and advice of my sons, Zebulon, John and Burwell Boykin. Since when I have divided among my grand children and their natural guardians an aggregate of twelve thousand dollars ($12,000), having given to my children as equally as I though was a suitable amount of property to be a start for them, Zebulon and Eliza voluntarily declining to accept as much as the others and relinquishing on account of the larger families of their brothers and sisters. On the 21st January last having sold to Burwell B. Russell the plantation and the bulk of my estate with some special reservations for the sum of thirty three thousand dollars – payable in installments as named in Notes, which notes are secured by mortgage; which notes, when paid in I trust with the residue of my estate, will sustain my beloved wife, Abigail Rudulph and my beloved daughter Eliza Peay and enable them to be comfortable and ultimately beneficial to our grand children in such proportions as they may think right. Having promised the foregoing I now desire make the following my last will and testament in manner and form following: In the name of God, Amen – I, Zebulon Rudulph, Senior, of Lowndes County, state of Alabama, being at the time blessed with reliably good health and sound disposing mind so desire to dispose of what is still undisposed of as seems right. Item 1st. I hereby give, bequeath, devise and confirm to my sons John Rudulph, Burwell B. Rudulph, Jr., John Barratt Rudulph, the heir of my son Zebulon Rudulph,, Junior, late deceased, my said sons portion, and the Rev'd. Basil Manly D.D., the husband of my daughter Sarah Murray Manly and to my daughter Eliza Yeates Peay all money, chattel, and property of whatever kind given and placed in their hands in actual possession by me previous to the 12st day of January last in fee simple forever. Item 2d. I give, bequeath, and devise to my grandson, John Barratt Rudulph, my book case secretary and library and a keepsake family Gold Watch in care of his Aunt, Eliza Y. Peay. Item 3rd. I give, bequeath, devise and confirm to my beloved wife Abigail Rudulph and my beloved daughter Eliza Y. Peay all the rest of my estate of every kind in joint and equal tenancy interest and inheritance in fee simple forever – said estate chiefly consisting of ten acres reserved of residence for life of my wife and daughter, with household and kitchen furniture, nearing appraisal, money on hand and obligations due and growing due and eleven Negroes and any future increase – to wit: Jim and his wife, Chloe and their five children Andry, Dan, Jimhansy, Milena, Martha, Fanny and her daughter Serena and grandson Jack, a mulatto child, and Charlotte also any other of which I may died possessed of to the equal benefit and behoof of said beloved wife and daughter and their heirs, Executors, and Administrators. Given under my hand and seal this tenth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty four (1854) To carry into effect this my last will and testament I do hereby nominate and appoint and fully invest my beloved sons John Rudulph and Burwell B. Rudulph and my son in law Rev.d Basil Manly D.D. with every necessary power to discharge the duties of Executors of this my las will and testament and do hereby exempt my said Executors from giving securities for their acts having unshaken confidence in their faithfulness, and I do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament and pronounce all other will or wills to be null and void Confirming the true intents of these lines with all the foregoing as witness my hand and seal as before mentioned on last and first page. Zeb Rudulph, Sen. {SEAL} Signed, sealed, and delivered, published and pronounced by the Testator in our presence as for his Last Will Testament and we in his presence and in presence of each other have subscribed our names as witnesses to its due execution. F. Jones Francis Gordon, Jr. The State of Alabama Lowndes County Personally appeared before me, Edward H. Cook, Judge of Probate of said County, Freeman Jones, a subscribing witness to the foregoing paper purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Zebulon Rudulph, Sen., ded'd, and being sworn stated that the said decedent in his lifetime, subscribed the same as his last Will and Testament, in his presence and in the presence of the other subscribing witness on the day the same bears date, and that at the time of signing the same, he was of sound disposing mind and memory, that he attested the same as a witness in the presence of said Zebulon Rudulph, Sen., and of the other subscribing witness, and that the other witness, viz: Francis Gordon, Jr., subscribed his name as a witness in his presence and in the presence of the Testator, all in the presence of each other, on the day therein written. F. Jones. Subscribed and sworn to in open Court, this 26th day of March 1855. E. H. Cook, P.J.L.C.