LAUDERDALE COUNTY, TN - WILLS - Alexander Work 1836 ==================================================================== 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by transcribed by Sarah Hutcherson <> ===================================================================== LAST WILL OF ALEXANDER WORK State of Tennessee Lauderdale County Court September Term 1836. Then a copy of the Last Will and Testament of ALEXANDER WORK properly authanticated from the ____ of Iredel County,State of North Carolina was presented in open Court by the parties interested in said Will and from examination it is ordered by the Court that the same be recorded according to the provisions of the act of _____ in such cases made and provided which copy is in the following words,TO WIT: In The Name Of God,Amen. I,ALEXANDER WORK,of the county of Iridale in the State of North Carolina considering the uncertainity of this mortal life and being of sound and perfect mind and memory blessed be Almighty God for the same do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form as follows: that is to say I give and bequeath to the infant boy child of EASTER LEWIS which said EASTER LEWIS did swear to be begotten by me,ALEXANDER WORK,which said man child by the name of JEFFERSON WORK or JEFFERSON i acknowledge myself to be the natural Father__of one third of all my money goods and chattles or what may be called moveable property,Also I then give and devise to the said child of the said EASTER by me begotten as aforesaid one third part of all the Lands I have or may be seized or possessed of at my death to have and to hold the same him and his heirs forever--but still provided that he the said infant shall not have any right whatever to sale or convey any part or parcel of said Lands,let it be in what part than would it may until he is of the full age of twenty five years,thence not more than one half the other majority he may dispose of by bargain,convey at the full age of thirty years and not sooner he shall not sell any of the slaves that may fall to his share nor their insures before he is twenty three years of age and then not more than one half until he is twenty five years of age then he may be at liberty to sell the remainder of said slaves be the said man child be taken the best care that it is possible od at the disention this my last will and testament.Exectors by s_____ of one said as will him after appear and that his mother the said EASTER LEWIS may have the keeping of the said child until fit to go to school and then if fit and can____but if otherwise he is to be moved as my Executors may think fit and further the said EASTER LEWIS shall have sufficiant expence for keeping the said child at the discretion of the Executors of this my last will and testament and divise and twenty five dollars a year to her own use for five years and twenty dollars a year for five years more to board out of the interests and profits of my will and devise to said child JEFFERSON the negroes that may fall to his share is to be lend out to masters--that be bound to use them well only one or two to wait on said child until he is twelve years old then at the discretion of my Executors more or less until he is the full age of twenty one when he is to have the full use of their labor to cultivation his lands or to hire out as he may think fit that the __ can. May be taken of his education that may be bestowed on him in the fullest and best manner and to the most highest extreme and that his morals may be cherished and improved all which shall be taken out of the profits and emoluments of his real estate and personal all his personal estate to be sold on credit with good securities and that and this interest to be applied to his use as before and as may be needfull that if his mother the said EASTER LEWIS behaves herself decently without committing any crime and keeps from marriage and not be guilty of fornication or worse_like manner she shal have further sum per year of ten dollars provided that same child of hers doth live for the above time of ten or twelve years and the second mentioned sum of twenty dollars if she behaves well for twenty years but if she behaves very ill and brings upon herself a bad or scandalous character then an that case she shall be disprovide of all emoluments whatever before mentioned as to her own use,and the child taken from her it is to be oberserved that the said EASTER is not to have the first mentioned twenty dollars both per year but only one of said sums and that the exp-sion above of selling the child personal or goods and chattel property not___that his part of his negroes or slave property is to be desposed of until he is of age above mentioned unless necessaty requires that said slaves should be sold I will and bequeath unto my neices and nephews as follows: VIZ, as I do not know how many there is of them neither do know their names or how many there is of the female or male kind as they are at a distance from me and at a distance apart of each other.I can and do will here named my brothers and sisters according to their age and lay down a plan for my Executors to go by and it is to be understood the remaining two thirds of my estate is to be devided by the said value or so plan according to the construction that may be put upon it which may appear sufficiant. My Brother Name JOHN WORK.Sisters and____REBECCA,the wife of JAMES SCOTT; JUNE,the wife of WILLIAM GUY; SARAH,the wife of FRANCIS McCORKLE; EASTER,the wife of JOHN BRAND(ON?),and ANN,the wife of GEORGE LOCK.Idesire two thirds not before willed or devised be divided as follows into share,half shares and quarter shares,as some is to have more and some less according to family and circumstance. My Brother JOHN WORK Children,son and women to have three fourths of a share each except ROBERT WORK who is to have but one half share. My Sister REBECCA SCOTTs child is to have one half share each,ALEXANDER SCOTT and her youngest child who is to have three fourths of a share each. My Sister JANE GUY children is to have a whole share each except her son,WILLIAM who is to half a share he is the oldest of the family. My Sister SARAH McCORKLE children is to have a whole share each except ALEXANDER McCORKLE her son who is to have but one half share and IZABELL BATY the wife of WILLIAM BATY,my sister's SARAH's oldest daughter is to have five pounds only but her children is to have one whole share divided amongst them that is to say the children of the said ELZABELL BATY is to get one share as much as any of my said sisters children equally divided betwext them and my sister SARAH's daughter JANE McCORKLE who lives with me over and above the full share as before expressed in the bulk of the family is to have one third part of my household furniture such as she may choose. My Sister EASTER BRANDON children each is to have three fourths of a share except RICHARD,her son is to have one full share and no more. My Sister ANN LOCK child having but one,ALEXANDER LOCK is to have one share and one fourth of a share.It is to be fairly understood these shares are to include my lands as well as the personal or movable property which lands as before mentioned does and shall consist of two thirds of my real estate which I leave in proportion with all the given willing and bequeathing of the personal Estate it will and desire that following named negroes my lawful slaves be amancipated and set free and forever to be free from my heirs and assigns and all other persons whatever,VIZ; PETER and his wife SALL now in Lincoln County at my plantation on the Mountain creek Big PEGY the nease of said PETER and the PEGY's living son,the only one she now has alive HARRY of a yellow complection about ten years old but not certain PRISS and a smal boy by the name of NED all of which PEGY HARRY PRESS and NED which is mostly kept in my kitchen and garden to work granny NAN old But the mother of MAY old HEAN such the freedom of which is much desired by me and wishes a petition for that purpose for the letting free all the said Slaves to be paid before_____by North Carolina and my estate shall be bound that the said slaves shall not be a charge to the said State of North Carolina and all and any of said slaves that is now more than 15 or 20 years old or at my death it is my will that they should be taught to be as good schollars as necessary for good farmers to be or as near as possible before they are twenty years of age and the cost and charges to come out of my estate or the interest thereof if the said slaves is set free and emancipated according to my last will and Testament it is my will and desire that each and every one get and receive a true copy of this my will so far as it concerns them with the name of each and everyone of them encerted in each certificated as aforesaid the seal of the State of said there to and the seal of the county of Iredale they are to be directed to keep safely first reading it to each and everyone of them but if they are liberated by same Legislative body or otherwise they are to have a copy or copies of this my will with the seal of the county of Iredale affixed thereunto.(There are two more pages,so faded if I read,most would be guesses) I,ABSALOM SIMONTON, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Offices of Iredall County does hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the last will and testament of ALEXANDER WORK as admitted of record in my office.In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office at Statesville the 25th day of August A.D. 1926. A.SIMONTON Clerk.