Benjamin Coats Will I Benjamin Coats of the County of Smith and State of Tennessee being of sound and proper mind and memory do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament. That is to say First. I want my wife to have all my real estate and personal property during her life as widowhood. 2nd my will is that after the death or marriage of my wife that my Negro man Stephen shall belong to my daughter Ann Malane and her heirs for ever. 3rd my will is that my wife take the note for two hundred and twenty five dollars on James Wood and collect it and pay my last debts, funeral expenses and so forth 4th is my will that all my real estate and personal property at the death of my wife shall be sold and the proceeds thereof equally divided among all my children except Ann Mealane who is already provided for by this will by having the Negro man Stephen to herself and her heirs forever. It is my will that the beds and furniture belonging to my daughters and which they hold separate and apart from my property shall still belong to them as they have done heretofore and are excepted out of the property disposed of and divided by this will. It is my wish that my grand daughter Jenifer Woodson whom I have raised shall have a bed and furniture and a cow & calf or ten dollars the children among my property or the proceeds thereof are to be equally divided after the death of my wife are as follows, Nancy Seal, Milbers Woodson, Wilson Coats, Jeremiah Coats, Polly Coats and Tempe Coats, Elizabeth Coats is also excepted out of the provisions of this will she having been hereto fore provided for I do hereby constitute and appoint Lewis Washburn to be the sole executor of this my last will and testament Jun 3rd 1850 Benjamin Coats, his mark Signed in the presence of us on the 3rd day of June 1850 James M. Washburn James Lancaster Tennessee Smith County Count Court July term 1850. Then the last will and Testament of Benjamin Coats was produced in open court for probate and the execution thereof duly proved in open court by the oaths of James M. Washburn and James Lancaster subscribing witnesses thereto.. Where upon said last will and testament was ordered to be recorded. Recorded 12 July 1850 see file dated 1850 Attest William V.A. Hollum, Clerk ----------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for other commercial presentation. Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Project Archives and TNGenWeb Project Archives by: Charlotte Coats June 1997 Research done by Neva Maxine Staples Coats Transcribed by Charlotte Coates Generously donated to Charlotte by Neva's son John P. Staples