I,
John Jackson, of the County of Lewis, in the State of Virginia, being of sound
mind and conscius that it is destined for all men once to die, have hereby
thought proper to make a disposition of such estate as it hath pleased God to
help me with in this world, in the following manner, to-wit.
1st. It is my wish and desire and I do
hereby devise to my beloved wife Elizabeth Jackson, for and during her natural
life, the following tract of land situate in the County of Lewis, it being the
same whereon I now reside.
Beginning at the mouth of the run next above the dwelling house, being
the first run below the farm of Abraham Post, and running up said run to where
Anthony Rohrbough's land crosses said run from thence South seventy-five
degrees East to Henry Ours line, thence with said Ours line a north eastern
direction to where a line would strike a corner of said (Hours) on the line of
the tract called the Parsons place, thence with lines of said Parsons tract to
the homestead tract, thence with lines of said Parsons tract to the homestead
tract including said tract to Beginning.
2nd. It is my will and desire and I do
hereby devise to my said Elizabeth a tract of land containing fifty-six acres
lying in the County aforesaid on the south west side of the Buckhannon River,
and opposite to my mills to have and to hold the same during her natural life.
3rd. I also devise to my said wife Elizabeth
two lots in the Town of Buckhannon, in said county to have and to hold the same
during her natural life.
4th. It is my will and desire and I do
hereby devise unto my said wife Elizabeth a tract of land on Hackers Creek, in
said County, adjoining William Powers, and known by the name of the Cottrill
place. Also one Lot in the Town of
Fairfield in Green County, in the State of Ohio, being the same lot which was
conveyed by Samual Cozad, to have and to hold the said Cottrill, and the said
lot in the Town of Fairfield to the said Elizabeth Jackson, her heirs, and
offsprings forever.
5th.
I hereby devise to my said wife
Elizabeth, for and during her natural life, the following Slaves, Jim, Dan and
George, and all the personal property of which I may die possessed, except as
hereinafter excepted, to be used and applied towards the support and
maintenance of said wife and children, and the schooling of my children, but
the said slaves in no event to be sold during the life time of my said wife.
6th. I hereby devise to my said wife, my
negroes, Hannah, Lott and Agge, to be held and enjoyed as her absolute property
power.
7th. I devise to my son, Edward H. Jackson,
the Casto and Whitecotton plantations, in said County of Lewis, whereof he hath
possessed, to have and to hold the said Casto place place and said Whitecotton
place forever.
8th. I devise to my son, David J. Jackson,
two hundred acres of land on Turkey Run, in said County of Lewis, whereof he
hath possessed, it being the upper part of my resident right to have and to
hold the same power.
9th. I devise to my daughter Sarah Ireland,
wife of Alexander Ireland, two hundred acres of land adjoining the tract last
devised, it being the lower end of the resident right whereof they have
possession to be held by the said Sarah during her life, and then by her heirs
forever.
10th. I devise the tract called the Hilly
Upland, in said County, supposed to contain five hundred acres, to my three
sons, Jacob, Samuel and George, to be equally divided between them by three
men, each of my sons to choose one, and if either of them shall not have
attained full age at the time of making such division, the Guardian of such
minor shall choose for him, and after the said land shall be equally divided
the said devisors or their Guardian duly appointed shall take choice according
to the ages of my said sons respectively, the oldest taking the first choice
and to be held by said sons forever.
11th. I devise to my son, William W. Jackson,
two hundred acres of land, part of the Coplin tract on Finks run, in said
County of Lewis, to include the lower end of said tract and the improvement
thereon, and to be divided from the upper end by a straight line to be drawn
from one side of the original tract to the other side and extending so far upon
the upper end as may be requisite to give the said quantity of 200 acres.
12th. I devise to my Daughter, Mary Jackson,
the residue of the Coplin tract, being the upper end thereof.
13th. I devise to my Daughter, Elizabeth
Jackson, the residue of Homestead place and the Parsons place after taking
therefrom the parts devised to my said wife, as above set out and described.
14th. I devise to my Daughter, Rebecca
Jackson, all the estate in lands above devised to my said Elizabeth, during the
life of my said wife, with the exception of one acre including the mills, which
devise to my said Daughter Rebecca shall take effect after the death of my said
wife Elizabeth, to have and to hold the said lands so devised to my said wife
for life except one acre including the mills, after the death of my said wife
to the said Rebecca, her heirs and offsprings forever.
15th. It is my will and desire that the said
mills and one acre of ground attached thereto after the death of my said wife,
be sold upon a credit of one, two and three years in equal payments and a Deed
of Trust be taken thereon to secure the purchase money and that the proceeds of
such sale be equally divided between my sons David, Jacob, Samuel, William and
George.
16th. It is my further will and desire that
after my youngest child shall attain full age the tract of one hundred and
sixty acres of land which I own in Green County, Ohio, near the Town of
Fairfield, and one lot in said Town of Fairfield, shall be sold on a credit of
one and two years for three fourths of the purchase money, the other fourth to
be paid in hand and proceeds of such sale divided as follows, viz: - one
hundred dollars to be paid to my Grandson, John Jackson, son of Edward H.
Jackson; fifty dollars to Elizabeth Jackson, daughter of said Edward Jackson;
one hundred dollars to my Grandson, John Ireland, son of Alexander Ireland; one
hundred dollars to my Daughter, Rebecca, and the balance to be equally divided
between my sons and daughter, Jacob, William, Samuel, George, Mary, and
Elizabeth, each to have an equal part.
17th. It is my further will and desire that
should another be hereafter born of my said wife and me, it shall be entitled
to an eighth part of the estate devised to my children, Jacob, William, Samuel,
George, Mary, Elizabeth, and Rebecca, which they are hereby required to
contract respectively on the happening of such event.
18th. It is my further will and desire that
the personal estate and negroes devised to my said wife for life shall, after
her death, be sold and the proceeds equally divided between my children, Jacob,
William, Samuel, George, Mary and Elizabeth. That all my lands and personal estate to which I may be
entitled at my death and not specifically devised shall be sold to create a
fund for the payment of my just debts and schooling and support of my children,
and the balance to go to my son, Jacob.
19th. It is my further will and desire that
in the event of my said wife's having issue, as in the 17th devise
contemplated, and any one of my said seven children in that devise named should
die, the share of the so born, provided it live to full age or have issue, but
if my son Jacob die, who is one of said seven, the said child shall only have
so much of his estate as will be equal to any one of the remaining six. It is expected that I have debts due me
sufficient to pay all I owe, and if any should remain afterwards they are
hereby given to my son, Jacob, who I expect will have the burden of the family
in a great degree on his hands.
20th. And lastly I appoint my said wife,
Elizabeth Jackson, and my said son, Jacob J. Jackson Executors of this my last
Will and testament, hereby revoking all others by me heretofore made.
In
witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this 24th day of May,
1821.
Note: An
erasure of three words in the fifth devise, next to the last line. 10th Devise an interlination as follows
"Shall take choice according to the ages of my said sons, respectively,
the oldest taking the first choice" and erasures corresponding
therewith. 14th Devise more than
half the ninth line erased.
13th. Line "my
grandson" underlined.
The
property divided to my wife in lieu of dower.
John
Jackson
Signed, sealed and delivered in the
presence of
Jona Jackson
G.J. Williams
Wm. Williams.
The
last Will and Testament of John Jackson, decd. was presented in open Court,
proven by the oaths of William Williams and George J. Williams, subscribing
witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.