CLAIBORNE COUNTY, TENNESSEE Will Book, Volume 1Will of ROBERT SOUTHERN, deceased I, Robert Southern of the county of Claiborne and state of Tennessee, being of sound mind and memory, for the more effectual disposition of my worldly effects, do make and publish this my last will and testament.
First, it is my desire that all my just debts be paid out of my personal property and debts due me, that is, such of my personal property as my Executors hereafter named, may think can best be spared from my family, and also out of the proceeds of my stock on the farm, and then the three oldest negro children, or as many as may be necessary to pay my debts.
Second, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Martha Southern, the balance of all my personal property, household and kitchen furniture, farming utensils, etc., and as much of the grain and produce on hand as shall be necessary for the support of my family one year from my death, and also the farm I now live on with its appurtenances, to have and to hold the same during her natural life, provided she will live upon it and raise and educate our children, that is, my five by my first wife and the one my said wife Martha may have by me. Also I give and bequeath to my said wife Martha, my negroes Ben and Vine, and her youngest child Monroe, and all the increase of the said Viney, to have and to hold the same during the time she may live upon the said farm as aforesaid. But, should my said wife Martha not choose to live on the said farm and raise all the children aforesaid, then and in that case, all the above named property, both real and personal, shall be sold by my Executors on twelve months credit to the highest bidder, and the proceeds equally divided between my said children and my said wife Martha, she taking a child’s part of all my estate. But should my said wife choose to live on the said farm and raise my said children, then she is to take as above provided for.
Third, it is my will that all my other lands besides the place I now live on, be sold by my Executors so soon as they may think it advisable, on one or two years credit, and the proceeds thereof kept at interest except such part as may be expended as hereafter provided for, and divided out amongst my said children as they arrive at the age of twenty-one years. And as the above provision would include my interest in my father’s lands, now in possession of my mother for life, I do not wish said interest sold until my mother’s death and then to be sold and appropriated as last above directed.
Fourth, as my oldest son, one of the first above mentioned, is now about twelve years old, and might not be manageable by my said wife Martha, therefore, it is my will that she be not burdened with his further raising longer than absolutely necessary after my death, and that my Executors, as soon thereafter as they can do so to advantage, shall take charge of him and bind him out to learn some good respectable trade until he is twenty-one years of age, upon such terms as my said Executors may think right. And it is also my wish that my said Executors, before they proceed to bind out my said son, shall provide for his receiving twelve months schooling, the necessary expenses of which shall be paid out of the share of my said son in the proceeds of the lands herein directed to be sold by my Executors, and which payments shall be a credit to them on their settlement. And I hereby constitute and appoint my Executors hereafter named, Guardians of my said son for the purposes aforesaid.
Fifth, I hereby constitute and appoint William Neil and Absalom Robinson, my Executors of this my last will and testament. Given under my hand and seal this fourteenth day of December in the year of our Lord 1849. Test: J. P. Evans Neil Southern Robert Southern
Inventory of the Estate of ROBERT SOUTHERN, deceased Personal property as set out in his last will: Five yearlings and two cows, about 300 bushels of corn, three negro slave children, aged about from 4 to 8 or 9 years.
Note on Thomas Friar for $100.00 Note on Enoch Moore $58.31 Note on Augustus Spangler $20.00 Note on William White $3.00 Account vs James Hunter, deceased $10.00 Account by J. Cheek $2.75
Balance on an execution vs E. D. Murphey, doubtful $7.05 Balance on an execution vs Pleasant Murphey, doubtful $1.59
Which is all the personal estate that has come to our hands or the hands of any person for us to our knowledge that is not reserved to said Southern’s widow by his last will.
William Neil, Executor Robinson, Executor
Inventory of the Estate of ROUBERT SOUTHERN, deceased Remainder of personal property: One mare, yoke oxen and yoke, old wagon, lock chain, four cows and two calves, 15 head of stock hogs, 20 sheep, three plows, four hoes, pair gears, two pair hames, two chopping axes, drawing knife, five beds, bedsteads and furniture, 24 hour clock, cupboard, three tables, bureau, trunk, child’s crib, chest, eight chairs, ladies saddle, 14 books of different kinds, two sets plates, set cups and saucers, set knives and forks, big spinning wheel, flax wheel, loom and its appurtenances, pair saddle bags, large kettle and pot, two ovens, skillet, pair andirons, four fire shovels, two pot locks, coffee mill, negro man Ben, aged about 50 years; negro child aged about 20 months, a lot of oats, wheat, rye, and probably some corn and bacon.
The above is a true account of the goods and chattels that have come into our hands, this 27th day of June 1850.
William Neil, Executor
Sale of the Estate of ROBERT SOUTHERN, deceased Buyers were: Obabiah Riley – five yearlings $15.31
Thomas Henderson – yearling $1.00
Carton Horsford – reddish cow $8.01
Joseph Whiteaker – white heifer $6.18 ˝
James Hurst – silver watch $4.60
Absalom Robinson – man’s saddle $14.00
Michael Powers – 30 bushels of corn $11.40
Isaac Goin – 30 bushels of corn $11.50
James P. Evans – 30 bushels of corn $11.50; 30 bushels of corn $16.17
William Marcum – 300 lbs of bacon $18.81
Reuben Kesterson – negro girl slave $466.00
Abel Kesterson – negro boy slave $351.00; negro boy slave Frank $250.00
William Davenport – 30 bushels of corn $11.70; 30 bushels of corn $11.85
Thomas Friar – 30 bushels of corn $12.06
Total amount received from sale of the estate was $1210.11, held on the 15th day of February 1850.
William Neil, Executor
Inventory of the 2nd Sale of the Estate of R. SOUTHERN, deceased Buyers were: Nancy Hunter – set cups and saucers $.35; pitcher $.50; four glass tumblers $.16 ˝; set glass cup plates $.28; side saddle $15.00; coverlid $2.10; coverlid $2.90; split bottom chair $.25
Martha Southern – dressing table $.55; hair trunk $.81; table linen $1.10; child’s crib $.50; small chest $1.00; kettle and bowl $1.60; looking glass $.12; looking glass $.30; looking glass $.15; wash tub $.12 ˝; red cow $6.25; red cow $6.75; falling leaf table $3.30; lot books and slave $1.00; three butter plates $.12; two plates and box $.32; five split bottom chairs $.65; two small chairs $.10; counterpin or sheet $.30; churn $.30; skillet and lid $.17; dish and wash pan $.55; coffee pot $.20; bedstead $29.75; bedstead and furniture $22.25; trundle bedstead and furniture $3.50; window curtain $.25; two large window curtains $.75; candlestick and brush $.15; pair andirons $.05; roan mare let off to Thomas Henderson $12.50; lot of about 190 dozen oats $13.30
William Hayse – cow and calf $9.00
Henry Guinn – lot of rye $7.65; 15 head of sheep $12.30
Pryor Adams – lot wheat $2.00; bread tray and sifter $.26; pot trammel $.62
William Bullard – black man Benjamin $152.00
Abel Kesterson – black child 18 months old $201.00
Samuel Hurst – lock chain $1.15
William Davenport – pair stretchers $.37 ˝
Thomas Friar – lot scrap chains $.30; basket $.20
John Hurst – old wagon $10.35; cow and calf $9.00 William Fugate – yoke of oxen $21.00; wheat sieve $1.20; half bushel measure $.41
Abraham Robinson – mattock and hoe $.50; lot of plates $.50; sideboard $11.00; ten head of geese $2.00
Mark Hurst – plow and apparatus $.50; plow and apparatus $.50; lot cups and saucers $.62; razor $.10; bed blanket $.70; quilt $.30; set bed curtains $.25; coverlid $.95; pair saddle bags $.25; oven and baker $.20; pail and piggin $.12
Nathaniel Brooks – counterpin $2.45; bedstead and cow $2.00; oven and lid $.55
A. Fullington – coverlid $2.41; bed quilt $1.00; 11 head hogs $22.00
Isaac Southern – flax wheel, bed tick $7.15
Abraham Boice – pair waffle irons $.50; scythe and cradle $.65; cupboard $4.75
William Neil – chipping axe $.75; hone and reap hook $.12
John McMahon – pair scissors $.16; bed and furniture $6.17
Stokely Lanham – patent clock $3.05
Accounts: Andrew Brooks $1.30 T. Friar $.50 Samuel Hurst $1.15 A. Fullington $10.30 William Davenport $.37
True account of the property that was sold on the 6th day of August 1850.
William Neil, Executor Robinson, Executor
Inventory of 3rd Sale of the Estate of ROBERT SOUTHERN, deceased Buyers were: William Riley – home tract of land $1496.00; lot hogs $15.20; 28 bushels of corn $7.98; meat trough $1.05
Luke Parker – 50 bushels of corn $11.50
William Monk – 50 bushels of corn $11.75
Leroy Hurst – 50 bushels of corn $12.62
Abraham Boice – lot of husks $2.12 ˝
Levi Nave – 50 bushels of corn $11.25; 50 bushels of corn $11.75; 28 bushels of corn $7.70
Total amount received from sale that was held on the 20th day of November 1850, was $1588.93. William Neil, Executor Robinson, Executor Settlement of the Estate of WILLIAM GRAHAM, deceased Amount of inventory $375.00 30 shares of bank stock in the Memphis bank of Tennessee $3000.00 Check on Memphis Bank $180.00 Paid L. A. Garnett’s clerk receipt $125.39 Paid clerk’s fees $4.75 Paid Administrator for the trouble in winding up the business $10.00
I find in the hands of the Administrator the sum of $3414.86, after all just credits which amount in the hands of the Administrators, is as follows, to wit, 30 shares Memphis Bank stock estimated at $3000.00; also a check on the Memphis Bank of Tennessee for $180.00; and it is not known what the Memphis Bank will wind up to be worth. And I also find in the hands of the Administrator, the sum of $234.86 in cash; $14.60 to be left in the hands of the Administrator to pay costs in the Chancery Court, and the remaining $220.26 is to be distributed to the legal heirs of the deceased, with interest from the 4th of April 1850.
Thomas J. Johnson, Clerk
Settlement with WILLIAM NEIL, Executor of the Estate of ROBERT SOUTHERN, deceased Amount of inventory $196.44 Amount of sales of the personal property at three different sales $3462.71 Amount received from the proceeds of a sale of land $160.00 Amount collected by William Condray $112.67 Amount paid out by Executor for the Estate: Joseph Whitaker $4.86 ˝ N. A. Evans $28.20 William Bullard $12.86 R. T. Stone $52.88 John Ferguson $23.94 Z. Hodges $4.18 Neil Southern $103.70 William Houston $1.22 William Kirkpatrick $25.15 A. Robinson $80.64 Nancy Southern $87.75 Joseph Neil $120.00 Bartley Neil order $8.19 William Condray account $3.00 A. A. McAmis account 426.72 Neil Southern note $7.85 A. Sutton account $1.77 D. Cardwell receipt $2.57 Thomas Ragan receipt $12.50 Peter Parkey note $166.70 Jesse Neil note $70.05 James Hunter note $593.50 Samuel Hurst receipt $5.28 B. Neil note $32.52 ˝ T. J. Johnson note $10.98 Graham & Neil note $39.54 John Fullington account $4.25 S. A. Garrett receipt $4.25 William Devenport receipt $1.37 J. D. Mathis receipt $12.00 M. Carriger account $10.00 Tennessee Margraves $19.98 R. C. Hansard $14.05 R. Mason account $3.50 William T. Overton note $35.95 B. Campbell account $4.50
Leaves a balance of $292.71 ˝ remaining in the hands of the Executor, this 15th day of November 1852. Thomas J. Johnson, Clerk
