Wills of

Roderick Jenkins

Transcribed by Mary Knight

Transcribers note: 2 wills have been found for Roderick Jenkins. 1799 in Sumner County and 1822 in Smith Co. From all I can tell the Smith County, TN will is the one that was probated. My thanks to Alton Jenkins for providing a copy of the Sumner County Will for submission and also his help with the transcription of the 1799 will. Both copies are pretty difficult to read.

Will of Roderick Jenkins

(22 June 1799, Sumner County, TN)

In the name of God Amen, I Roderick Jenkins of

Sumner County & State of Tennessee, considering the uncer

tainty of this mortal life and being of sound & perfect mind

& memory blessed be almighty God for the same do make

& publish this my last will & testament in manner & form

following vizt, whenever it pleases divine providence to take me

out of this life to which I devoutly submit my will & desire

is that whatever land or real estate I then shall leave

may be equally divided between my four sons named William

Jenkins, Rhody Jenkins, James Jenkins & Samuel Jenkins

and to descend & belong to them their heirs & Assigns forever

and it is also my will & desire that all my personal estate

of what nature or kind (source?) which I may leave at my decease

after just debts & funeral expences are paid & discharged

shall be equally divided between my four sons & three

daughters namely William Jenkins, Polley Donoho

Jenny Jenkins, Rozetta*(Rozella?) Jenkins, Rhody Jenkins, James

Jenkins & Samuel Jenkins and to descend & belong to

them their heirs & assigns forever, provided that my

will & desire is that my wife Nancy Jenkins shall be

supported out of my property during her life or widowhood

I justly appoint my wife Nancy Jenkins & my son William

Jenkins Executrix & Executor of this my last will & testament

hereby revoking all former wills by me heretofore made In

witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal this 22nd

day of June 1799.

his

Roderick R Jenkins {Seal}

mark

Signed, Sealed, published & declared

by the testator to this his last will &

testament in the presence of us

who have hereunto subscribed our

names in the presence of the

Testator and each other

David (Daniel?) Shelby

Salley Shelby

Trancriber notes:

Please note in the images of both wills that the capital 'R' is Roderick's mark not a middle initial.

*Because of the poor quality of the copy I question what appears to be a mark crossing double "t's" in the name Rozetta. This is possibly a bleed thorough or a line on the paper, and the name may be Rozella?

Will of Roderick Jenkins

(22 October 1822, Smith County TN.)

In the year of our lord & Savior Jesus Christ Eighteen hundred

and twenty two in the name of god amen. First I will

my body to be decently Interred and commend my soul

to god who gave it and after my funeral expenses

are paid I will my estate as follows (to wit) that all

my property be Sold & my well beloved wife Nancy Jinkins

Shall have the money (rest of line crossed out)

*(for) her use & support during her natural life or

**(wi)dowhood & after her decease or marriage

whatever is left to be divided as follows (viz?)

one dollar to my daughter Nancy Dagnor (Dagner?), one dollar

to my son John Jinkins, one dollar to my daughter

Sally Murphy & the rest to be Equally divided

between my sons Will(iam***), Roderic, James & Samuel

& my daughter (s****) Polly Donoho & Jane Parkhurst

and Zilly (Lilly*****) Canady I pronounce & declare

this to be my last will & Testament disanulling (sic)

all others made by me or any other person in

my name which will I now sign with mine own

hand In presence Oct 22nd 1822. his

of us Roderic R Jinkins {seal}

mark

J. L. Cartwright Jurat

William Young Jurat

State of Tennessee} May Term 1823

Smith County Court}

The last will and Testemant of Roderick

Jinkins dec'd was produced & duly proven in open

court by the oaths of James Cartwright and

William Young Witnesses thereto and -- -- (on mo?)

tion ordered to be recorded.

Attest

Jonathan Pickett Clerk

Smith County Court

Transcriber Notes:

*word is missing, assume it says "for" her use...

** first 2 letters of widowhood missing

*** (iam) is over written between lines, name is William

**** word daughter should probably be plural for daughters

*****Personal observation and or opinion. It is my belief that this will names a daughter Zilly Canady and I believe she is one and the same daughter Rozetta (or Rozella?) named in the 1799 will. In the Jenkins family research many have a daughter Rozetta and a daughter Lilly listed as daughters of Roderick Jenkins. Until I find other proof to the contrary it is my belief that the first letter of this daughters name in the 1822 will has been mistakenly taken as an "L" instead of what I believe is a "Z". As with all research, you must draw your own conclusion.

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