Note
My comments in brackets [----]. Paragraphs created for increased clarity.
George F. KEESEE of the State of Tennessee Sumner County, his last Will and Testament made in the name of God this fifth day of July in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty Five is as I shall now direct that my Wife shall have and Keep all my land and plantation lying on the south side of the creek that runs across my land from West to East, through my land and Five negroes Known by the names of David, Alce, Ben, Gabrial, Chaina which land and negroes she is to Keep [__] during her natural life or widow hood, but at her death or marriage all is to be given up to my heirs, as I shall Direct, but all other Parts of my Estate given to my Wife except the land or negroes is hers to dispose of in life and at her death as she pleaseth, which is as followes [sic], all my household and Kitchen furniture; one horse, four cows and calves, twenty hogs, ten sheep, all to be such as she makes choices of out of my stock. And now named and given, to her, one axe, two hoes, one plow, and gears[?], one yoke of Steers, one cart, and her riding carriage, one hundred barrels of corn, one hundred pounds of picked cotton, ten bushels of wheat, and all the money in hand except what will pay my Just debts, only with an exception of ten acres of land where on my son George F. KEESEE now lives on the south side of the Creek.
Now I freely give to my daughter Larree SMITH, six negroes: Clary[?], Tailor, Big Rachel, Ann, Charles, Harris, and all other property she ever had out of my Estate.
Now I freely give to my daughter Patience SMITH, six negroes: Penny, Siller, Peter, Gin, Hardy, Andy, and all other property she ever had out of my estate.
Now I freely give to my daughter Rody McKNIGHT, six negroes, Chapel, Iram, Mary, Harriet, Jacob, Little Bob, and all other property she ever had out of my Estate.
No I freely give to my son Thomas KEESEE, six negroes, Booker, Big Isram, Clock, [Meese? Meise?], Gabriel, China, one horse and saddle and bridle and all other property he ever had out of my estate.
Now I freely give to my daughter Agnes LYON, six negroes: Rose, Ben, [Soas?], Esther, Nelson, Will and all other property she ever had out of my estate; and to her son Champness Ball [surname LYON] I give one negro boy Willie.
Now I freely give to my daughtrer Nancy (HENRY), six negroes: Daniel, Aida, Hint, Ise, Jack, Charity and all other property she ever had out of my Estate.
Now I freely give to my son George F. KEESEE, six negroes, negroes [sic]: David, Buster, Big Bob, Tim, Tom, Stephen, four hundred and Thirty Five acres of land on the south side of my Land[?] with a reserve of what is above mentioned for the use of my Wife during her natural life and all other property he ever had out of my estate.
Now I freely give to Robert SAUNDERS for the sake of my daughter Jane SAUNDERS, deceased, his former wife one negro girl Rachel that has been a long time in his possession, one cotton gin, and all other property he ever had out of my Estate.
Now to my son Champness KEESEE I freely give one negro [Biry?] and all other property he has ever had out of my Estate.
Now I freely give to my grandson George SAUNDERS One hundred and Thirty five acres of land, lying on the North side of my land to be laid off by said East and West lines across the whole tract, all my stock of every discription [sic] (not above mentioned) to be collected, and by those disinterested men equally divided amongst Lance SMITH, Patience SMITH, Rody McKNIGHT, Agnes LYON, Abedince [Obediance] BALL, Nancy HENRY, and George F. Keesee.
I empower the executors to this Will to sell my crop of cotton, tobacco, wheat, for cash, and divide the money equally between: the seven last mentioned heirs and my crop of corn not above mentioned to be sold in a credit of twelve months and when collected divided amongst the same and also to my son George F. KEESEE all my working tools of every description and my gun.
Now I make George F. KEESEE and Wm. HENRY Executors to my last Will and Testament.
Signed and sealed in the Presence of:
Attest:
Isaac LEATH
[signature] George KEESEE {Seal}
J. A. BROWNING
Sally H. RICKMAN
State of Tennessee
Sumner County Court November Term 1825
The last Will and Testament of George KEESEE Dec'd was exhibited in open Court for probate
and was duly proved according to the law by the oath of J. H. BROWNING and Isaac LEATH
two subscribing witnesses thereto and endorsed to be recorded and there upon George F.
KEESEE and William HENRY, the executors named in said Will approved in Court and with
Hillery MALONE and Josiah LAUDERDALE their securities, entered into and acknowledged
their bond to the Governor in the sum of Twenty Thousand dollars conditioned as the law Directs
and took the oath of Executors prescribed by law.
A Copy Test.
H. H. DOUGLASS, Clerk of said Court
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