State of Tennessee

Hancock County

Be it remembered that at a county court began and held for the county of Hancock on the first Monday of April being the 6th day there of 1896 present and presiding the worshipful court and J. B. Southern chairman, the following proceedings were had to wit.

Boyd Stewart and wife Emaline Stewart, make application to set up and supply the record of the last will and testament of Rachal Bunch deceased the record of which having been burned in the Court House at Sneedville and the original lost out of the file of wills in the Court House at Sneedville and in the County Clerks Office where it was kept and the same destroyed so it can not be produced and the said Boyd Stewart and Emaline Stewart having proved in open court an attested copy of said Rachal Bunch’s will made and copied by the County Court Clerk and the original having been proven destroyed and the record of the same proven burnt up and the same, the proof of the same in open court this day; the said attested and proven copy is hereby ordered to be recorded in the book of wills as the true will of Rachal Bunch deceased. Said will being in the word and figures following to wit.

Rachal Bunch of Hancock County State of Tennessee do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all other wills by me at anytime made 1st I direct that my funeral expenses and all my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out my money I may die possessed of, or may first come into the hands of my Executors

2nd Secondly: I give and bequeath to my eldest grand daughter Emaline Stewart one half of my lands lying in the gap of Neuman’s Ridge where the said Emaline now lives; one half of my stock of hogs, one half of my bedding, bed clothes and weaving clothes, also my table and cupboard and also one half of my pots or iron vessels.

3rdly I give and bequeath to my other grand daughter Martha Jane Bunch the other half of my lands in the said gap where on the said Martha Jane Bunch now lives; one half of my stock of hogs, one half of my bedding, bed clothes, one half of my weaving clothes, also my chest, one half of my pot and iron vessels; one smoothing iron, one chestnut Sorrel mare and colt and Sorrel mare with a blased face which I bought of Joseph Bunch and as I hold a note on George Goins and Lively Goins for seventy five dollars and the payment secured by deed of trust. Now when this payment is made, and collected my desire is for Martha Jane to have thirty dollars of that money and the residue to be given “Viz” to Jesse Goins, William H. H. Goins, Burton McKinney Goins and Absolom K. Goins and to be equally divided between them – I also further give and bequeath the said Jesse Goins, William H. H. Goins, Burton McKinney Goins and Absolom K. Goins my tract of land containing forty two acres known by the name of Bolen tract on Neuman’s Ridge and to be disposed of in no other way, but for their own proper use.

4thly I give and bequeath to Jesse Bunch Lively Goins Francis Bunch, Samuel Bunch and Joseph Bunch the sum of my daughter Lively one dollar cash to be equally paid by Emaline Stewart and Martha Jane Bunch out of their share of the estate or to be raised and paid by them. Last I do hereby nominate and appoint William Babb my executor in witness where of I do this my will set my hand and seal this 19th day of May 1848.

Signed sealed and published in our presents and we have subscribed our names hereto in the presents of the testator this 19 May 1848.

Rachal (her mark) X Bunch

F? M Burke

James (his mark) X Moore

B. G. Sullivan

State of Tennessee

Hancock County

I Richard Mitchell clerk of the county court of said county do certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the last will and testament of Rachal Bunch deceased as found on record in my office given under my hand at office in Sneedville 27 day of January 1858.

Richard Mitchell Clerk

By A. Campbell D. Clerk

State of Tennessee

Hancock County

I, B. J. Drinnon Clerk of the County Court of said county do hereby certify that the foregojng is a true and correct transcript of the record in the foregoing case as appears of record on file in my office in the matter of Rachal Bunch’s last will and testament and the same is hereby certified given under my hand and the seal of the county court at office in Sneedville the 4 day of April 1898 and of American Independence the 121 year.

B. J. Drinnon Clerk

By L. M. Jarvis Deputy Clerk