Book A, Transcript Page: 77

In the name of God Amen. I John Braley of the County of Carroll and State of Tennesse being weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given to Almighty God, calling into mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die – do make & ordain this my last will & Testament. That is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it & my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a decent manner at the discrition of my executors, nothing doubting but at the general resirection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise & assign the same in the following manner & form. 1st First I give & bequeath to Mary my dearly beloved wife my negro woman named Dicey to dispose of at her pleasure & her offspring if any I how to my wife Mary. 2nd Secondly I give & bequeath unto my wife Mary my horse & her Saddle & Bridle. 3rd. I give and bequeath all my cattle & house hold furniture and all my plantation tools to my wife Mary Braly. 4th ly It is my will and desire that the above named negro woman Dicey & her offspring if any be and remain as above stated the property of my wife during her lifetime and at her death the said negro negroes if any then living to be sold and the proceeds equally divided amongst my childrens. 5th ly it is my will and desire and I hereby appoint and authorize my wife, that provid the aforesaid negro Dicey have any offspring that she my wife may dispose of one of the said offspring at her own pleasure during her lifetime. 6th ly, and lastly, I do hereby appoint & constitute my wife Mary Braley & my son Milton Braley to be my Executrix and Executor of this my last will & testament & I do hereby revoke and disanunall all former wills or testaments & I do hereby ratify and confirm this to be my last will and Testament. In witness whereof I have herunto set my hand and affixed my seal this twenty eighth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two.

Signed sealed published and pronounced & declared by the said John Braley as his last will & testament In presence of
Amos Waddel
John Waddell

John Braly.

State of Tennessee)
Carroll County Court) September Court 1839

This day the last will and Testament of John Braly was produced in open court and the due executions of the same was duly proven by the oaths of Amos Waddell & John Waddell subscribing witnesses thereto as being the last will & Testament of the said John Braly which was ordered to be recorded. Whereupon Mary Braly the executrix named in said will came into open Court & entered into bond as Executrix of said estate in the sum of one thousand dollars with Amos Waddell & Ephraim P. Knox her security thereto & took the oath the law directs.

A Copy Test
George Hern Clerk
By J. R. Smith D. C.

This text was transcribed by Jere Cox from the typescript entitled Tennessee Records of Carroll County Will Book “A” September, 1822 – 1864 (approximately) created in 1937 under the Works Progress Administration.

Corresponding Resource: FamilySearch has a microfilm copy of the WPA transcript of Will Book A available to view on-line (click here).  A free FamilySearch login is required to view microfilm.

Jere Cox was an early Carroll County TNGenWeb coordinator.  We do not intend to violate Jere’s copyright interests by including the transcription here, but we want to make sure his efforts remain available for future researchers.