Book A, Transcript Page: 140

State of Tennessee)
Perry County ) I Joseph Townsend, being through the keeping
of God in a sound state of mind and memory on the 25 day of
August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
forty-three, but calling to mind the frail tenure of this life, and that it
is appointed to all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last
will and testament that is to say, principally and first of all I
recommend my soul into the hand of Almighty God who give it to
me, and the disposal of my body I leave to the entire discretion of
my friends with respects to my worldly estate I give and bequeath
and dispose of it in the manner and proportion here following:

1st I will that all my just debts be paid out of my effects goods
chattels or money

2nd I will that none of the negroes I now own or their increase shall
be sold out of my family or their heirs, but shall have the choosing
of their master or mistress amongst my lawful heirs and that the
negroes shall be valued

3rd I give and bequeath to my son Albert Townsend five dollars in
property.

4th I give to my deceased son Stephen Townsend his daughter
Candis ten dollars in property

5th I will to Nathaniel Townsends widow (Polly Townsend) ten
dollars in property

Finally I will and bequeath that all my negroes and all my other
effects that afterwards remain shall be equally divided amongst
Rachel Hern to who has been endorsed a one hundred dollar cash
note, said note to be taken out of her part of the estate, John
Townsend, Patsy Bilby, Nancy Walker and the heirs of my son,
Albert Townsend. I do hereby appoint and order that John
Townsend and Henry Coble to be appointed joint Executors of my
estate and on the removal by death or refusal of one or both of
them, I do request that the County Court of Perry County, do
appoint a successor or successors for said Executors to carry this my
last will and testament into force and virtue agreeable to the request
therein contained in testamony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.

Joseph Townsend
Test: W. Daniel
D. W. Daniel
State of Tennessee
Carroll County, January Term 1846

Notation on original page posted by Jere Cox:  Sent in by Jan Broxterman the gggg granddaughter of Joseph. Joseph Townsend was born abt 1750 in VA and died Dec 1845 in
Carroll Co, TN. He married Unknown abt 1784

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.