EXECUTORS RECORD A

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

Mr. Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith of Jackson has published seven genealogical miscellanies for Henderson County.  He wishes to share this information as widely as possible and has granted permission for these web pages to be created.  We thank Mr. Smith for his generosity.  Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2001

Although the loose (original) wills and the recorded wills in the office of the county court clerk of Henderson County, Tennessee burned July 3, 1895, the Executor Record A was somehow saved from this tragic courthouse fire. Hence MOST of the names of testators/testatrixes (will-makers) whose wills were probated in this county from 1861 are known from this record and those covered from that date through 1895 therein have been abstracted herein. (The recorded wills date from 1895 in Will Book 3.) The data herein, in many instances in the early years, may be correlated with pertinent information in the Henderson County Court Minute Book, 1860-1866, such as dates when wills were admitted to probate and other relevant information generated from estate matters brought before this court.

According to law all "last wills and testaments" had to be probated/proven before the county court soon after the will-maker's demise at which time the individual(s) named in these documents as executors (males) or executrixes (females) were appointed by the court to act in that role, or soon thereafter; the names of bondsmen were also filed. Sometimes designated persons failed to act in the role of "execution," either because they too had died or they refused to act; or the testator failed to name an executor in which instance the court appointed an administrator "with the will annexed" to serve in the same capacity. The key instructions for the testator/testatrix was that he or she would "take into your possession all the property and to make the next court a perfect inventory there and make due collection of all debts; and after paying all the just demands against the testator and settling up the business of said estate according to law, you will pay over and deliver the property and effects that may remain in your hands and do all other things that may be required according to the provisions of the said will and the laws of the land."

An example illustrating the abstracted data in this publication:

Testator/Testatrix:
Executor/Executrix:
Date Executor/Executrix appointed:
Bondsmen of Executor/Executrix:

JOSEPH DOE
Mary Ann Doe
May 5, 1873
Charles Jones, Ben Brown, Sam Smith
PAGE ONE

HENRY B.SHERROD
Lafayette F. McHaney, A. H. Rhodes
January 9, 1861
Daniel M. McCallum, Richard B. Jones

WILLIAM BRIGANCE
William H. O'Guinn
February 4, 1861
Andrew E. Aydelott, William A. Presley, Pleasant W. Austin
PAGE TWO

WILLIAM RHODES
Mary Rhodes
March 4,1861
James Rhodes, Henry Powers

HUGH CARROLL
John S. Carroll
July 1, 1861
William Carroll, John H. Galbraith, Daniel M. McCallum
PAGE THREE

WILLIAM BRIGANCE
William H. O'Gwinn
August _,1861
J. W. G. Jones, D. M. McCallum, R. S. Swift, B. H. Clark
(same as William Brigance on page one but with other bondsmen)

JOSEPH READ
John L. Read, William Read
January 6, 1862
Clark M. Harman, Gennings Deer, Pleasant H. Nelson
PAGE FOUR

MARGARET McRAW
James McRaw
January "O", 1862
L. C. Smith, David Rice

THOMAS MORGAN
Isham C. Burrow
April 7,1862
Joseph Bell, George W. Hill
PAGE FIVE

THOMAS P.WHITE
Mary White
May 5, 1862
John Lawler, Edmund B. Webb, John R. Teague

THOMAS BARROW
William Stewart
June 2, 1862
John Stewart, John A. Muns, David T. Spain
PAGE SIX

HUGH CARROLL
Nancy A. Carroll
February 5, 1866
John S. Carroll, William Carroll
(same as Hugh Carroll on page two but with new executrix)

JAMES A.WELCH
George Johnson
April 2, 1866
W. J. White , A. T. Johnson
PAGE SEVEN

SARAH C.WILLIAMS
Stephen T. Thomas
April 2, 1866
E. N. Moore, William T. Carroway, John A. Smith

MARY TYE
P. W. Austin
May 7, 1866
M. W. Turner, A. F. Smith
PAGE EIGHT

JAMES T.DOUGLASS
Elizabeth Douglass, A. Y. Douglass
June 4, 1866
Thomas Stanford, S. W. Mitchell

L. G. THOMAS
Jane Thomas
July 2, 1866
W. C .McHany, A. P .Lipscomb
PAGE NINE

VINCENT WOODS
John Woods
November 5, 1866
T. M. Stubblefield, James F. McKenzie

JAMES M.WHYTE
Jasper Adams
March 4, 1867
D. F. Adams, Henderson Taylor
PAGE TEN

ROBERT H.RAMSEY
A. S .McCallum
September 2, 1867
L. H. Johnson, W. J. Johnson, W. G. Inman, G. A. Puryear

ROBERT COZORT
Benjamin F. Morris
September 2, 1867
J. R. Rust, J. C. Miller, E. F. Jerden, Moses Segraves
PAGE ELEVEN

PRISCILA LEWELLING
Alfred M. Lewelling
November 4, 1867
Sutton Manley, Jasper Rogers

JAMES HOWARD
V. H. Trice
December 2, 1867
Henry Lassater, A. H. Rhodes
PAGE TWELVE

LLOYD SPARKS
E .M. Sparks
December 2, 1867
William Thomas, M. W. Fowler

BENJAMIN SMITH
G. B. Smith
January 6, 1868
E. B. Burkett, John M. Rhodes
PAGE THIRTEEN

HARMAN ADAMS
Thomas C. Adams, Henderson Taylor
January 6, 1868
Howell Olive, Jeremiah White

ANN CAVINESS
Jackson Anderson
March 2, 1868
Sutton Manley, W. K. Kirbitt
PAGE FOURTEEN

WILLIAM TIMBERLAKE
Henry Lassater
October 6, 1868
A. H. Rhodes ,William F. Brooks

SARAH ARGO
D. W. Perkins
November 2, 1868
H. F. Wilson, A. A. Rhodes
PAGE FIFTEEN

DANIEL WEBB
Edmund B. Webb
April 5, 1869
Abner Lawler, John Teague

WILLIAM RHODES
J. B. Rhodes
November _, 1869
James Satteram, B. J. Rhodes, Jerry Rhodes, I. J. S. Pearson
(same William Rhodes on page two but different bondsmen)
PAGE SIXTEEN

GEORGE W.POOL
Catharine Pool
December 4, 1870
"Being excused from the provisions of said will from giving bond"

MARTHA JANE WOOLY
Andrew J. Wooly
August 1, 1870
W. R. Scates, Samuel Hayes
PAGE SEVENTEEN

RUTHA HIATT
R. R. Thompson
June 3, 1872
John Thompson, A. E. Aydelott

ISRAEL RHODES
A. A. Rhodes
December 7, 1872
L. N. Timberlake, Rich. C. Fuller, Thomas Fesmire, John M. Rhodes
PAGE EIGHTEEN

SILAS GRIDER
S. E. Grider
July 1, 1872
J. B. Rhodes, John N. Wheatley, E. E. Kee, M. H. Brown, Robert Purdy

ISRAEL RHODES
A. A. Rhodes
March 3, 1873
Jasper Adams, E. Burket, S. M. Young, T. A. White, John Fesmire, J. D. Cozort, John Pearson, John G. Penix
(same person as on page seventeen but different bondsmen)
PAGE NINETEEN

THOMAS G.WHEATLEY
Allen K. Jones
April 3, 1873
John C. Trice, William C. Trice

D. H. McCOLLUM
A. F. Smith
May 6, 1873
A. F .McCollum, G. W. Carter
PAGE TWENTY

ELISHA BOND
James W. Pennington, W. H. Bond
August 4, 1873
Samuel Pearce, D. A. Parish

ISRAEL CARTER
G. W. Jones
August 4, 1873
William Altom, L. A. Stanford
PAGE TWENTY-ONE

L. B. STANFILL
R. T. Stanfill, J. N. Stanfill
June 1, 1874
Edmond Gawf, J. C. Gawf /as rendered in the original record!/

JOSEPH M. MORRIS
Nancy Morris
June 1, 1874
John K. Clark, John G. Walson
PAGE TWENTY-TWO

L. B. WILLIAMS
W. R. Mullins
December 7, 1874
G. W. Council , A. C. Williams

ELIZA WEST
John West
December 10, 1874
William H. Warren, A. W. Harmon
PAGE TWENTY-THREE

W. K. CORBITT
Jackson Anderson
February 1, 1875
J. W. H.Knowls, O. P. White, B. J. Young

WILLIAM TAYLOR
Oliver P. White
May 6, 1875
B. J. Young, Jackson Anderson
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR

HENRY LASSETER
Elijah F. Boswell
June 7, 1875
L. A. Stanford, John S. Fuller, John B. Boswell, James Moffitt

MARTHA JANE BALLARD
William Bell
November 1, 1875
John H. Day, Joseph Bell

PAGE TWENTY-FIVE

LEVI H.WALKER
William Johnson
April 3, 1876
Elias F. Parish, John Bray

MICAJAH JOYNER
Archibald Joyner
December 4, 1876
B. H. Brown, C. R. Scarborough
PAGE TWENTY-SIX

GEORGE JOHNSON
George Johnson, W. C. Trice
January 1, 1877
Halcombe Robertson, William J. Hodges

BRYANT FRY
J. H. Fry
October 2, 1876
C. R. Scarborough, R. H. Read, John McCall
PAGE TWENTY-SEVEN

NANCY PHILLIPS
John R. Teague
June 4, 1877
Riley Johnson, W. H. Denison

PRETY MORRIS
Stephen Hollowell
October 1, 1877
G. G. Moore, R. Williams, J. B. Duke
PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT

NANCY C.SKINNER
James H. McAdams
November 5, 1877
J. B. Rhodes, Erwin McAdams

SUSAN C.BOREN
E. J. Timberlake
February 6, 1878
Samuel Howard, L. A. Stanford
PAGE TWENTY-NINE

ALLEN HAMM
A. B. Hanna
May 6, 1878
E. D. Smith, P. W. Hassell

JAMES HART
M. D. L. Hart, Henry C. Hart, W. H. Hart
July 10, 1874
No bondsmen given
PAGE THIRTY

WILLIAM STEWART
A. Stewart
October 7, 1878
John Stewart, W. R. Peeler

Mrs. MOLLIE E. HANEY
E. E. Tarbet
July 7, 1879
Samuel Howard, John H. Howard
PAGE THIRTY-ONE

JOHN PARSONS
J. F. Parsons
December 1, 1879
J. N. Timberlake, B. J. Teague, Clark Diffee, L. F. McHaney, Jesse Winslow

MARTHA BROWN
J. D. Brown
February 9, 1880
John Brown, J. M. Wadley
PAGE THIRTY-TWO

WILLIAM STEWART
A. Stewart
April 5, 1880
Reuben Stewart, F. B. Peterson
(same person on page 30 but with different bondsmen)

ELVY EUBANKS
May 3, 1880
B. W. Foster, William Bird
PAGE THIRTY-THREE

SOLOMON BIRD, JR. (Nuncupative Will)
Green West
July 8, 1880
R. J .Dyer, J .M. Wadley

Lower portion "x'ed" out
PAGE THIRTY-FOUR

ROBERT MATHEWS
D. W. Knowles
April 7, 1881
W. C. Christopher, J. W. H. Knowles

EDMOND KNOWLES
J. W. H. Knowles, D. W. Knowles
April 25, 1881
C. F. McHaney, W. H. Wilson, G. H. Priddy, J. A. Teague, M. L. Gallaway, Jackson Anderson
PAGE THIRTY-FIVE

ELIZABETH BLAIR
W. H. Warren
September 5, 1881
E. J. Timberlake, J .S. Fielder

JOEL PHILLIPPS
Samuel Phillipps
January 2, 1882
J .N. Timberlake, J. P. McKinney, R. D. Moffitt
PAGE THIRTY-SIX

JOHN JONES
Lucy Jones
May 1, 1882
E. W. Walker, I .C. Jones

EDWIN RHODES
Robert Rhodes, John A. Rhodes
August 7, 1882
T. N. Rhodes, J. L. Phelps, G. B. Wallace, W. M. Rhodes
PAGE THIRTY-SEVEN

CHARLOTTE BRAY
Ann America Bray
December 4,1882
B. H. Brown , D. F. McHaney

WILLIAM BRODIE
Z. T. Wilson
March 5, 1883
E. G. Whitehead, J. M. Evans, J. H. Wise, J .B. Duke, J .B. Hays
PAGE THIRTY-EIGHT

ENOCH DOUGLASS
John G. Douglass, colored
October 13, 1883
Alick White, Smith Hart

JOHN B.ARMSTRONG
Jackson Anderson
October 9, 1884
O. P. White, A. G .Douglass
PAGE THIRTY-NINE

Miss ARABELLA HARMON
Adeline Warren
April 6, 1885
By provision of will not required to make bond

WILLIAM BELL
O. P .White
March 1, 1886
Jackson Anderson, B. J. Teague
PAGE FORTY

HENRY TAYLOR
W. H. Pugh
December 6, 1886
O. P. White, Jackson Anderson

HOSA (Hosea) PRESLAR
Dugal W. Ross
May 7, 1888
Isaac Davis, J. R. Scott, Stephen Preslar, M. A. Maness, F. M. Stubblefield
PAGE FORTY-ONE

LOUISA EVANS
J .T. Bradfield
September 6, 1888
J. C. Carrington, S.D. Carrington

ENOCH R.LAWLER
W. T. Lawler
September 12, 1888
W. F .Brooks ,J. C. McHaney
PAGE FORTY-TWO

JAMES M. LANIER
Catherine Lanier
August 4, 1890
J. H. Lanier, C. F .McHaney

MARANDA TAYLOR
J. E. Sisson
August 4, 1890
J. L. Murry, T. A. Sisson
PAGE FORTY-THREE

W. L. SMITH
T. N. Smith
September 11, 1893
E. D. Smith, J. F. Dyer, H. F. Smith, J. F. Smith, J. I .Dyer, J .B. Smith

Lower portion blank
PAGE FORTY-FOUR

ROBERT KIZER [see Note 2]
M. C. Kizer
January 29, 1894
S. L. Kizer, Josie Kizer

WILLIE CARRINGTON [see Note 1]
G. W. Jones, S. M. Bolen
September 2, 1895
J. L. Gooch, J. W. Rosser, R. Williams, C. R. Scott, C. F.McHaney, J. H. Howard
PAGE FORTY-FIVE

S. P. BOON
J. H. Barr
May 1894
No bondsmen listed

Lower portion left blank
PAGE FORTY-SIX

ELIZABETH REED [see Note 3]
G. W. Jones
October 1, 1894
L. A. Stanford, J. T. Stanford

Lower portion left blank
PAGE FORTY-SEVEN

JOHN SHODIX [see Note 4]
A. B. Hanna
November 12, 1894
J. J. Stanfill, J. R. Record

Lower portion left blank

Notes:

  1. Carrington's will was the first recorded in the surviving Will Book 3, pages 2-4. (Carrington and wife were buried on their homeplace in north Henderson County; graves lost; tombstones pushed off graves; relatives placed them in Carrington Cemetery near Wildersville. WILIE CARRINGTON (June 25, 1820-Aug. 10, 1895); first name pronounced as Wylie. Wife, L. F. (Fanny) CARRINGTON, January 28, 1846-January 14, 1916.)
  2. Kizer's will was entered in Will Book 3, pages 18-19, in January 1897.
  3. Reed's will had been destroyed or lost and a copy of it was admitted to probate, October 25,1897.
  4. A partial settlement on Shodix's estate was filed in December 1895, as shown in County Court Minute Book, 1895-1897, page 98.

(The will of Enoch Douglass, on whom an executor's bond is listed in Executors Record A, page 38, was re-recorded in Will Book 3,pages 34-37. It had been probated in October 1883.)

Wills mentioned as being admitted to probate in County Court Minute Book, 1891-1893:

page 10. M. G. MIDDLETON, probated April 7, 1891; Hannah Turner Middleton was appointed executrix.

page 391. N. C. ROBINS, probated April 17,1893

page 454. W. L. SMITH, probated September 11, 1893; T. N. Smith, executor

page 502. WILLIAM REED, probated December 1893

Other works by Jonathan K. T. Smith can be found at the Madison County Records Repository at TNGenWeb.

Return to Table of Contents for A Genealogical Miscellany Henderson County Tennessee

volume I · volume II · volume III · volume IV · volume V · volume VI · volume VII