William Washington Seay’s Will
(1801-1875)
In the name of God, Amen. I W.
W. Seay of the County of Smith & State of Tennessee being of sound mind
and memory and considering the uncertainty of this frail and transitory life; do
therefore make, ordain and publish and declare this to be my last will and
testament; that is to say;
First: After all my lawful debts are paid and discharged, the residue of
any estate real and personal I give and bequeath and dispose of as follows; to
wit: To my beloved wife Ann M. Seay
all of my estate both real and personal during her life, to dispose of as she
may see proper and remainder at her death to be divided among my children so as
to make them equal after taken into consideration the amounts already given; to
wit; I have given John P. Seay
forty-six hundred and fifty dollars; to D.
V. Seay the same amount of forty-six hundred and fifty dollars; to my
daughter Caroline Ophelia Wallace
the amount of sixteen hundred dollars; to my daughter Ann M. Bridgewater I have given twenty-six hundred fourteen
dollars; also to Charles J. Seay
Forty-four hundred and thirteen dollars;
Also I have given to Thomas J.
Seay Thirty-one hundred and four dollars;
also I have given Eliza V. Seay
one hundred and seventy-three dollars;
My daughter C. E. Turner who
died in October 1862 leaving one child, a girl child bearing her name, I gave
my daughter C. E. Turner about six
hundred dollars before her death, after her death it fell in the hands of E. Turner; Now my will is that the Turner child shall not have any more of
my estate unless my wife shall see fit to give it something before her death,
but should she give the child anything, not one cent is to get in the hands of Edward Turner, as he would not even
give me the child to raise, but put it out in the hands of strangers.
Now as there may no misunderstanding
may arise about the intention of this my will it is Eliza V. Seay has received but little of my estate and therefore
she must first receive as much as Caroline
O. Wallace and afterwards Eliza V.
Seay and Caroline O. Wallace must
both receive as much as Ann M.
Bridgewater, which would take one thousand and fourteen dollars to each,
after those three children, Caroline O.
Wallace, Ann M. Bridgewater is
equal and Eliza V. Seay, they they
are each to receive such amounts as to make them equal with Thomas J. Seay, after that is done them
Caroline O. Wallace and Ann M. Bridgewater and Thomas J. Seay and Eliza V. Seay to make up to the amount received by Charles J Seay and after that is done,
should there be enough of my estate left then the four above named children to
be made up equal to John P. Seay and
D.V. Seay, after that is done if
there is anything left, then to be equal between my seven children, John P., Caroline Ophelia, Ann M., Charles
J., Eliza V., D.V. Seay and Thomas J. Seay.
Now all of the property that may go to
my three daughters, Caroline Ophelia
Wallace, Ann M. Bridgewater, and Eliza V. Seay after my death and that of
my wife Ann M. Seay, shall go to
them during their lifetime and after death to their children.
March
the 14th, 1866
State
of Tennessee
Smith
County
County
Court April Term 1874
Be it remembered that on this the 6th
day of April, 1874, before worshipful County Court, a paper writing purporting
to be the last will and testament of W. W. Seay bearing date March 14th
1866 was produced in open court and offered for probate, when it appeared from
said paper writing that the same was not signed by any witnesses and was signed
by the testator W.W. Seay; then come
here in open court, Thomas J. Seay, John
S. Gill, John B. Wilson and W. H. Aust, who being sworn in open court,
deposed as follows, Thomas J. Seay deposed that the signature to said writing
was the genuine signature of W.W. Seay that the paper writing purported to be
the last will symbol and testament of same W.W. Seay and the same was found
after his death among his valuable papers and that the same said W.W. Seay has
lately died in Smith County, Tennessee;
John S. Gill, John B. Wilson and W. H. Aust deposed that they were
acquainted with the handwriting and the signature of W. W. Seay and that the
paper here shown them was in the handwriting of same W. W. Seay and that the
signature thereto was his genuine signature and that he was of sound mind and
disposing memory at the date of said will.