In the name of God Amen, I James RONEY, Sr. being of sound and disposing mind and memory but weak in body and knowing that life is uncertain and being desirous of having all my temporal business arranged do establish this my last will and testament revoking all others on this 12th day of November in the year of our Lord 1833. Impress I will and bequeath to my beloved wife Catherine RONEY during her natural life the following pieces of property to wit my negro man Charles and negro girl Linia and her choice of horses all of which is to remain hers during her natural life, at her death to be sold by my executors and the proceeds equally divided amoung my children, namely James RONE, Jr. , Sam RONEY, Wm. RONEY, John RONEY, Elizabeth DINNING, Susannah GROVES, Lindy WOODALL, and the heirs of my deceased daughter Margaret CAGE. I futhur will to my beloved wife heretofore named all the money, notes, accounts and property of every description that we was in possession of at the time of our intermarriage for her disposal in any way she may think proper. Impress, I will and bequeath that my executors here after named do select no less than three, nor more than five disinterested and respectable men who shall examine and value all my negroes that I may own at my decease not heretofore disposed of or here in after mentioned and shall class and divide them into eight equal parts, my eight legates above mentioned and my executors shall then number those lots and shall in the presence of as many or all of legates as my attend deposit those numbers so that each of legates may draw for their respective lots and should any of my legates refuse or neglect to draw them one of my executors in the presence of all or as may be present of my legates shall draw said numbers and pass over to each legate the number that may have been drawn for him or her.
Item, I will and bequeath that my plantation on which I live with the appurtenances there unto belonging and all my household and kitchen furniture and all my stock of horses, cattle, hogs and sheep and farming utensils not her to fore disposed of shall be sold on credit of 12 months to the highest bidder at public sale and the proceeds there of equally divided amoung my legates as above named.
Item, I will and bequeath that my executors take unto heir possessions all the money and debts due men that I may die seized of and after paying all my just debts and my funeral expenses shall equally divide the balance amoung all my legates as above mentioned.
Item, I will and bequeath that each of my legates return as their own property the negroes I have her unto given them and that the said negroes are not to be included in the afore mentioned division.
Item, I will and bequeath that the negro girl named Kizzy heretofore given to my granddaughter Susannah HOUSE shall remain hers and her heirs forever.
Item, I will and bequeath that my executors at my death shall give my old negro man Michael his freedom and furnish him with a good suit of clothes.
Item, I give and do her ordain and appoint that my son James RONEY, my son William RONEY,
and my son in law, Christopher WOODALL shall be my executors for this my last will and
testament.
James RONEY(seal)
Signed, sealed and declared to be the last will and testament of James RONEY, Sr. on this 12th
day of Nov. 1833 in the presence of us.
Henry C. WINDBOURN, Allen GROVES, Abram BRADLEY
State of Tennessee, Sumner Co. Court, May Term 1835
The last will and testament of James RONEY dec'd was exhibited in open court for probate and
duly proved agreeable to law by the oath of Henry C. WINBOURN and Aron BRADLEY two of
the subscribing witnesses there to and ordered to be recorded and there upon James RONEY,
Samuel RONEY, William RONEY, and Christopher WOODALL, the executors there in named
all appeared in court and agreed to take upon themselves the execution there of and together with
Thomas GRAINGER and John BRIZENDINE their securities entered into and acknowledged
their bond to the Governor in the sum of twenty four thousand dollars conducted as the law
directs and took the oath of executor prescribed by law. A copy test.
A H DOUGLASS, Clerk