I, LITTLE BERRY EDWARDS, a citizen of the county of SUMNER and State of TENNESSEE, do hereby revoke and annul all previous Testamentary papers and declare this to be my last Will and Testament.
1st. I wish all my just debts paid out of my moneys I may die seized or possessed of, or out of any moneys that my come into the hands of my Executors.
2nd. I give to my son CULLEN EDWARDS, my negro boy, SAM, aged about fourteen years; to my son, BENJAMIN F. EDWARDS, I give my negro Boy, SCOTT, aged about twelve years; to my son, WILLIAM EDWARDS, I give my negro Boy, HENRY, aged about twelve years; to my daughter, PAULINA EDWARDS, I give my negro Girl, ALMIRA, and the increase of her body; and should my daughter PAULINA hereafter marry then it is my wish and intention that the said negro Girl, ALMIRA, shall be hers, during her natural life, free from the control of her husband, and not to be subject to his control, or his debts, and at her death to go to the children of her body.
3rd. I give my wife GINCY EDWARDS during her life or widowhood the tract of land on which I now live, which was bought by me in several small tracts, amounting to some two hundred and forty acres - Bounded by the lands of JOSIAH BARROTT, NOAH COTTON, G. GILLESPIE, and others. I also give her a similar Estate in an other tract of Land called the ANDREW MCCORMICK tract of land, containing some eighty acres, and bounded by the lands of ELIZABETH STONE, SOLOMON LOVE, and others - and in an other tract of seventy acres of land called Ridge Land bounded by the lands of JOSEPH PITT, _____ R. _____ and others I give her a similar Estate. I also give her a like Estate in my stock in the RED RIVER TURNPIKE ROAD, in my two buggies, in all stock of horses, mules, cattle, hogs, corn, fodder, and _____ and pork that may be on hand at my death, also, in my household and kitchen furniture, in all my farming tools of every description, in all my moneys, cash notes, and accounts that may be on hand at my death. I also give my wife, GINCY EDWARDS - during her life or widowhood my negro woman, GINNY, aged about fifty years - my negro man, ALLIE, aged about fifty years, my negro woman, ZILPHA, aged about thirty two years, ELIZA JANE, aged about five years, MOSES, aged about three years, ANNIE, aged about eight years, JOANA, aged about eleven years, ROBERT, aged about thirty seven years, JOHN, aged about eight years, SALLIE, aged about six years, MANDY, aged four years, the three last being children of MARY, a mulatto who was given by Deed of Gift to my daughter ELIZABETH LOVE; HARRIET, aged about sixteen years, and all the increase of the aforesaid negroes.
It is my will and desire that my wife GINCY EDWARDS shall have the power to raise out of any and all of said property twenty hundred dollars to give away, or dispose of for any and all such purposes as she may desire, to be hers absolutely. It is further my will and intention that my wife, GINCY EDWARDS, shall have the power to use any of the property hereby given for her own necessary support and maintainance during her life. She shall further have the power of giving. And should I sell or dispose of any of the negroes or property hereby given to my wife GINCY, or should any of the said property last mentioned die or be lost, it is my will and intention that any such change shall not affect this my last will and testament. It is further my will and intention that my debts shall be paid out of the property hereby given to my wife GINCY.
The property hereby given to CULLEN, WILLIAM, BENJAMIN F., and PAULINA, intended to make them equal with my other children, ELIZABETH LOVE, to whom I have given by Deed a yellow woman, MARY and LETITIA the youngest child of said MARY - LOUISA LOVE to whom I have given by Deed MARTHA ANN, a girl of the age of fifteen years, and PATIENCE COTTON, to whom I have also given by Deed, a negro girl, SARAH THERESA, aged about fourteen years.
4th. At the death or marriage of my wife GINCY EDWARDS, I wish and will that such property as I have settled on her for her life or widowhood, to be then equally divided between my children or their representatives.
Lastly, I appoint my wife GINCY EDWARDS my Executrix, and wish that she shall not be
compelled to give security for the performance of this my will and testament. In testimony
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal on this the 18th day of November
1858.
Existing witnesses -- Signed, executed, & acknowledged
in our presence on this the 18th day of November 1858. L.B. EDWARDS
BENJAMIN B. EDWARDS -- of DRESDAN, TENNESSEE.
H.W. BUGG _____
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