1845 - Harman to Henry & Ruth - Tazewell Co, VA

1845 - Harman to Henry & Ruth - Tazewell Co, VA

07/08/1845

2

In the name of God Amen. I Hez. Harman of Tazewell County, being ill & frail in body but of sound mind & disposing memory (for which I thank God) & calling to mind the uncertainty of human life & being desirous of disposing of all such worldly estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with, I give & bequeath the same in manner as follows to wit, first I desire all my perishable property (not hereafter disposed of) to be immediately sold after my decease & out of the money arising therefrom & pay all my just debts & funeral expenses if this be insufficient let my outstanding debts & scraps of land (not hereafter devised) be applied for that purpose, so far as necessary & at the discretion of my executors hereafter appointed, who I wish to pay for the support of the gospel & charity 50$ in the way I have heretofore done. 2ndly After the payment of my debts do I give to my wife Ruth Frank & Jane a horse beast worth fifty dollars, her saddle & bridle, two cows, ten sheep, two beds, stands & furniture, her bedroom above & below half the kitchen porch the orchard, milk house, all the little meadow & field over the [illegible] the liberty of pasture in any part of my land, to have 1 table, two chairs, the half of the cupboard furniture, her chest, wheels to hold all said property to my wife during her life if she so long continues my virtuous widow, not to hire out any of the salves without their consent & then only to stay a while with the children. 3rdly I give & bequeath to my son Kiah one dollar as I have given to him in advance heretofore about fifteen hundred & thirty four dollars. 4thly I give & bequeath to my daughter Polly Davidson ten dollars, having given her heretofore about nine hundred & ninety dollars. 5thly I give & bequeath to my son Erastus G. Harman one dollar having given to him heretofore about fourteen hundred dollars, most in land. 6thly I give & bequeath to my daughter June G. Harris one dollar she have rec’d heretofore mostly in cash one thousand & seventy five dollars which includes 270$ Henry had to pay [illegible] as James Harris’ security & I repay that to Henry. 7thly I will & bequeath to my daughter Martha B. Neal five hundred & fifty dollars, having paid her heretofore by way of advance one hundred & forty five dollars. 8thly I will & bequeath to my daughter Nancy N. Fudge six hundred dollars, she having rec’d heretofore four hundred dollars including the Eagle place all owing her June & increase after my wife’s death or Frank at $1.00 in part of the 600$ that I now will to her. 9thly I will & bequeath to my daughter Rhonda N. Harman four hundred & twenty dollars, she having rec’d heretofore five hundred & eighty dollars in advance. 10thly I will & bequeath to my son Henry B., Elias G.W., William W. the old place & scraps joining & the Stratton place & scraps joining all in both places contains 9 or 10 little papers, if either scrap title prove is sufficient before or after divided to be equal less to have the Nely Brown 81 & 20 deeds the Grills place 60 acres, the land under Rich Mountain, [illegible] & for Henry to surrender the 50 Henry Stump place as he has not paid for it & for him & the boys to be equal in that also. I also allow Henry if he chooses to have Tom at my decease at five hundred dollars in payment for the 270$ the [?Gareheart?] security debt he paid & the cost in the crop bill suit he paid of about 230$. Also I give him what I have paid him in advance to stand against the first payments he made to Jacob W. Brown in the crop bill suit not named above. I will that Elias or Wm to have Frank or Jane after Nancy N. Fudge to have choice, for the 2 boys to have the other at 400$ in cash or notes when my sale money becomes due. Henry to be liberated at my wife’s death upon his good behavior to be judged of by my executors hereafter appointed if the law will permit his freedom, if not let him choose which of the children shall be his guardian to treat him well in old age. Ruth to be liberated at my wife’s death if the law will permit her freedom, if not let her choose one of my children as her guardian giving her all she may yearn. I allow my estate to give her a comfortable support in old age till death. I think she has been an affectionate attendant in myself & family for which she must be rewarded the legatees claims to my estate as above to become due after my decease at my sale twelve month if any thing remains after satisfying my will above. I wish to be added to my three youngest daughters so far as 100$ each, if still is a remainder let the balance be divided with the nine youngest children. It is my intention that my sons Elias or William who gets Frank or Jane above bequeathed shall pay the $600 the estimate value to my daughter Martha or Rhoda towards the payment of the bequest I have made to said Martha & Rhoda: said $400 to be paid in cash or cash good bonds twelve months after my sale. I bequeath to my sons Elias & William each a good bed, bedstead & furniture. Lastly, I do hereby appoint Reuben C. Fudge, Erastus G Harman & Henry B Harman executors of this my last will & testament, hereby revoking all other wills by me heretofore made. In witness whereof I do hereunto set my hand & affix my seal this 25th day of January 1845.
Signed, sealed, published, & declared Hez. Harman (seal)
by Hez. Harman as & for his last will & testament
in presence of the subscriber, who
at his request & in his presence do subscribe
our names or witnesses. Erasures & interlineations
made before signing by Hez. Harman
J. Straus
A.A. Spotts
David [illegible]

Virginia: In Tazewell County Court July 8th 1845
The last will and testament of Hez. Harman dec’d was proved by the oath of Addison A. Spotts and Joseph Straus subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.
Teste,
J.E. Chapman D.C.

WB 2:303

Last Will & Testament

elderly slaves to be cared for in their old age by family of deceased