1845 Will - George Rives
Shelby County, Tennessee
Will Book 1C, Pages 313-317
14 Mar 1845
Transcript
I George Rives do make and publish this as my last Will & Testament hereby revoking and making void all other wills by me at any time made. First I direct that my funeral expences and all my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out of monies due my for negro hire and other sources that may first come into the hands of my executors. Secondly I bequeath to my niece Ann E. Rives, daughter of William Rives two negro fellow (To Wit) One negro man named Congo aged about forty and one other negro man named Bob, aged about twenty one years. It is further my will & desire that if the said Ann E. Rives die without issue before she shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years then the said negro Congo & Bob shall descend to her oldest brother George H. Rives. I also bequeath to my niece the said Ann E. Rives all my miscellaneous and classical books. Thirdly I bequeath to my nephew George H. Rives son of William Rives the following named negroes (To Wit) Sally a woman about forty two years old, together with her two youngest children both female now living. It is further my will & desire that if the said George H. Rives should die before he shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years without issue then the said negroes Sally & her two youngest children now born shall descend to my niece Ann E. Rives provided she be then living but should she the said Ann E. Rives be not then living then the said negroes Sally and her two youngest children now living together with the Negro Men Congo and Bob which will have descended to him the said George H. Rives by the death of his sister Ann E. Rives shall descend to my niece Adelaide R. Rives. I also bequeath to my niece Adalaide R. Rives daughter of Christopher Rives one negro girl daughter of the said Sally named Patty about six years of age and provided she shall die without issue before she shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years then the said negro girl named Patty together with the above mentioned negroes (to wit Sally and her two youngest children now born and Congo and Bob should they have descended to her by the death of the said Ann E. and George H. Rives shall descend to her brother Nathaniel D. Rives. Fifthly I bequeath to my niece Dorinda Rutherford daughter of my sister May Rutherford One negro girl daughter of the said Sally aged about eighteen years of age named Hanna and if she died without issue before she shall have arrived at the age of twenty one years then the said negro girl named Hanna shall descend to her next sister Mary Rutherford Sixthly I bequeath to my mother Mary Rives my riding horse saddle, bridge of the value of one hundred dollars, and also one other sorrel horse of the value of thirty dollars also one black leather trunk & one other light colored hair trunk. Seventhly I bequeath to my friend William T. Avery all my law books, also one suit of cloaths consisting of the following described articles to be selected by himself out of my wardrobe To-wit One Black coat, one black cloth cloak, one pair Black French Doe skin casement pants, one twilled silk vest, one black silk figured neckerchief, one pair fine calf skin boots, one fine silk handkerchief, one shirt and drawers, also one leather traveling trunk. Eightly I bequeath to my friend John L. Williams one suit of clothes composed of the following articles (viz), one cloth coat, one pair black French Doe Skin casemier pants, one black satin vest, one find Beaver hat, one black cloth overcoat one fine silk handkerchief, one fine black silk scarf, one shirt & pair drawers and remainder of my wardrobe I bequeath to my friends John S. Williams and William T. Avery to be divided between them as they not deem proper, with the exception of the following described suit of cloaths (to-wit) one black cloth coat, one pair blush casimere pants one black silk and flax vest, one pair water proof boots, one leghorn hat, one black silk scarf, one pair drawers, one shirt and one pair suspenders which I desire to be given to a negro boy belonging to my mother named Dick excepting also two other pair of casimere pants which I desire to be given to my negro boy named Bob. Ninethly, I bequeath to my nephew Nathaniel D. Rives son of my brother Christopher Rives and fine rifle gun. It is further my will & desire that my Executor as soon as convenient after my death dispose of the following mentioned property the proceeds which to be handed out to the Lodge of the Independent order of Odd Fellows to wit, One double barrel shot gun, one dray and my half of our office stock. Lastly I do hereby appoint & nominate Thomas W. Wilkerson my Executor. In witness whereof I do to this my will set my hand and seal this the 14th day of March 1845George Rives (Seal)
Signed Sealed and published in our presence and we have subscribed our names hereto in presence of the Testator this 14th day of March 1845.
James Wickersham
H. B. Joiner
State of Tennessee } May Term 1845
Shelby County }
A paper purporting to be the last will & testament of George Rives was produced in open court and thereupon came into the open court H. B. Joiner one of the subscribing witnesses thereto who being first duly sworn deposeth and saith that he was acquainted with the said Testator & that he acknowledged the same in his presence to be his last Will & Testament & that he was of sound mind & disposing memory at the time of signing the same said will is ordered to be filed for further probate and at the June Term 1845 of the County Court the following Probate appears of record, to wit: A paper writing purporting to be the last Will & testament of George Rives deceased which had been proven by the oath of H. B. Joiner one of the subscribing witnesses at a former term of this court, was reproduced to the Court and thereupon came into Court James Wickersham the other subscribing witness thereto who being first duly sworn deposeth & saith that he was acquainted with the said Testator in his lifetime and that he acknowledged the same in his presence to be his last Will and Testament and that was of sound mind and disposing memory at the time of acknowledging the same.
John W. Fuller Clk.
Recorded June the 10th 1845
John W. Fuller Clk