Will of John Bristow
of Clark County, Kentucky1
The following is the manner I wish my property to be disposed of at my death:
My Negroes to be free and my executor will go to Todd County or that neighborhood and lay out $1800 in good land for that county as soon as he can get the money and move Elijah & his family and Thirsay and her family and divide the land between them and at Thirsay's death her part of the land to go to her children. I give Elijah and Thirsay my wagon and three horses and buy each of them a cow to give them milk in that county. I am in hopes in a few years they will find it their interest to go to Liberia; in that case, the land to be sold and appropriated to that purpose, or to any other colony the United States may provide.
My will is that Stephen have $300 to be loaned out by my executor at the best interest possible and give him the interest annually and keep principal until he shall need it or not able to maintain himself.
$80 dollars to be appropriated to move the above named Negroes and buy them provision. I [charge] my executor to give each of my Negroes, old and young, a blanket out of the house.
My real and personal estate to be sold, my land to be sold at private or public sale, at the discretion of my executor, and my executor is fully impowered to make the conveyance, when sold, out of the second and third payment.
My will is my executor pay my wife $1000, as there is a marriage contract between us, and she is not entitled to any part of my estate by law, nor have I any thing to do with hers.
I have two notes on William Donaldson, in Shelby County, one for three hundred and fifty dollars, the other for $21. My will is my executor collect the money and lend it out for 8 percent and collect the interest annually and lend it out, i.e., until Sally B. Donaldson, daughter of Lucy Donaldson, deceased, becomes 12 years old; then, the whole of the interest to be appropriated to clothe and school the children. When married, the money to be paid over to her; if she dies before she is married, the money to be paid over to Cealey Scruggs, sister to my former wife.
My will is that John B. Dobyns and Philadelphia Bristow have each of $500 to be paid out of the sale of my land; Philadelphia have hers out of the second payment and the said $500 to be lent out and the interest to be applied to her use at the discretion of my executor, and my executor for his services shall have one thousand dollars and his expenses borne and a dollar per day every day he is in actual service for my legatees and after all the above legatees are paid off, that the balance be paid to Sally G. Dobyns and Virginia Parrish, and I hereby appoint Edmund H. Parrish my sole executor of this my last will & testament. Given under my hand & seal this second day of November 1835.
John Bristow
Codicil: The first — my will is wife shall have two of my mares, viz: a mare called Beck and a young sorrel mare with a blaze face, 4 years old, and my carriage IC[?], done this 20th of January 1838.
John Bristow
Acknowledged in presents of:
Matthew D. Hume
Codicil: The second — my will is instead of the legacy to my wife be paid to her out of the second and third payment of the sale of my land, my will is she shall have one-half paid to her at my death, the other half in twelve months. Given under my hand and seal this 15th day of March
John Bristow
Acknowledged in presence:
E. V. Scruggs
Perry Wornall
Codicil: The third — It is my will that my legatees, Sally G. Dobyns and Virginia Parrish, pay to my wife fifty dollars per annum, commencing one year after my death, as long as she may live. It is also my will that my wife have a man cow, the mother of the bull calf I gave Abram Irvin, also one of the twin calves that was calve last summer. Given under my hand this 21st February 1840.
John Bristow
Attest: James R. Wornall
Clark County April Court 1840.
This last will and testament of John Bristow, deceased, was produced in Court and proved, according to law, to be in the hand writing of said testator by the oaths of Thomas Wright and Archibald Bristow; the first codicil, by the oath of Matthew D. Hume, a witness thereto subscribed; the second codicil, by the oaths of Perry Wornall and E. V. Scruggs, all to be in the testator's proper hand writing; James R. Wornall proved the last codicil, a witness thereto subscribed; and ordered to be recorded and, on the motion of Edmund H. Parrish, the executor therein named, who made oath thereto as the law directs, certificate is granted them for attaining a probate thereof, in due forms, giving security, whereupon he, together with Matthew D. Hume and Caleb Parrish, entered into and acknowledged their bond in penalty of $20,000, conditioned as the law directs.
Att: James P. Bullock, CCCC.
1 Clark Wills 9: 437 ff. Transcript by J. Gary Woodward, Feb 2000.
