Will of Nathaniel Green

Boone County Will Book H, Pages 87-89

In the name of God, Amen.  I, Nathaniel Green, of Boone county, and State of Kentucky, being of sound and disposing mind and memory and understanding do make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making null and void all former wills and testaments and writings in the nature of last wills and testaments by me heretofore made.  Having heretofore at different periods made distributions of a considerable portion of my estate to my children in lands, money and other property, making them as nearly equal in the advancements respectively made to them as may be, I desire that the residue of my estate, after my death, be disposed of in the

Following manner.  To wit:  My will is first that my funeral charges and just debts shall be paid by my executor hereinafter named.  In the second place I give and devise to my daughter Catherine, my Negro man Ben, to be set apart to her by my executors at a fair valuation by two or more disinterested persons, and she is not to part with him unless by his own misconduct, it becomes necessary to dispose of him for his own comfort or safety.

I also give and devise to my daughter Elizabeth my Negro woman Ann, together with her increase to be set apart to her, my said daughter Elizabeth, by my executor in the same manner as provided for in the case of my man Ben.  And she, the said Ann, is to be held under the same restrictions in regard to sale as directed in the case of Ben, as aforesaid.

I further give and devise to my daughter Clarissa and her children my Negro girl Anne Jane, the child of my Negro woman Ann, to be set apart to my said daughter Clarissa at a fair valuation as provided in the case of Ben and Ann and under the same restriction in regard to sale.

I further give my man Ben the sum of one hundred dollars as a token of respect for his faithfulness as a servant to be paid over to Alfred Cason as trustee for said Ben, to be advanced to him by said trustee at such times and in such sums as he, the said Carson, may deem advisable and most prudent, and I have full confidence in the prudence and sound discretion of said trustee.

I also further give to my Negro woman Ann the sum of one hundred dollars as a token of respect for the care she has taken of me in my sickness and her faithfulness as a servant, to be held by Lewis Dills as trustee for said Ann in the same manner as provided in the case of Ben.  And my executor is directed to pay to said trustees Cason and Dills respectively the sum of one hundred dollars for the above purpose from the proceeds of the sale of my estate or any money that may be due me or on hand at my death.

I also give the Negro child Anne Jane a like sum of one hundred dollars to be held by John Henry Smith as trustee and to be paid to her at such times and in such sums as he may deem proper.

In regard to the residue of my estate, both real and personal and of every description, together with the amounts heretofore given and herein devised, I give, devise and bequeath as aforesaid every part and parcel there of as respectively devised, to my daughters Elizabeth, Catherine and Clarissa during their natural lives, to be equally divided among and between them, having due regard to the amounts herein respectively devised so that each shall be made equal and at the decease of my said daughters the children of each of them is to share and share alike respectively their mother’s portion of my estate herein given and devised.

Lastly, I do appoint, nominate and constitute my son-in-law John Henry Smith to be the sole executor of this my last will and testament.

In testimony whereof I, the said Nathaniel Green, have hereunto

Subscribed my name and affixed my seal this fifteenth day of November 1859.

Nathaniel Green

Signed, sealed and declared by said Nathaniel Green to be his last will and testament in presence of us who at his request and in his presence have subscribed our names as witnesses hereto –

Lewis Webb, Washington W. Gaines

I, Nathaniel Green, the testator in the foregoing will do think proper to add thereunto the following codicil.

In as much as my Negro woman Ann has (since making the above will) had another child named Victoria, it is my will that said child, together with any other increase that the said woman Ann may have before my death be equally divided among all my children as named in the foregoing will.

Nathaniel Green

Signed and delivered in the presence of Lewis Webb, Washington W. Gaines

State of Kentucky, Boone County Court

Special August Term, August 23^rd, 1862

This writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Nathaniel Green, deceased, was this day produced in Court and approved according to law by the oaths of Lewis Webb and Washington W. Gaines as subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded as the true last will and testament of said deceased, wherefore the same is duly recorded.

M. Hamilton, Clerk

Nathaniel Green, died August 19th, 1862, aged 82 years, 2 months and 23 days.  Old Burlington Cemetery, Boone County, Kentucky.