No offense to the men who write wills, but I always enjoy a will written by a woman.  The list of items is so personal – a small trunk, china dishes, wash bowl and pitcher, dining table, odd set of farm teaspoons, a small clock. 

Laura F. Rowan was the daughter of Dr. Alexander Richard Rowan (1798-1878) and America Simmons (1810-1865).  The couple married December 25, 1828, in Ohio County.  The 1850 census of Ohio County shows Alexander, 62; America Rowan, 50; four daughters and one son lived with the parents at this date – Missouria A., 18, school teacher; America E., 16; Martha E., 13; John B., 9; and Laura F., 8.  Another son, Richard Alexander Rowan, 21, lived next door to his parents with wife Martha J. Rowan, 16.  In the 1870 census its was just Dr. Alexander Rowan, 74, and Laura F., 19.  From reading the will I assumed Laura was an older woman when it was written.  But when she died in 1880, she was only 29 years old.  Her mother died in 1865, and she took care of her father until his death in 1878.  Many members of the family were buried in the Rowan Family Cemetery at No Creek, but some of those graves were moved to Oakwood Cemetery in Hartford.

In her will Laura mentions John Butler Rowan, her brother, sister Martha E. Holbrook, brother Richard Alexander Rowan, sister Elvira Pirtle, nephews Rowan Holbrook, Andrew A. Holbrook and Robert A. Holbrook, her deceased sister Missouria A. Woodward’s children, not named, and Malinda Rowan, of color, ‘in consideration of her kindness to me.’

Will of Laura F. Rowan

Ohio County Will Book D, pages 167-169

After the payment of just debts and burial expenses, I make this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking all others.

My Father, in disposing of his lands required of my brother, John B. Rowan, at my said father’s death, to pay me two hundred dollars in order to equalize the value of the land that I received with that received by my said brother John, from the payment of the said sum together with an accrued interest and said claim to become null and void, in case of my death at any time.

I give to my sister, Martha E. Holbrook, the

plot of ground in front of the house and orchard of W. Oscar Holbrook, being all of the cleared land north of the Hartford and Livermore Road, given me by my father A. Rowan, and being twenty-six acres, more or less.

To my brother Richard A. Rowan and my sister Elvira Pirtle, I give the plat of woodland joining the lands of R. A. Rowan, John B. Rowan and E. Woodward’s, being all of the woodland given me by my father A. R. Rowan, north of the Hartford and Livermore road and being forty-two acres, more or less.

I give to my nephew Rowan Holbrook my bay mare, Bird, my bureau, my small single bedstead, spring mattress, bed pillow and covering to match.  My side saddle to Martha Holbrook.  My eight hogs are to be equally divided between my brothers John B. and Richard A. and my sister Martha Holbrook.

My chest I give to Martha J. Rowan and press to Elvira Pirtle; and my large bedstead to John B. Rowan.  My other bed covering to be equally divided if not disposed of be me before, between Martha Holbrook, Elvira Pirtle, Martha J. Rowan and Martha C. Rowan.

My small trunk I give to Martha Holbrook and large trunk to my nephew Robert A. Rowan.  My china dishes, entire set, to Martha Holbrook.  My dining table to Elvira Pirtle.  The set of teaspoons – silver – from my mother, I give to Martha Holbrook.  The odd set of farm teaspoons to Martha J. Rowan; the remaining set to Martha C. Rowan.

My wash bowl and pitcher to Elvira Pirtle.  Any remaining things I may have overlooked I give to my sister Martha Holbrook, except my small clock I give to my nephew, Andrew A. Rowan, ad my large feather bed and covering to match to Malinda Rowan of color, in consideration of her kindness to me.

I now give to Elizabeth Woodward for use and benefit of my sister M. A. Woodward, deceased, children, to my sister Mary C. Bell, to my sister C. M. Tanner and to my brother William C. Rowan cash, one dollar, to be paid to them by my Executor on the final settlement of my estate.

I hereby appoint John E. Pendleton as my Executor of this, my will, given under my hand in the presence of these witnesses, this the 10^th day of January 1880.

Laura F. Rowan

Witnesses, Obediah B. Chapman, Reuben Barnett

State of Kentucky, Ohio County Court

April Term 1880

I, Sam. K. Cox, Clerk of the County Court for the County and State aforesaid, certify that this writing,

purporting to be the last will and testament of Laura F. Rowan, deceased, was at this term of said county filed for probate and received; and thereupon the same was duly proven by the separate oaths of Obediah B. Chapman and Reuben Bennett, the subscribing witnesses to the same as prescribed by law.  And the same being examined and approved by the court is ordered to be recorded, which has been done in my said office, together with this certificate.

Given under my hand this 5^th day of April A.D. 1880

Sam. K. Cox, Clerk

Ohio County Court