Will of BENJAMIN MERRILL
Will of BENJAMIN MERRILL
Proved in Lincoln Co TN 1830
State of Tennessee, Lincoln County, June 1st in the year of our Lord 1829. In the name of God, Amen, I Benjamin Merrill of the State and County aforesaid, being now of perfect mind and memory, thanks be unto God, calling to mind knowing it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain, this my last will and testament, that is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God, that gave it, and my body I recommend to the earth, to be buried in a decent Christian burial, at the discretion of my executors, nothing doubting at the general resurrection, I shall receive the same again of the mighty power of God. And touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give and dismiss and dispose the same in the following manner & form -- First I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Susan Merrill the house and plantation in which I now live, to maintain her and her children during her widowhood, and she keeps the children together, and if she marries and scatters the children, then the land and plantation to be sold and equally divided with Polly Calvert, Margaritt Merrill, Nancy Merrill Benjamin & Iselene, and if Susan don't marry till the youngest child comes of age, then the land to be sold, & let Susan have a share with the above named, likewise I will to have [sic, but this is a clerk's transcription] our bed & furniture and our cow and calf, and bacon & corn sufficient to maintain them for twelve months, likewise I will my daughter Margaritt Merrill, her bed & furniture, & her horse & cow & calf, as they are now called likewise I will Nancy Merrill and her children Andrew Merrills the sum of ten dollars for the benefit of them, also I will to my daughter Nancy one bed & furniture, and I will to my son Benj my youngest filly & saddle and I will to my daughter Iselene, the little Brindle heifer & I do appoint my son John Merrill to administer on the ballance of my estate, and sell all the ballance of my property, and also sell my negro man Mat, and when the money is collected make an equal divide with all of my children and wife that is a living at that time after debts & charges are satisfied & I further appoint my son John Merrill, sole executor of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other wills by me made, in witness whereof, I have unto set my hand and seal the day and date above written
Benjamin Merrill
Signed and sealed and delivered by the above named Benja Merrill to be his last will & testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the testator
Witnesses, Wm Jones, Abner Merrill & Garrett Merrill
State of Tennessee
Lincoln County Court, January Term 1830, I Brice M. Garner clerk of said court do certify that the foregoing last will & testament of Benjamin Merrill dec'd was produced in open court on the [blank] day of January 1830 for probate & that William Jones, Abner Merrill & Garrett Merrill the subscribing witnesses thereto, being duly sworn state that they saw said testator sign & seal said will, & heard him publish and declare the same to be his last will and testament & that they believed him to be at the time of signing sealing publishing & declaring the same to be of sound mind and memory -
recorded 5th March 1830,
Brice M. Garner clerk