ELLIS Wills
Will of EVAN ELLIS
Rowan Co NC December 1796, Book 6
In the name of God amen. I Evan Ellis of Rowan County in the state of North Carolina being weak in body, but in perfect mind and memory thanks be given to Almighty God for his mercies and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, Do make and ordain this my last will and Testament, Principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it to me and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my friends and Exectutors nothing doubting but that at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the might power of God and as touching such worldly goods as it hath pleased God to bless me with I give demise and dispose of in manner and form as followeth - Item, I will that all my just debts be paid by my Executors. Item, I will and bequeath unto my son James Ellis the tract of land whereon I now live containing four hundred and eleven acres to him and his heirs forever, and also my black horse, and one waggon and four P.. of gears belonging thereunto, one cow and calf his choice, and one three year old heifer, two feather beds, bed steads and furniture his choice, and the remaining part of my stock of hogs, one plow and plow tackling, one set of mail rings, one iron wedge, one mattock, and a peice of full cloth. Item: I will unto my cousin William Ellis my great coat. Item: I will that what remains of my stock and all other my estate, except what is before mentioned, and my wearing apparel be valued by three men chosen by my children and all debts due to me be equally divided among my children, John, Evan, William, Isaac, and James Ellis, and I do hereby constitute make and ordain my trusty sons John Ellis & Evan Ellis Executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby disallow and disanul all other wills and bequests by me made or done heretofore, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighth day of December In the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety six -
Signed sealed published and pronounced in the presence of
Thomas [his mark] Brewer, Matthew Johnston, Joshua Jones
(by)Evan Ellis [seal]
(Notation added:) Evan Ellis will Registered Book 6 A.L.O.
I do not know if this is the father of my James Ellis (will follows), whose son William settled in SE MO.
Will of JAMES ELLIS
Lincoln Co TN Nov 1817
In the name of God amen. I James Ellis of the County of Lincoln and State of Tennessee being of sound and [p... proper? peaceful?] mind and memory blessed be God for the same do this seventeenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventeen make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first of all I give and bequeath unto James Ellis my son all the lands and farming tools which I may be in possession of at my death. 2ndly Sarah Ellis my wife is to keep possession of the dwelling house and as much of the farm as she sees proper during her widowhood, then to give the same to James Ellis my son and James Ellis my son is to have one feather bed and furniture and bay filly two years old, one cow and calf and one sow & pigs and Sarah Ellis my wife is to have the bay mare that we got of John Ness, one cow and calf & one sow and pigs that I got from [John/Joshua?] Massey and she is to have as many of the other hogs as she and the Executors think proper for her own use, and she is to have all the house hold furniture which property is to be given up to the Executors at her decease which is to be equally divided among my children and all the rest of my property that I may possess at my decease is to be given up to the Executors to be equally divided among all my children, to wit William Ellis, Jesse Ellis, Huldah Ness, Elizabeth Massey, Polly Curry, James Ellis, and I do hereby make and ordain my two sons William Ellis and Jesse Ellis Executors to this my last will and testament, in witness whereof I the said James Ellis to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal the day and year above written; signed, sealed and declared by the said James Ellis testator to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who was present at the time of signing of the same -- James Ellis
William Ellis
Jesse Ellis
James Ellis
State of Tennessee, Lincoln County} November Term 1817
This the last will and testament of James Ellis was this day exhibited in open court to probate whereupon came Jesse Ellis and James Ellis, two of the subscribing witnesses thereto & made oath that they heard the said James Ellis acknowledge the same to be his last will and testament & that he was at the time of sealing, signing, publishing [copy ends here; page 210 needed]
This is my Ellis line. James's wife was Sarah Riggs. I need help tracing her family back to NJ, as well as identifying Ellis ancestors.
Will of JAMES ELLIS
Recorded Lincoln Co TN July 1849; no probate date here
In the name of God amen. I James Ellis of Lincoln County State of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory but calling to mind the uncertainty of human life do make and ordain this my last will and testament.
In the first place I give and bequeath to my wife Dolly Ellis all my real and personal Estate during her life time after paying all my just debts and funeral expenses .. with the exception of the fifty acre tract of land now occupied by my daughter in law Judy Ellis and that fifty acre tract of land I give and bequeath to my said daughter in law Judy Ellis during her lifetime or widowhood; in the next place I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Arena Ellis after the death of my wife my negro girl Peggy and my negro boy [Thom? Thern?] after paying to her sister Narcissa and Polly each fifty dollars to belong to her and her children born of her body. I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Narcissa Ellis and her children born of her body my negro girl Lucy after the death of my wife. I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Dolly Ellis and her children born of her body my negro girl [Chaney?] after the death of my wife. I give and bequeath to my daughter in law Judy Ellis during her lifetime or widowhood my negro girl Suckey and at her death or marriage I give and bequeath to my grandson William Ellis the said negro girl Suckey and her off spring; and I give and bequeath to my said grandson William Ellis all my land after the death of my wife by paying to his sisters Narcissa Walker and Polly Ellis one hundred dollars each; after the death of my wife I wish my negro woman Racheal to be free and have home on my land during her lifetime and to have a cow and calf and a hog or two and I wish my grandson William Ellis to have the care of her and see that she does not suffer; and the residue if any of my Estate after defraying all necessary expenses I direct that it be equally divided amongst my [four?] grand children except my rifle gun which I give to my grandson William Ellis. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of August in the year oof our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty five.
James Ellis [his mark]
Test: Andrew Buchanan
White Buchanan
I James Ellis make this following codicil to the foregoing will. I give and bequeath to my grandson William Ellis one bed bedsted and furniture and one trunk and I also direct that after my death he shall have one year provision for himself and mother laid off out of such crop as may be in the premises by two disinterested persons, witness my hand and seal this sixth day of August 1848.
James Ellis [his mark] [seal]
Test: Andrew Buchanan
Admitted to Record July 1849.