Last Will and Testament of William Christian (March 13, 1786)

Last Will and Testament of William Christian, Page 1

I William Christian now at Kentucky do make this my last Will and Testament as follows—

Having amply and fully given to Mr. Alexander Scott Bullitt and my Daughter Priscilla the Share of Estate intended for her, I have now only to bequeath to my said Daughter Priscilla, a pair of Stone Shoe Buckels, and two gold Rings the whole to cost ten guineas—

I will and devise to my wife Anne five hundred acres of my Beargrass Land to include the Improvements whereon I now live and to be laid off by a line running from the Oxmoor Land to Mr. Bullitt’s parallel with the Dutch Station and Breckenridge’s Line which joins me to her & her Heirs & Assigns for ever. I will and devise to my said wife Anne, James Kavanaugh, James Lumpkins, Peter, Lewis, Titus, & John, and also Dinah & her child Willson & her future increase to her and her Heirs & Assigns for ever— I will and bequeath to my said Anne the whole of my Household & Kitchen furniture, and plantation utensils, including one Waggon & Gears— I bequeath to her also four work Horses & two riding Horses and all the Cattle & Hogs I have to her and Assigns. This devise of the Land & negroes above mentioned, the Bequests of Furniture &c is made to my said wife as a full compensation for and in lieu of her Dower in my Estate both real & personal: for should she claim a Dower, then the Devises & Bequests in this will are to cease & be void and she is to stand to & have her Dower only.

The remaining Part of the Tract I live on, I suppose will be about six hundred & fifty acres, & will be bounded by my wife’s five hundred acres by the Oxmoor, Edmund Taylor., Fleming & Bullit’s Land. This six hundred & fifty acres be it more or less I will & devise to my Daughter Sarah Winston Christian to her & her Heirs and Assigns forever.

Last Will and Testament of William Christian, Page 2

And whereas I own a large Tract of Land upon Elkhorn containing by patent 3000 acres but which I expect will measure 4000 adjoining Flournoys & Meredith, I will and devise to my Daughter Elizabeth one thousand acres out of the said Tract to be laid off so as to include a big Spring, called formerly Bryans Springs, and which lies near the Road from Bryans Station to Robert Johnstons to her and her Heirs & Assigns for ever. It is to be laid off to join Merediths line, as well as to include the Spring. All the rest of the said Tract of Elkhorn after laying off the thousand for my Daughter Elizabeth, I will and devise to my Executors, or such of them as may act to be sold for the payment of my Debts. I also will & Devise to my Executors to be sold for the payment of my Debts my four hundred acres of Land in Mercer County upon Shawney Run purchased from Daniel Trigg to them & their assigns for ever or to such of them as may act.

I will and devise to my Daughters Anne & Dorothea my Tract of Land upon Ohio joining Peacheys land at the mouth of Kentucky containing by patent one thousand acres, which Tract be the Quantity more or less I will & bequeath to my said two Daughters & to their Heirs and Assigns for ever.

I will and devise to my son John Saltsburg and all my adjoining Lands with this Condition; that the profits arising therefrom shall for the first seven Years be wholly disposed of for the payment of my Debts, if necessary in Aid of the Lands which I have ordered to be sold for that Purpose, and in the next place for the maintaining supporting, clothing & educating my Family; That is to say my Single & unmarried Children and my wife while she remains a widow; this Disposal of the said profits to be solely at the Disposal of my wife while she remains a widow without control or being called to any account therefore at any future period. But should she marry, she is from thenceforward to be considered as an Alien in my Family and give up all Directions & power in it & betake herself to the Estate I have given her in lieu of Dower.

To my dear Mother during her natural Life I will and bequeath Tom Body, Sarah & Hannah. —

Last Will and Testament of William Christian, Page 3

Should my wife or Executors as the case may be, be able to save any part of the profits of Saltsburg, or monies arising from the sale of the Lands I have ordered to be sold, after paying my Debts and maintaining & supporting clothing & educating my family as above, such overplus is then to be applied to the equal Benefit in future of my children that may be unmarried; Whenever a Daughter marries she is to have her fortune & to have no more to do with my Estate as she is neither to gain or lose by misfortunes or advantages therein.

The whole of my negroes are to be kept together as a common stock until the Marriage or arrival of age of a child, when such Child is to take off its Share.

Besides the eight negroes above willed to my wife, I will to her besides Edincurg & Cloe, to her and her assigns for ever.

I will & devise to my Daughter Sarah Winston Christian Charles, (got from her grandmother) little Jame, Jenny & their Children, Sarah, Adam, Betty & Jenny & Moses to her and her assigns for ever.

I will and devise unto my Daughter Betsey Noah and York also Sam his wife Ruth & their Children Bill Polly Luke Tom & Little Sam & to her assigns for ever.

I will and devise to my Daughter Annie Phebe, Riah, Ben, Delphi Simon & Lydia also Hannibal & Cesar & to her assigns for ever. —

I will and Devise to Dorothea Will Trigg, Charles Trigg, James Trig, also Venus, Ben, Billy, Melissa & Betty.

I will & devise unto my son John Harry & at my Mother’s Death I will & devise to him Tom Body. At my Mother’s Death I will & devise to my Daughter Sally, Sarah & Hannah to her and her assigns for ever.

Last Will and Testament of William Christian, Page 4

To each of my unmarried Children I bequeath, a good Horse, Saddle & Bridle, to my son, my Gunns & Pistols and Cloaths.

The rest of my Waggons, not now mentioned & Horses & Guns & Kettles & Furniture & utensils at Saltsburg, I will to be employed for the advantage & promotion of the works. My wife is as soon as it can be spared to lay out £200 in building for herself.

I appoint & ordain Alexander Scott Bullitt, James McCorkle & John Brown Esqrs: my Executors, hereby investing all or whoever may act with the full Powers to Execute this Will. Given under my Hand & written with my own Hand this 13th day of March 1786.

WILLIAM CHRISTIAN

At a Court held for Jefferson County May 1786. The foregoing Instrument of writing was produced in Court and by the Oaths of John May Isaac Hite & Frederick Edwards proven to be the hand writing of William Christian dec. and was ordered to be recorded.

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