Person:Aaron Nash (4)

Will Transcript

I, Aaron H. Nash of Russell County do make and publish this, my last will and testament.

First, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Catharine the lands conveyed to me by Christian Easterly, the Haban land, and all of the John Skeen land lying south east of the present path leading from James Wheeler’s line up by the James Skeen house to the Thomas T. Dickenson corner at the mouth of the cove to have and to hold during her natural life or widowhood with the remainder to my daughter Bettie, wife of Wm. Fields. I give this to my beloved wife in [illegible] all my lands.

2nd. I give and bequeath to my daughter Bettie Fields all the remainder of my lands lying in Russell and Wise Counties east of the Russell Creek [illegible] and top of Sandy Ridge during her natural life with remainder to her heirs forever. Now if my wife Catharine should decline to accept the bequests made to her in the first article of this will, then they are hereby bequeathed to Bettie Fields during her natural life with the remainder to her children.

3rd I give and bequeath to my daughter Martha J. Blackwell wife of Samuel D. Blackwell all my lands lying in the County of Scott with the tract of land lying and being in the County of Wise at the head of Cranes Nest river adjoining the lands of Noah Fuller and others and cash money and interest derived from the estate of William Nash deceased during her natural life with remainder to her children.

4th I give to my wife Catharine and daughter Bettie Fields all my household and kitchen furniture. I further give to my beloved wife my riding mare and two choice cows.

5th My executor shall sell all my steer cattle two years old and older, and as many horses as can be spared from the farm either at public or private sale as he may think better. I give the remainder of my livestock, colts, horses & cattle together with my mechanics, black smith, and farming tools also my threshing machine and mowing machine to my daughter Bettie Fields. This property is to be kept on the farm to run the farm, and to raise property to be sold by my executor and the proceeds applied to restoring the farm and to the discharge of any just debts. After my debts I may have are discharged the proceeds of sale then go to Bettie. And after all my just debts shall have been paid up, if there should be any surplus in the hands of my executor derived from the collection of debts owed to me, it shall be divided equally between my wife Catharine and my daughters Martha and Bettie. The lands I have bequeathed to my wife and my daughter Bettie are to be charged with the support of my son William so long as he can be kept on the farm safely.

6th If from any cause the provisions heretofore made in this will for the payment of the debts I may be liable for should fail to do so, and the lands should become liable for this payment thereof, all the devisees in this will shall contribute in proportions to the amount they have to therein discharge. My executor is hereby authorized and directed to sell and [illegible] my interest in my father’s land lying at Nash’s Ford lying on Clinch River in Russell County and apply the proceeds to the payment of my debts, and the land is excepted from the reservation made to Bettie Fields.

7th It is my wish that William Fields, if he should survive my daughter Bettie (his wife) should have a home somewhere on the lands devised to Bettie and her children.

8th I hereby constitute and appoint William Fields executor this my last will and testament. Witness my hand and seal this 24th day of July in the Year of Our Lord 1880.

[Signed] Aaron H. Nash

Witness

H. H. Dickenson

J. D. Shannon (?)

William J. Dickenson

ClinchValleyTimes.net

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).

   https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/174202378/person/222271128479/facts

2.   .

   From the Gray Farm to St. Paul…
   
   © Jerry F. Couch
   Aaron Nash, William Fields, and how St. Paul Came to Be
   
   Jerry Couch 2Okay, folks, today we’re going to travel back to the year 1876 when George Gray sold Aaron Nash a 297 ½ acre tract of land in a corner of Wise County. Several years later this tract would become the Town of St. Paul – but we’ll work our way up to that point gradually.
   
   Aaron Nash was a wealthy Russell County farmer. His farm was just above old Castlewood on what is known today as the Boody road. We find an oblique reference to him in the Civil War diary of Confederate soldier Edward O. Guerrant whose regiment was encamped at Bickley Mills on August 17, 1862. Guerrant described going to the home of Thomas T. Dickenson (present day “Grandview,” owned by Jo Ellen Harding). He stated that he “crossed the Clinch River near Squire Nash’s,” and that “The Clinch is a muddy, deep, sullen stream, a size or two larger than Slate.”
   
   Fields House
   
   The Nash-Fields house, “Locust Hill”
   
   On November 10, 1880 Aaron Nash died in the 73rd year of his age, leaving behind an estate that consisted of many acres of land but not much cash. In July of 1880, he had his will drawn up. He was in debt and he obviously realized the clock would stop ticking before he could do resolve his indebtedness.