Person:Mary Ward (115)

Will Transcript

Will of Mary Lincoln.

I, Mary Lincoln, of the County of Carter and State of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory, though •weak of body, and being anxious to dispose of such worldly property as my Creator has blessed me with, do hereby make, ordain and establish this as my last will and Testament, I give my soul to God who created it, hoping that He will receive and bless me in a world of happiness hereafter; and when I shall have departed this life, I desire that my executor hereinafter named shall give my body a decent and christian burial.

First. I will, give, devise and bequeath to Campbell Crow, the lower plantation, it being the one on which he now lives, adjoining the lands of Alfred M. Carter on the west and south and of John Carriger on the east.

Second. I will, give and bequeath to Phoebe Crow, wife of Campbell Crow my negro girl Margaret, and her four children to-wit, Lucy, Mina, Martin and Mahala.

Third. I will, give, devise and bequeath to William Stover the plantation on which I now live with all the hereditaments and appurtenances to the same belonging, the said plantation supposed to be composed of two different parcels and adjoining John Carriger's home plantation and believed also to adjoin the land of Alfred M. Carter on the south and bounded on the east and north by Watauga River.

I give the said plantation to the said William Stover to have, hold and enjoy during his life and at his death to descend to his heirs.

Fourth. I will, give and bequeath to William Stover the following negroes, to-wit: Patsy (a negro girl) and her two children, Cynthia and Landon; also negro woman Jane and her two children, Sam and Tom; also negro woman, Mary and her six children, to-wit; Elizabeth, Campbell, Margaret, Charlotte, Delphy, and Bill; also Caesar and Lucy, who I desire the said William Stover to permit to remain during their lives on the plantation which I have hereinbefore bequeathed to him. It is my will that the said Stover so long as the said Caesar and Lucy continue to live shall clothe and support them. I also give and bequeath to the said William Stover three other negroes, to-wit; George, Phoebe, Eliza, children of Lucy, whom I wish the said William Stover to permit to remain on the home plantation that they may take care of the aforesaid negroes, Caesar and Lucy, during their lives.

I also give and bequeath the following other negroes to the said William Stover, to-wit: Esther, and her seven children, that is to say Lavisa, Violet, Juba, Lucinda, Mary, Lewis and Phoebe. I also give and bequeath to the said William Stover two other negroes to-wit: William and Isaac, children of Lucy.

Fifth. I also give, devise and bequeath to the said William Stover all my horses, cattle, hogs and sheep, my wagon, all my farming utensils, my household and kitchen furniture and all the debts, dues and demands which may be owing to me at the time of my decease.

Sixth. I also, will, give and bequeath to Campbell Crow my interest in any crop which he may have attended for himself upon my land, or which he may be attending for himself upon my land at the time of my decease.

Seventh. I also will, give and bequeath to William Stover, all the grain of every description which I own at the time of my death.

Eighth. .1 will, give and devise and bequeath to Christian Carriger, Senior, the following negroes, to-wit: negro wonian, Lettie and five of her children, to-wit: Christy, Tennessee, Mordecai, Nathaniel and also said Letty's youngest child.

Ninth. I will, give and devise to Mary Lincoln Carriger, daughter of Christian Carriger, Senior, three negro girls, children of Letty, to-wit; Sarah, Saraphina and Ann.

Tenth. I will, devise, give and bequeath to William Stover all other real and personal estate, not herein before specially named of which I may be possessed or the owner at the said time of my decease.

Eleventh. I require the said William Stover out of the estate herein bequeathed to him. to pay and discharge all of the honest debts or claims which I may be owing or which may be against me at the time of my death.

Lastly. I do hereby constitute, nominate and appoint the said William Stover, the Executor of this my last will and testament, and it is any will that the said William Stover be not required to give my security for the discharge of his duties as executor of this my last will and testament.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the 27th day of April in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-four.

her

Mary X Lincoln (Seal)

mark

Signed, sealed and acknowledged in the presence of

Thos. A. R. Nelson.

A. M. Carter, A. W. Taylor

[Source: "The Lincoln Family Magazine, Genealogical, Historical and Biographical", edited by William Montgomery Clemens, Vol. One and Two, January 1916 to April 1917, William M. Clemens, Publisher, New York].

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

   http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bhreed&id=I14748

2.   Clemens, William M. (William Montgomery). The Lincoln family magazine : genealogical, historical and biographical. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977-1978).

   A descendant of the Tennessee Lincolns, writing under date of May 1915, furnishes the following: "1 am sending you copies of the wills of Isaac and Mary Lincoln of Tennessee. My great-grandmother was Louise Carrigers (nee Ward) whose sister Mary Ward married Isaac Lincoln, great uncle of President Lincoln. Thomas Lincoln, father of Abraham, worked as a farm hand for his uncle, Isaac.
   
   "My grandmother's sister, Mary Lincoln Carriger was named for her aunt, Mary. In her will Mary Ward Lincoln gave ten negro slaves to my great-grandfather Christian Cairiger, who was well to do, and did not need them. She gave all her remaining roperty to her nephew, William Stover (son of her sister, Phoebe Ward) and Daniel Stover, when poor "Abe" was so very poor and needy. Would it not have changed the history of these United States if Abraham Lincoln had only received what was bequeathed to William Stover. Perhaps Abraham Lincoln was predestined to be poor as was his father before him. Had he been made the heir of Aunt Mary Lincoln, perhaps the illustrious Abraham would not have struggled in proverty, and would never have amounted to 'a row of pins,' Had Thomas Lincoln remained in the employ of his uncle Isaac how different his life would have been."