Will Transcript
W.C. Wardlaw Will, State of Alabama, Greene County
Know all men by these presents that I William C. Wardlaw being of sound mind and disposing memory and mindful of my mortality, do hereby declare and publish the following as my last will and testament ~ Whereas I have already had my tract of land whereon I now live advertised for sale consisting of one hundred & twenty acres, now if it should please God that I should die before the day of sale, it is my wish and will that my executor should proceed to sell according to the terms of sand advertisement all of my land, and other things now advertised for sale, and in case any thing should happen that the sale is not made at that time I direct my Executor to sell as soon thereafter as convenient upon the same credits and after my death I direct that all the balance of my property be sold by my executor, and out of the proceeds of both real and personal property I bequeath unto my grand daughter Betsey H. Wardlaw the sum of five hundred dollars, unto my granddaughter Caroline Murphey five hundred dollars, unto my daughter Lydia Murphey five hundred dollars, unto my daughters Melinda Roman & Elizabeth formerly Elizabeth Turner five dollars each.
The balance of the money after paying the above legacies to be equally divided among my children John L. Wardlaw, Thomas H. Wardlaw, Zachry Wardlaw, Isaac Wardlaw, Peggy Undly Stephens, Lydia Murphy and my grandchildren, the heirs of William M. Wardlaw and Richard Turner Dec'd.
I mean here by my grandchildren, the children of William M. Wardlaw & Richard Turner alone ~ The aforesaid legacies are to be paid after my executor shall have first paid all my just debts.
I think proper here to state that one half hogs and cattle I now have on hand belongs to my son Isaac Wardlaw.
I do not wish my family Bible sold, I give that to my daughter Lydia ~ I reserve from sale of my land a sufficiency of ground for a road sixteen feet wide leading out from Benjamin W. Stephens south, as agreed upon by myself and said Stephens.
I do hereby constitute and appoint Theophilus B. Murphey my Executor to carry this my last will and testament into effect.
The word "advertised" interlined before signing
signed and sealed this 11th day of February in the year 1840.
[Signed] Wm. C. Wardlaw
in presence of:
Thos. Riddle, Robert Burnes, William Batton
The State of Alabama
Greene County
Orphans Court June the 8th 1840
The Will of William Wardlaw having been presented to the court by Theophilus B. Murphey ~ the executor& proof of its due execution having been made by Robert Burnes, It is ordered that the further proof thereof be continued, till next term of this court to be held the 2nd Monday of July next & that subpoenas issue to Thomas Riddle & William Batton to attend at said term court to prove the same.
The State of Alabama
Greene Court
Orphans Court August 10th 1840
This day the Last Will and Testament of William C. Wardlaw was again presented to the court for probate Whereupon the Court proceeded to examine an oath Thomas Riddle one of the subscribing witnesses thereto touching the legal execution of said Will and the court being fully satisfied from his testimony in adition with the former testimony, It is Ordered by the Court that said Will be received established and recorded.
Attest: A.R. Davis Clerk
