Davidson County TN Archives Wills.....Donelson, Alexander September 9, 1826
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Deborah Parks
http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00002.html#0000452 December 21, 2005,
8:05 pm
Source: Nashville Metro Archives
Written: September 9, 1826
Will of Alexander Donelson
In the name of God amen.
I Alexander Donelson of the County of Davidson and State of Tennessee being of
sound mind and disposing memory, and calling to mind the uncertainty of human
life and being desirous to dispose of all such worldly substance as it hath
pleased God to bless me, do make and publish this my last will and testament
in the manner and form following towit:
1st It is my will and desire that I be buried in a decent and Christian like
manner, recommending my soul to God who gave it. And whereas my relatives
being numerous so that if my estate were divided among them it would not be an
object to any, and if given to a few would occasion complaints with those who
might receive no part, I do therefore,
2ndly Desire unto my nephew Alexander Donelson, son of my deceased brother
Savern Donelson and Elizabeth Donelson, widow, the tract of land on which I at
present reside, situated in Davidson County and containing about four hundred
and four acres be the same more or less, to have and to hold to the said
Alexander and his heirs forever. And whereas I am possessed of sundry Negro
slaves and have acquired said slaves as well as al the property I possess
solely by my own individual exertion and industry and whereas I do believe it
to be the duty of a Christian to deal with his fellow man in a state of
bondage, with humanity and kindness and as I have never married and
consequently am without children of my body and I do believe my happiness
hereafter does in a measure depend upon the disposition I shall make of my
said slaves. I do therefore in conformity with the duty which I consider as a
Christian I owe to God.
3rdly Direct that all the slaves of which I am possessed be emancipated
except one, a Negro man named Jim and my executors herein after named are
particularly charged and required to take such measures as will effect that
object in conformity with the existing laws of the State of Tennessee, and if
my executors shall fail in effecting that object by reason of the refusal of
the County Court to emancipate said slaves, in this state it is my will and
desire and my executors are hereby directed and required to remove them to
some other state at their discretion and there emancipate them, and my
executors are hereby invested with full powers., and are hereby required to
take such measures as will effectively procure the freedom of said slaves with
the exception above named.
4th It is my will and desire that my said executors after my death and after
paying my financial expenses do pay all just debt and demand of and issue out
of the residue of my estate and after the payment of all just demands against
me that they divide the residue of my estate of what ______ it be, among my
Negroes, including the stock on the farm, said distribution to be made at the
sound discretion of my executors they having due regard to the age and
situation of said Negroes, and it is further my will and desire that my said
executors procure for my Negroes (to be emancipated) small parcels of land in
Davidson County of practicable or elsewhere at the discretion of my said
executors or at the desire of said Negroes or any of them and settle them on
the same in families apportioning the quantity of land and stock and money
according to the size of each family respectively as far as practicable.
5th It is my will and desire that my said Negroes remain on the plantation on
which I now live until my said executors shall fully execute this my last will
and testament or until my said executors shall remove them to some other place
and so soon as said Negroes are emancipated my said executors are hereby
required to put my said nephew Alexander Donelson in possession of said tract
of land.
6th My said executors are hereby authorized to use any part of the residue of
my estate not herein particularly devised or bequeathed to procure said slaves
to be emancipated either in this state or elsewhere.
7th I do hereby appoint William Carroll and Nicholas B. Pryor both of
Davidson County executors of this my last will and testament. In witness
whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the 9th day of
September 1826.
Alexander Donelson
Signed, sealed and published
In presence of E. Talbot
Lain B. Pryor
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