Tax, Court, and Wills
of Carroll County, Mississippi...

Carroll County Mississippi

Will Book A, page 4

submitted March 24, 2004. 

( Francis Beasley Will--this is recorded in Carroll County MS. I know nothing of this family. It is a transcription that I made while pursuing what has turned out to be a "dead end" on matters that I was working on.)

Francis Beasley Will

         In the Name of God, Amen.  Know all persons that I, Francis Beasley, of the County of Carroll and the State of Mississippi being of sound mind + memory and knowing the uncertainty of life do make the following as my Last Will + Testament to wit:  1st  Let my crop farming utensils, Negro Girls Mary + Lucinda and every description of my personal property except that hereinafter mentioned as Specific Legacies be sold and out of the proceeds thereof let my debts, funeral expenses + c by first paid and the Balance disposed of as hereinafter specified.  Item.  I give + bequeath to my beloved Daughter Sarah Green the following named Negroes, to wit:  Dick, Hannah + Sophia and one other good strong field hand to be hereinafter purchased for her by my executor and also the tract of Land known as My Reserve which land + negroes my will is to belong exclusively to my said Daughter + to the heirs of her body forever and not to be changed or otherwise disposed of by her or by any person for her; And I hereby appoint David O. Shattuck a Trustee to the above Specified property and if my said Daughter or any other person for her should dispose of any part of the above property then my will is that the title thereto vest in my said Trustee to recover the same and hold it in trust for my said Daughter giving to her + to her heirs the exclusive use and benefit thereof forever.  Item 2nd.  I give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Catharine Taylor the two following named Negroes, to wit, Maria and Lewis.  Item.  I give and bequeath to my beloved Grand Daughter Francis Taylor the tract of land on which I now live, A negro Girl named Caroline, two Cows + Calves, a Yoke of Steers and a Horse saddle + bridle.  Item.  I give and bequeath unto my beloved Niece Eliza Williams a negro woman named Jenny and my will is that each of the above named Legacies should be governed by the same conditions in every respect and managed by the same Trustee as the above named Legacy to my Daughter Sarah Green.  Item.  I give and bequeath to my beloved Grandson Robert Green one tract of land known and designated as the ____ half of the ____ quarter of Section no. two of Township No. 19 North of Range No. 4 East.  Item.  I give and bequeath to that part of the Baptist Church of Christ of which I am a member the sum of five hundred dollars for the purpose of erecting a Church or House of Worship at such place as the said Church may designate with my sincere prayer to my bated (?) breath that it may be a place which the Lord God shall delight to dwell in.  Item.  To the Treasurer of the Burmah Mission I give + bequeath the sum of one hundred dollars to be expended as the Board may think proper for the advancement of said Mission with my earnest prayer that this mite may be acceptable to God + blessed by Him to the advancement of his Kingdom.  Item.  My will is that my household + kitchen furnishings of every description be divided and one half be given to My Daughter above named Sarah Green and the other half be divided  between my Grand Daughter Francis Taylor and my niece Eliza Williams above named.  Item.  The very faithful + meritorious service of my negro boy Jim I cannot consent to pass unrewarded.  My will therefore is for said meritorious services The said Jim shall be forever set free + I hereby charge My Executor to set forth the said meritorious services of the said Jim with this part of my will in a petition to the Legislature of this State and procure an Act for the emancipation of the said Jim with the least possible delay + further that my said Executor take charge of the said Boy Jim + give him the ___________ benefit of his own labor until he can procure the passing of the said Act.   And finally all the Balance of my property of every description I give + bequeath to my said Daughter Sarah Green, my Grand Daughter Francis Taylor + niece Eliza Williams as follows   Sarah Green one-half + the others each one-fourth.

              I hereby appoint David O. Shattuck Executor of this my last Will + Testament

              hereby revoking all other wills by me heretofore made.  In witness of all of

              which I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 5th day of August A. D. 1836.

            Signed, sealed published and declared

            In the presence of

            Stephen Thompson                                                               her

            Jonathan Ray                                                           Francis   X    Beasley

            Jacob Miller                                                                          mark

(Codicil omitted)