Last Will of WILLIAM McMILLEN

WHEREAS, I William McMillen of the County of Lincoln and State of Tennessee having attained to a very advanced age and being admonished by a present state of bodily informity that the period of my dissolution is fast approching, never the less in the full exercise of that portion of reason with which nature hath been pleased to bless me. For the purpose of quieting my heirs after my departure and providing for my aged consort who has been a true and faithful companion through lifes rough journey, I have thought proper to make and declare this my last will and testament and I do order the several things herein mentioned carried into execution as soon as may be after my decease. FIRST, I give and bequeath to my beloved son John McMillen one hundred and twenty-three acres including the dwelling houses and spring and all other appurtenances and heireditiments in and to the same belonging of that messuage and tenement on which I now live and with all my farming implements and other tools commonly used about my plantation, reserving to myself and my beloved wife Martha McMillen the houses and other ou houses which we now occupy with all our household furniture during the natural life of either of us which lives the longest to enjoy it. SECOND, and as there are six acres yet remaining undisposed of out of the aforesaid tract of land on which I now live, the said six acres aforesaid I do give and bequeath unto my beloved wife with all singular the rights and propertys in fee simple and if it should so happen that the said Martha McMillen shall not at her death see cause to leave the same to our son John McMillen, then and in that case I authorize and empower him, the said John to cause the said acres to be struck off the said tract of land according to its present boundry at any place orpart he may think proper to direct. THIRD, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Martha McMillen a certain mare and a certain steer which I now consider as the property of my said wife by purchase of her own money but as the rules of law will blend them with the balance of my estate, I think proper to incert this article. FOURTH, I give and bequeath to my beloved son John McMillan and my wife Martha McMillen the one half to each, my stock of horses, cattle, hogs and sheep with full and entire power to my said wife to dispose of them at her decease accordingly to her own free will and pleasure. FIFTH, to my beloved children Andrew McMillen, William McMillen, James McMillen, Nancy Wright and her husband Jacob Wright, Sally Chitwood and her Husband Edmund Chitwood, Joseph McMillen, Thomas McMillen, Jane Gross and her husband Jonathan Gross, Patsy Marshall and her husband Gilbert Marshall, Polly Pinkston and her husband Hugh Pinkston, having already at the time of their marriage and establishment in life given to them my paternal blessing such other things as their circumstances did need and my circumstances permitted me to bestow, I cannot now leave them anything except my good will and prayer for their happiness through lifes journey without doing injustice to the faithful attachment and feble affection of my son John through the doating period and wening of life in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen. Signed, sealed and declared to be my Last Will and Testament in presence of Nathan Pinson, Samuel Nisbet, A. Bostick.\par \par SIGNED - WILLIAM McMILLEN\par \par STATE OF TENNESSEE, LINCOLN COUNTY, NOVEMBER TERM 1817.\par \par The within Will and Testament of William McMillan, deceased was this day exhibited in open court to probate, whereupon came Samuel Nesbit and Absalom Bostwick, two of the subscribing witnesses thereto and made oath that they heard the said William McMillan acknowledge as his last will and testament and that he was at the time of signing, sealing, publishing and declaring the same of sound mind and memory. In testamony whereof, I Brice M. Gardner, Clerk of th aforesaid Court, have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said court at office in Fayetteville, the 8th day, November A. D. 1817 and of the American Independence the 42nd year.

BRICE M. GARDNER, CLERK