In the name of God Amen
I John Smith of the State of Tennessee and
County of Giles being weak in body yet of a
a sound and perfect understanding and
memory do constitute and ordain this my
last will and Testament.
My wish and desire is in the first place that
all my just and lawful debts of which there 
is but few and none of magnitude should by 
paid as soon as convenient. Also I do give 
and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherine 
forever all my property in the following manner
I wish all my stock to be sold only one cow
and calf to be reserved for her use and the 
money to be for her support. Also I do give 
and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherine all my 
Lands and tenements lying in the county and state 
aforesaid with all the appurtenances belonging there unto 
to dispose of as she may think proper.
Lastly I do make and constitute Duncan Brown 
and Eledear Purvines Executors of this my last 
will and testament. In witness where of I do here set my hand and 
seal.
Dated this the 30th of April 1818
                               {Seal}		
                               John Smith
John Brown J
Daniel M Collman J

[All lines end as the will has them; none are wrapped.
Spellings & CAPs are as the will has it.
Will was on one page. ]

 
State of Tennessee	     I Buckner Smith being
Giles County	           Sick in Body but of Sound
Mind & memmory do make this my
last Will & Testament In the manner & form
following ??? first my Soul to Almighty
God who gave it & my Body to the Dust
Second my property to be devided as
follows - Say - the Land where I now live
My beloved Wife Dianna to live on it as long
as ~ She lives & horses Cows & hogs & stock
of all to Remain with her for her suppor
& the Childred that is now with us unmaried
& At her Death the said land & Stock on hand
to be Sold & Equally Devided between all my
Children, But my Negroes to be Devided
as follows - Say my Son Leonard to have
as his Right & property a Negroe boy by the
Name of Adam, & also a Colt by the name
of Stare, also a Sadde that now is in his posesion
I futher Desire, that my son Robert Should have
a Negroe girl of mine by his paying to my
Estate three Hundred Dollars, - then the negroe
girl Easter to be his Right & property & to have
the bed that is now Claimd by him, in my hous
with its firnature, / my Desire further my
Daughters ~ Elizabeth & Charlottee to have Each of
them a bed & firnature, now in there posession
to have as there own property - Also the Negroe Woman
Eady & her inCrease herafter at the Death of my
Bloved Wife to be Equally Devided, - also I wish
my son James to have a Bed - I wish my son Robert James
& Robert & Leonard [see below] to live on the land & work to= 

[begin second page of will]
=gether & Support my Bloved wife & Daughters
that is with them & have what they make
over to them Selves, as there ownr as witness
	My hand & the Lord have
	Murcy on me
James Flack +		this 3rd Day Febr 1818
JohnYoung +
Wm Stovall
	                                his
                            Buckner X  Smith
	                                mark
	               $1. paid

[The names "Robert" & "Leonard" had ink spilled on them; there were two
places in the will where a letters "I" & "J" were crossed over (line 10
& 26, where the ~ is placed). This will is transcribed just as it was
originally punctuated and spelled. The signature of witness John Young
appears to be the same John Young who wrote a will in Giles county on 22
Oct 1837, but the latter will has a more practiced signature, while this
1818 signature seems to be one of a person who hasn't been writing for
many years. Since Buckner Smith made his "X" mark, he could not write. I
suspect, without proof,  that the John Smith will of 30 April 1818 was a
son of Buckner. Also, John Young who witnessed Buckner's will was the
husband of Dianna Smith, Buckner's daughter, and was their neighbor. -
info from John E Young, a descendant of Bucker.]

 
I Archibald Smith of Giles County Tennessee
being unwell but of sound mine, do make & pub=
=lish this my last will & testament in manner
& form following mainly. In the first place I
desire my debts to be paid out of the cash on hand
debts due with the proceeds of my crop & personal
that may be sold without touching my land es{#1} ...es
unless it becomes necessary to do so
In the second place I give to my son Albert my negro
man Daniel, a good horse, saddle, the same which
he now has, & a bed, bedstead, & furnitures. {#2}
In the third place I give to my son Monroe my {#2} man
Buster, a good horse, saddle & bridle, the horse he {#2} has &
a bed stead & furniture.	{#2}
Fourthly I give to my daughter Frances my slaves
Patsy & Lilly, a good horse, saddle, & bridle {#3} that
& furniture. My other children have received...[?] {#3}t must
& I have heretofore [?] given each of them property
which I regard equal in value to the provision now
made for my two children above mentioned.
Fifthly I give to my beloved wife Polly all the pro=
=perty which she brought with her upon our
marriage including the slaves Emonda, Dovey, Nick=
=olos & John. I  [....] such property as now [paper torn]
of the lot which she brought with her, not charging
my estate to make up such of it or carry su[??] [....]
or been disposed of. I also give my wife one more
saddle & bridle & I also give her the tract of land
on which I reside during her natural life, or
widowhood & at her death or marriage for
the same to be sold by my executor & This

[begin second page]
proceeds equally divided among my children giving
one share to my grandchild Charles F Johnson and
as to the remainder of my estate real & personal
including my land in Hardeman County & my slaves
Dionnit & King[?]. I wish the same to be sold by
my executor & the proceeds equally divided between
{#1}[..] my children & said grand-child, giving them
one share.
Sixthly I hereby appoint my son Robert Smith
executor of this will & desire him also to act
as guardian for my two children Albert, Monroe,
& {#2} he raise and educate them properly.
{#2}	In witness whereof I have been segend[?]
published this as my last will & testa=
=ment revoking all others.	             hisX
witnessed of us who               Archibold Smith {seal}
in{#3} in presence of this	             mark
testator.      Test
	            I N Feils Jurat
		    A C Baker Jurat


[This will is written in very small writing, on paper 8 inches wide.
Also, there are three holes in the will, obliterating some words;
hole {#1} is 4/8 inches wide, {#2} is 6/8 inches wide, and {#3} is
5/8 inches. The will was written on two pages, the second page
being the backside of the first.
Archibald didn't date his will, so could have written it many years 
years before he actually died in 1827.
Archibald Smith was a son of Buckner Smith, and a brother of 
Dianna Smith who married John Young. One son of John & 
Dianna Young was Archibald Smith Young.]

 

Kno all men by this present that I William Vines
Smith. Being of Sound mind and memory. And fully able
and competent to arrange my Temporal business and desire
to do so I do make this my last will and testament.
To wit, first I will that my funeral and burrial expenses
and all my just debts be paid out of my personaty.
Second, I will the  and bequeath all my real estate to
be equally devided between my children W M Smith
M A Mays C F Smith Sallie Owens A. O. Driver
Munrowe Smith  Bascom Smith. At my death I will
that my executors appoint a commission of three disinterested
men to put a reasonable valuation in my real estate,
and that Sallie Owens Munrowe Smith and Bascom Smith
Shall devide the land eaqual be tween them selves and
each pay their eaqual part over to the other heirs to
make them equal in a reasonable time. I further more
will that my wife Mary J Smith Shall heir a home
with one or all of the heirs living on the premises.
as long as she lives.
I ^ further will that Sallie Owens in the devision shall
heir the South east part of the farm in cluding
the house I now live in none as the young house
I appoint W. M. Smith & C.S. Smith my executors
to carry out this my last will and testament. in the
presents of the under signed witnesses This August the
2 - 1894	Wm. V. Smith {seal}

Witnesses }   George S Worsham.  Otto E. Smith {seal}

[This will was written on one long lined page, probably 
legal size. William V Smith wrote it himself.]

Will of Manerva Abernathy Young

I Manerva Young Do make and Publish this as my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all others by me at any time made first I direct that my funeral expenses and all my debts be paid as soon after my death as possible out of any monies that I may die possessed of or may come into the hands of my Executor ~

2nd secondly I give and bequeath to my grandson E. F. Young A certain Lounge and bed & bed clothing for one Bed Also one Boo case provided he claimes them

Thirdlly I state that my Son J. Ca Young Receiveded a good house his father gave him more than any of the rest of the children and being desireous that each child should have Equal shairs she invesly heir. Executor to sell all heir personal property at public sale and give Each heir their proportional part of the Estate

Fourthly as to heir Real estate I hereby invest my executor the wright to sell the land publicly or Privately as he may Deem best for the heirs and make Deed to the same

Lastly I do here by nominate and appoint W J Brown My executor in..witness m-- where of I do to this my will set my hand this the 10th day of January one thousand eight hundred & eighty seven

Manerva was born in Tennessee in 1811, daughter of John Calvin Abernathy and Catherine Tarpley. Spencer was a farmer. He died of dropsy 28 March 1877 at home east of Pulaski and within two miles of his father's old homestead at Beech Hill. After he died, Spencer's son Charles and daughter-in-law Mollie then moved in with Manerva. (Manerva wrote her name with two letter A�s, not in the standard spelling of Minerva.)

Although their graves have not been found, Spencer and Manerva are probably buried in Beech Hill Cemetery. They named very many of their children after other older relatives. By knowing the names of these children, much can be speculated about the full names of the aunts, uncles, and grandparents of Spencer's children.