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Harlan County Kentucky Benjamin Harris Will

Harlan Co Court Special Term  23 Apr 1861

This day came Thomas M. HARRIS adn produced to the Court a paper perporting to be the last will and testament of Benjamin Harris decd Whereupon came Randoph NOE and James BROWNING who upon their oaths stated that they were present and seen said Benjamin HARRIS deceased sign and acknowledge the will which is now produced to the court to be his last act whereuopn the said Will is considered by the court as fully proven the will is ordered to be spread on the order book which as follows to wit:

In the name of God Amen. I Benjamin HARRIS of Harlan County Kentucky being weak in boddy but of sound mind and disposing memory for which I thank God and calling to mind the uncertainty of human life and being desirous to dispose of all such worley estate as it hath pleased God to Bless me with I do hereby make my last Will and testament in manner following to wit

That is to say first when I am dead I wish my boddy deasently intered by the side of my first companion

2nd I wish all my just debts and funeral expenses paid

3rd I will and bequeath to Sarah my wife all that Boundry of Land situated on Cranks Creek in the following bounds to wit  Begining at Yellow Ford of said Creek Thence running square across said creek and the valley of the same in a Southern direction continuing the line to A.P. WYNNS line thence with the same Eastwardly to the upper boundary of my land on said creek thence crossing said creek to the top of little Black Mountain thence westwardly with the top of the same to another line of said WYNNS thence in a southern direction with said WYNNS line to the Begining together with a small piece of land adjoining the above land Bounded as follows  Beginning at said Yellow ford thence down said Creek in the center of the same to the mouth of the first large Branch on the south side of said creek thence up the same to said WYNNS line thence with the same to a point oposite the Beginning thence to the Beginning to have and to hold dureing her natural life together with 3 cow & calfs also one horse beast worth $75, one plough hoe and gearring.  One side saddle worth $22 all the household and ketchen furniture $50 except one bed & furniture ready money the following improvements are to be made on said farm to wit, two acres of additional cleared land a good comfortable house 18 & 20 feet with a good stone chimney made plain in all respects $30 worth of hogs and all the domestic fowls on my premises and at her death I wish the above land sold on a credit of 18 months and the purchase price is collected that two thirds of the same be paid to the treasurer of Methodist Episcopal Church South to be applied to the use of foreign missions and the resadue put at interest which interest to be paid anualy the Stuart of the Mount Pleasant mission in addition to what I have now given my wife  I wish her to have the use of a samll farm on the north of the Black Mountain known as teh Redwine Place dureing her life then to fall to my heirs jointly except as to my daughter Belinda who is of unsound mind I wish her due proportion of my estate when collected be put at interest which interest to be used for her benefit as she may need the same during her naturel life then to be divided equally among my heirs I now will and desire that immediately after my decease my  executors offer for sale the whole of my estate both real and personal on a credit of 18 months with full power to pospone the Sale from time to time until in their judgement the full value of said property shall have been offered or bid then when the whole shal have been collected I wish an equal and fare divide be made among all my heirs I wish my administrators to be governed strictly in settling with my heirs by the following calculation  first all the heirs are to be made equal with my son Alx who has already received of my estae the sum of $700 they shall receive as follows  Polly BISHOP $660, Rebecca CLARK $640, Lavina SHUMATE $689, Betsy CRABTREE $449, Sarah Forrister $269, Thomas M. HARRIS $119, John HARRIS $64, Patsey Spurlock $499,  Now when the above named shall have received the amount set oposite there serveral names and have been made equal with Alex Harris then the residue of my estate shall be equally divided  among all my children likewise I make constitute and appoint Solomon POPE and my son Thomas M. HARRIS to be and to act as my executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby revoke all former wills in testimony where of I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal this 2d day of June One Thousand Eight hundred and Sixty 

Benjamin HARRIS  {seal}

Witness:
Randolf NOE
James BROWNING