James G. Browning
Lee Co. Virginia Will Book 4, Page 268
I, James G. Browning of the county of Lee of the State of Virginia being
of sound mind and of the age of sixty eight and knowing of the uncertainty of
life and the certainty of death desire to state that in event I should die of my
present illness that the following statement and rules shall be observed in the
winding up of my estate both real and personal, after the settlement of all just
and true claims that may come against my estate.
I desire first that there shall be no sale publicly of my property either real
or personal.
I desire that John C. Wynn my son-in-law shall have the exclusive right to
collect all bonds notes and accounts that may be due me, and shall further have
the right to settle all just claims that may come against my estate or in other
words he shall be my executor without bond being required of him the said John
C. Wynn. He shall further have the right to take charge of any money that may be
in my possession. I desire that he shall rent the Fisher lands and all lands
lying in Poor Valley and on the on the side of the mountain for range. I mean my
Virginia lands lying and being in the County of Lee, State of Virginia or he
shall have the right use of any money that may belong to me in buying cattle and
grazing upon the above named lands and he shall have the right to pay for
fencing and keeping up of said lands out of the rents, profits, etc. of said
lands. The lands owned by me known as the James Farmer land and Wash Smith I
want fenced up together in the same boundary all of which lying and being in the
County of Harlan, State of Kentucky I leave it optionary with my Executor John
C. Wynn... whether he rents lands for stock or buy cattle to graze upon it. he
may enclose the cliffs along the mountain and leave open the caves for five or
six months in each year. The Jonesville property better known as my house
property, mill etc. shall be run by my son-in-law John C. Wynn and in the
interest of my beloved daughter H. Retta Wynn and children also the above lands
described shall be applied to the same purpose. The rents, profits and moneys
derived from said sources to be used for and expended in the interest of my
beloved daughter H. Retta Wynn and her children. The children of my beloved
daughter H. Retta Wynn shall be schooled out of the proceeds of said lands etc.
and money to be retained in the bank to the sum of Five Hundred Dollars all the
time for twenty years.
This give above my signature on this 16th day of January 1896
(signed) James G. Browning
Attest: W. B. Spencer M.D. Kate Browning
Probate, Monday Jan 27 1896