John Secrest was brother of Andrew Secrest fought in the Rev war, lived in North Carolina later moved to Tennessee

JOHN D SECREST WILL DECEMBER  TERM 1847 WILLIAMSON COUNTY TENN

IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. 
I JOHN SECREST OF THE COUNTY OF WILLIAMSON AND STATE OF TENN
I MAKE AND PUBLISH THIS MY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT IN MANNER
AND FORM FOLLOWING , TO WIT.

FIRST I COMMEND MY BODY TO GOD WHO FIRST GAVE IT LIFE AND DIRECT THAT THE SAME BE DECENTLY 

BURIED AND THE EXPENSE THEREOF PAID BY MY EXECUTOR HEREINAFTER NAMED OUT OF THE FIRST MONEY

THAT SHALL COME UNTO HIS HANDS, AND THAT ALL MY JUST DEBTS BE PAID IN THE SAME  MANNER.

SECONDLY I WILL AND DIRECT THAT ALL MY SLAVES TWENTY IN NUMBER AND THEIR INCREASE AT THE TIME

OF MY DEATH, ALSO ALL AND MY LANDS THE SAME AMOUNTING TO ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE

AND 3/4 ACRES, BE DIVIDED INTO SEVEN SHARES OR PORTIONS, ONE OF WHICH SHARES OR PORTIONS I GIVE,

DEVISE AND BEQUEATH TO MY DAUGHTER MARTHA LANEY . ONE TO MY DAUGHTER BARBARA GRAY ONE TO MY SON
ISSAC SECREST ONE TO MY DAUGHTER MATALIDA SMITHSON, ONE TO MY DAUGHTER JANE LIGGATT, ONE TO MY

SON TYRNE G SECREST, AND THE REMAINING ONE SEVENTH IN VALUE OF SAID SLAVES AND THEIR INCREASE

AND SAID LAND I GIVE AND DEVISE AND BEQUEATH TO ISSAC SECREST UPON  --- THAT HE SHALL HOLD THE 

SAME FOR THE SOLE AND SEPARATE USE AND BENEFIT OF MY DAUGHTER TABITHA RAY AS HER SOLE AND SEPARATE
STATE FREE FROM THE DEBTS, CONTRACTS AND LIABILITIES AND CONTROL OF HER HUSBAND OR ANY HUSBAND

WHICH SHE MAY HEREAFTER HAVE. FOR AND DURING THE TERM OF HER NATURAL LIFE OF MY SAID DAUGHTER

TABITHA RAY TO HAVE THE POSSESION OF SAID PROPERTY IS  SHE SHALL DESIRE IT, OR IF SHE SHALL

DESIRE IT SAID TRUSTEE MAY HIRE OUT SAID SLAVES AND THEIR INCREASE AND RENT OUT SAID LAND AND 

PAY THE RENT & HIRE TO HIM. AND AT THE DEATH OF MY SAID DAUGHTER SAID TRUSTEE  SHALL CONVEY

SAID LAND AND SAID SLAVES AND THEIR INCREASR TO THE CHILDREN OF MY SAID DAUGHTER TABITHA LIVING 

AT HER DEATH SHARE & SHARE ALIKE AND IN CASE ANY OF HER CHILDREN SHALL HAVE DIED BEFORE HER, 

THEN THE CHILD OR CHILDREN OF SUCH DECEASED CHILD OR CHILDREN SHALL HAVE THE SAME SHARE WHICH 

THE PARENT WOULD HAVE RECEIVED.
AND IN CASE OF MY SAID DAUGHTER SHALL DIE LEAVING NO  CHILD OR CHILDREN, NOR THE DESCENDENTS OF 

SUCH CHILD OR CHILDREN  HER SURVIVING , ---AND IN THAT EVENT SAID TRUSTEE SHALL CONVERY THE SAME

TO SUCH PERSON OR PERSONS AS THE SAID TABITHAS BY HER LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT SHALL APPOINT.

THIRD IT IS MY WILL AND DESIRE THAT MY EXECUTOR SELL ALL MY PERISHABLE PROPERTY AND THAT THE

PROCEEDS OF SUCH SALE AS WELL AS ALL THE REST AND RESIDEUE OF MY ESTATE OF VERY KIND OF 

DESCRIPTION BE DIVIDED UNTO SEVEN SHARES AFTER THE PAYMENT OF MY DEBTS AND 
FUNERAL EXPENSES AND THE EXPENSES OF EXECTUING THIS WILL, AND THAT EACH OF MY SAID CHILDREN HAVE

ONE SHARE THEREOF EXCEPT MY DAUGHTER TABITHA RAY, WHOSE SHARE THEREOF IS HEREBY GIVEN TO SAID

ISSACE SECREST AS HER TRUSTEE UPON THE SAME TRUSTS AND CONDITIONS AND IN THE SAME MANNER AS HER 

SHARE OF THE LAND AND NEGROES IS GIVEN.
AND WHEREAS I HAVE HERETOFORE GIVEN TO MY BELOVED SON TYREE G SECREST THE SUM OF NINE HUNDRED 

DOLLARS FOR THE PURCHASE OF A TRACT OF LAND I WILL AND DIRECT THAT BE ACCOUNT FOR THAT AMOUNT 

AS AN ADVANCEMENT, AND THAT THE SAME BE DEDUCTED OUT OF HIS SHARE OF MY ESTATE - IT IS ALSO MY 

WILL THAT MY SAID SON TYREE G SECREST BE CHARGED IN THE DIVISION OF MY ESTATE WITH THE FURTHER 

SUM OF ONE HUNDRE AND FIFTY DOLLARS FOR A NEGRO BOY NAMED RANDUE (?) AND THAT HE ACCOUNT FOR 

SAID SUM AS AN ADVANCEMENT.

LASTLY I DO NOMINTAE AND APPOINT MY SON ISSAC SECREST MY EXECUTOR IN WITNESS OF ALL WHICH I HAVE

SUBSCRIBED MY NAME AND AFFIXED MY SEAL TO THIS MY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT HEREBY REVOKING ALL

OTHER WILLS BY ME HERETOFORE MADE, ON THIS FOURTH  DAY OF NOVEMBER  1847

SMITHSON                                               JOHN SECREST   HIS MARK
THOMAS HELM
JOHN ANDREWS

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