The State of Ohio, Lawrence County. Be it remembered that on
the 15th day of August, 1868, there was produced in open court and
admitted to probate, an instrument of writing purporting to be the
last will and testament of William Williams, which will reads in
the words and figures following towit:
I, William Williams, of the City of Ironton, County of Lawrence
and State of Ohio, being in good health of body and of sound and
disposing (?) mind and memory, and being desirous of settling my
worldly affairs while I have strength and capacity so to do, do
make and publish this my last will and testament; that is to say ‹
First ‹ It is my will that my funeral expenses and all of my
debts shall be paid and that my executor obtain and set suitable
stones to mark the place where I shall be buried. And to enable my
executor to perform the requirements aforesaid, it is my will that
he or she be allowed by the proper authorities to sell a
sufficient amount of my personal or real property either at
private or public sale, as he or she may elect; and also a
sufficient amount to pay the several devises that I hereinafter
make ‹
Second, I give and bequeath to each of my three sons, David J.
Williams, James (H or K?) Williams and Talasin (?) G. Williams;
and to my adopted son, Charles Jones Williams, ten dollars each.
Third, I give and bequeath to my son, Evan M. Williams, my
carpenter shop in the city of Ironton, and also my carpenter tools
and shop conveniences (conveyances?) of every kind and description
of whatsoever name, for his use and benefit.
It is, however, my will that my said son, Evan M. Williams,
shall not at any time mortgage, sell or dispose of the said shop,
tools, or shop conveniences or any part thereof, without first
having obtained the consent of his mother thereafter during her
life and sanity. But if at any time his mother shall be of unsound
mind or shall die, then my said son, Evan M. Williams, shall first
obtain the consent of one of his sisters, Catherine E. Williams,
or Mary Ann Williams, in the mortgaging, sale or disposing of said
shop, tools, or shop conveniences, or any part thereof, before the
same shall pass in (?) ownership.
Fourth, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Catharine
Williams, for her own use during her natural life, (?) homestead
in the city of Ironton, together with all my clothing, all my
household furniture and all household conveniences of whatever
kind during her life for her own use and benefit.
Fifth, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Catharine
Williams, for her own use and benefit ‹ and to be under her
control during the time she shall remain my widow ‹ all the
balance and residue of my property, both real and personal, which
has not been otherwise herein disposed of. And in the event of my
said wife marrying again, then I give and bequeath the said
balances and residue of my property both real and personal to my
two daughters, Catharine E. Williams and Mary Ann Williams, to be
divided between them in such a manner that my said daughter,
Catherine E. Williams, shall receive three hundred ($300) dollars
more of the said balance and residue of my property both real and
personal than my said daughter, Mary Ann Williams. And in the
event that my said wife, Catherine Williams shall not again marry,
then I give and bequeath to my said two daughters, Catherine E.
and Mary Ann, to be divided between them as aforesaid so that
Catherine E. Williams shall receive ($300) three hundred dollars
more than Mary Ann Williams. All that remains at the time of my
beloved wife¹s decease of my property both real and personal of
whatever kind of description. (That¹s the way the sentence reads.
There was no more information about how to dispose of what
remains. It could be Mr. Williams wanted his daughters to have any
property left after the death of their mother.)
Sixth, I hereby appoint my beloved wife, Catherine Williams,
testamentary guardian for my adopted son, Charles Jones Williams,
and hereby authorize her to use of the rents and profits of the
said property in her control, to rear, or bring up the said
Charles Jones Williams to the age of twenty one years. And in the
event that my said wife shall die before the said Charles Jones
Williams shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, then and in
that case I enjoin the care of said Charles Jones Williams on my
daughter Catherine E. Williams and require of her that out of the
property heretofore to her devised she bear the necessary expense
of keeping the said Charles Jones Williams until he arrives at
twenty one years of age.
Seventh, I hereby appoint my beloved wife Catharine Williams
sole executrix of this my last will and testament. But if my said
wife shall die or shall otherwise be incapacitated as my
executress, then and in that case, I next appoint my son James (W,
H or K?) Williams my sole executor of this my last will and
testament. And I do hereby request the Judge of Probate or other
authority that he require no security of my said executrix for her
faithful discharge of duty as my executrix.
I hereby revoke all former wills by me made. In testimony
whereof, I hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty second day of
May AD 1865.
W. Williams
Signed and sealed by said William Williams as and for his last
will and testament in the presence of us, who in his presence and
in the presence of each other, and at his request ‹ have hereunto
subscribed our names as witnesses: May 22nd AD 1865. The words ³or
public² was [sic] interlined [sic] on the first page hereof before
signing.
