To: KYF
Subject: Miles.Richard.1803.Livingston-Crittenden.WILL




Source: Livingston Ky Will Bk A, Pg 10
Written: July 2 1803
Recorded: October 1803

The last will and testament of Richard Miles is That first the plantation whereon he now lives be sold at Publick sale also his negroe girl Vines and also her husband monday if he chooses to be sold and any part of my stock of Cattle that my wife may see cause also is to be sold and out of the moneys arising from said sale I order that all my Legal debts be first paid and the ballance if any should be to be laid out in the purchase of a young negroe or Negroes I also will and bequeath to my son Lacey Miles my negroe boy Jame and if three other Young negroes can be purchased that my son Lacey also have one 
of them and the child my wife is now pregnant with   is to have the other 
two.   I further will that my wife Jane do enjoy all the residue of my Estate 
both real and personal as her property only she is to raise and school my two children out of it if the second should come to the world and live its also my will and desire that my son Charles and my father in Law Edward Lacey be the Executors of this my last will and Testament but do not require nor is it my will That the [sic] should be held to any bail on this will ratifying this in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand seal this Second day of July one thousand Eight hundred and Three in presence of us the Subscribers.  Richd Miles.  Witnesses: Rebekah [her mark] Mils or Miles?, Charles Miles, Edward Lacey} Livingston County August County Court 1803.  The [illeg] will was proven by the Oath of Edward Lacey, one of the subscribing witnesses thereto and Ordered to Lacey for further proof.  [Test?] Enoch Prince [?] CL.  
Livingston County October County Court 1803.  This will was ordered to be recorded….

Submitted by: Ed Tatum



Additional Comments:
Surely the unborn child was Elizabeth Jane Miles who died 11/12/1874 in Pickens Co AL “in her 71st year” according to her husband Stephen Parker Doss's obituary. For this to be true, she would have to have been born between 11/13/1803 and 11/12/1804.

Charles Miles, as executor, was presumably of age when the will was written, so by "raise and school my two children" did Richard mean that only 2 were still of school age, leaving open the possibility that there were other older offspring?  If Lacey and the unborn child each receive 2 slaves equally, does that mean Lacey was probably one of the two?

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