Muhlenberg County Kentucky
Wills: R
Solomon Rhoads, 1849
In the name of God Amen. I Solomon Rhoads being of sound mind do make this my last Will and Testament as follows
I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Rachel during her life or widdowhood the tract of land whereon I now live together with all my stock of every description, my household and kitchen furniture, with my farming utensils of every kind.
My desire is that my Son Absolem J. Rhoads Reside with his mother and take charge of the land & other property which I devise to her & use the Same for her benefit, and at her death in consideration of the said Absolem Remaining with his mother or with me & managing the plantation for us, my will is that he have the said tract of land whereon I now live, and I devise it to him forever.
I also devise to my beloved wife during her life or widowhood all my Slaves.
After the death of my beloved wife, my desire is that my Estate which I may then have, or which may Remain exclusive of my Slaves, be divided in to Eleven Shares, one share of which I devise to each of my children who may then be living, and one share to the children of such of my children as are now dead, or may be dead when this will takes effect.
Having had two wives, and the Slaves which I have, coming by my last wife I have deemed it just to divide them amongst my children which I have had by her.
It is therefore my will, and I do hereby devise that at the death of my wife Rachel my slaves be equally divided amongst my children which I have had by her.
The children of such as may be dead to come in for the share to which their parents would have been entitled if they had been living, and the children of my daughters who are now dead each set to come in for one share.
I devise to my son Nathan and his Heirs forever that tract of land whereon he lives.
The balance of my land undisposed of, I divide equally amongst all my children that may be living and the children of such as may be dead, each set of children to come in for one share.
When the division of my estate takes place amongst the children which I have had by my wife Rachel, each of my children who has Received land shall be charged in the Settlement with the land at one dollar & fifty cents an acre except Nathan who is not to be charged on account of his land, the boundary of which I will hereafter ascertain by Survey.
And Absolem is only to have the land where I now live upon condition that he Remains with his mother or myself during our lives in which case he is not to be charged with the land, but if he fails to Remain with us, then the land devised to him shall be equally divided amongst my children by my wife Rachel in the manner set forth as to the Slaves.
I make this my last will Revoking all others heretofore made.
Witness my hand & seal this 26” day of September 1845
Solomon Rhoads
Teste
John Calhoun
W.B. Depoyster
A.M. Dennis
Whereas I did on the 26” day of September 1845, make my last Will and Testament which will appear in the hand writing of the Honbl. John Calhoun and being now anxious to add a codicil thereto & do make the following addition towit
In my said Will I have given to my son Absolem a tract of land therein specified and in addition to which tract of land I now add about Forty acres lying within the following bounds Beginning at a Hickory & two Elms in my line, Running thence North 70 West Seventy Eight poles to a Maple, thence S 20 West Seventy Seven poles to a White Hickory & Black Oak, thence South 70 East Seventy Seven poles to a stake in my line, thence to the Beginning.
But this bequest to my said son Absalom Rhoads is made under the Same Restrictions, conditions & limitations as contained in my Will herein Referred to, to him the said Absolem Rhoads & his Heirs forever.
In the devise in my said Will to my son Nathan, the quantity of land is not specified, but I believe there are about One Hundred & Seventy acres, being the balance of what is called the Vaught Survey.
Witness my hand and Seal this 29th day of May 1848
Solomon Rhoads
Chs. F. Wing
Wm. H.C. Wing
Muhlenberg County Sct
November County Court 1849
The foregoing last Will and Testament of Solomon Rhoads deceased, together with the Codicil thereto annexed was exhibited in to court and proved to be the act and deed of the said Rhoads, by the oaths of Charles F. Wing & William H.C. Wing the subscribing witnesses thereto, and ordered to be Recorded.
In witness that the Same has been truly Recorded I have hereunto Set my hand as Clerk of the said county court.
Chs. F. Wing Clk.
Source: Muhlenberg County Kentucky Will Book 3, p. 96.
Updated August 13, 2022