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Will
of Judge Joseph Morton Venable
Shelbyville,
KY
1761-1833
Recorded
Shelby Co Will Book #10, p. 94
Transcribed
by his gggg granddaughter
Jean
Rawlings Meaney
8/8/2006
meaneyplce@aol.com
Anyone
who wants a copy is free to make one if they acknowledge my
transcription.
Notes
in parentheses/ italics are from the transcriber.
I
Joseph Venable of Shelby county, Kentucky, do make, publish
and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form
following.
It is my will that the hands, or so many of them as
shall be necessary, be kept on the farm until the crop of this
year be gathered in and the horses? broken, that as many of
the cattle as shall be fit for making beef be fed and made fat
and sold in the latter part of winter or in the spring, and
that all the hogs fit for the purpose be fattened and sold as
pork, all the rest of my stock, except such horses or cattle
as may be necessary for the use of the hands while in the
place, be sold on such terms as my executor shall deem most
profitable to all concerned.
I wish my books to be divided among my children. Joseph
will take Scotts Bible, and all the classical books will be
kept for William. Two good beds and furniture will be reserved
for my son Henry, and two for William, one bed and furniture
to be given to Francis and one to Samuel unless he shall
receive the box of books which I have forwarded to him, in
that case the books will be in lieu of a bed for him.
The rest of my household furniture will be sold by my
executors or distributed among my children as they can best
agree amongst themselves.
Sufficient
provisions will be kept for the hands and some persons
employed to superintend them until they complete the work
intended for them. My
executors will sell the crop of all kinds which shall not
necessarily be consumed by the hands and stock, together with
all other personal property not distributed.
I
give all my land which lies on the south side of public road,
which runs through my land to my sons Henry Isaac and William
Thomas so laid off as to include a spring under a beech tree
north of one of the tobacco houses in Henry’s part and
Henry’s part may be wider at the east end to give him more
wood and William more cleared land. William will take the
south end of the land including the dwelling house orchard
etc.? and one hundred sixty five acres of land, both parts to
be estimated at fifteen dollars per acre.
The rest of my land, all of which lies on the north
side of said road will be sold by my executors on the best
terms they can and the money arising for the sale thrown into
the general distribution of my estate.
If however my son in law William Q. Morton or my son
Joseph will purchase the land above devised to Henry and
William at a fair price not less than twenty dollars per acre
before there be any sale of the other part of the land, then I
give the land on the north side of the road to my son William
Thomas to be estimated at thirteen dollars an acre and two
thousand dollars out of said sale to Henry Isaac.
My son Henry’s expenses at the Theological seminary
until October 1832 will be paid out of my estate without
charge to him. It
is my will that a sufficient part of my estate be reserved in
the hands of my executors for the support and education of my
son William Thomas until he shall arrive at the age of twenty
one years, to receive a classical education if his health will
permit, but the profits of his estate to go in part of his
expenses, except of the last year, which shall be reserved for
his use after coming of age.
And if it should please God to call him to the Gospel
ministry, the expenses of his theological studies shall be
paid out of my estate and the profits of his own.
I have ten shares in the Shelbyville and Louisville
turnpike road company which I advise to be retained until the
company shall commence making dividend among the stockholders,
and then disposed of by my executors to the best advantage
either by sale or distribution among my children, or if my
executors may deem it best, they may retain them toward the
support and education of William.
I
feel much difficulty in my mind with respect to my slaves and
leaving them as property to my children, but they are so
situated I find no suitable plan by which I can do otherwise. I recommend them to the benevolence of my children, that by
distributing none of them may be separated from their wives or
husbands, and that as nearly as practicable an equal valuation
of them be made to each taking into estimate those already
received by any of them. I recommend to my children to liberate and send Liberia all
born after the Fourth of July last at a suitable age and it
would meet my wishes if all could be sent to Liberia after a
few years service. I
therefore recommend them to the benevolence of my children to
do with them as shall be most consistent with their duty as
Christians.
The
remainder of my estate not herein disposed of will be divided
equally among all my children taking into estimation the
property herein devised or heretofore received by any of them,
but Henry and William will not be required to refund ___?
their land amount to more than the dividend of the others, and
for the better direction of my executors, I herein state, as
nearly as I can fix, the sums received by the several
children. My son
Joseph has received, including my negro man Ben, eighteen
hundred dollars. My
daughter Elizabeth (Mrs. William Quin Morton) nineteen hundred dollars, my daughter Judith
(Mrs.
Thomas Joyes)
sixteen hundred dollars including negro girl Maria.
My son Francis sixteen hundred dollars. My son James
seventeen hundred dollars, including money paid to Joseph.
My son Samuel sixteen hundred dollars.
My daughter Selina (
later Mrs. James Morris Chase)
twelve hundred and fifty dollars in money,
negroes worth seven hundred dollars and a horse sixty
dollars. My
daughter Mary Jane (Mrs.
Jacob Woodson Morton)
has received sixteen hundred dollars.
Beds and furniture are not to be taken into the
estimate in making a division of the estate.
I have borrowed one thousand and fifty dollars of my
son in law Wm Q. Morton to be paid to him out of the first
monies coming into the hands of my executors or to go in part
payment for my land should he purchase it.
I
hereby recommend constitute and appoint my sons Joseph M.
Venable (transcriber’s
ggg grandfather),
Francis W. Venable and Henry I. Venable and my son in law
William Q. Morton executors of this my last Will and Testament
and they shall not be required to give security unless for
good cause or motion of any party concerned the courts shall
direct it. In
testimony whereof I hereunto have set my hand and affixed my
seal this twenty fifth day of May in the year of our Lord
Christ one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.
The whole in my own hand writing.
Signed
sealed (??)
Joseph Venable
seal
In
presence of
M. Lyle
Saml
Harbison
J. L
Marshall
Jno F.
Graham
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