Location: Gillespie, Texas, United States

Surname/tag: Slavery, black_heritage, doss
The following is the transcribed will of John E Doss (abt.1814-abt.1863), probated in Gillespie County, Texas in 1863.[1]
Last Will of John E Doss, dec
The State of Texas County of Gillespie
John E Doss of the County of Gillespie and State of Texas being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and being desirious of settling my worldly affairs while I have strength to do so, do make publish and declare this my last will and testament herby revokingall wills by me at any time heretofore made: And first I commit my soul to God who gave it. And my body I wish buried in a plain yet genteel manner.
All property and effects I will and bequeath as follows, that is to say: For the natural love and affection I have for my son Sam Doss I will and bequeath to him my black boy slave Parrish, seventeen years old. For the natural love and affection I have for my daughter Nancy Doss I will and bequeath to her my mulatto girl slave Isabel, eighteen years old and her child Mary now near ? years old. I also will and bequeath to my daughter Nancy Doss all and every other child or children which may be born of said girl Isabella between this time and the time of my death.
For the natural love and affection I have for my daughter Rachel Doss I will and bequeath to her my black girl slave Ellen about 15 years old together with all the children that said girl Ellen my hereafter give birth to. And it is my will that after my death the said slaves herein before bequeathed to my several children shall be appraised and if on said appraisement it shall be found that any one of said bequests shall be more valuable than either one of the others, then it is my will that the less valuable of said bequests shall be made up of equal value with the most valuable from my general estate, so that all three of said bequests shall be of exact equal value.
The stock of horses and cattle owned by my self and my brother Thomas C. Doss in copartnership are branded thus (brand shown) My stock owned by me individually are branded thus (brand shown). The ?partnership stock above mentioned and also my individual stock, consisting of horses, cattle, hogs and mules I wish taken charge of by my executor hereinafter to be named and kept together till one of my children either arrives at full and lawful age or marries; but when my children severally arrive at full and lawful age or marry, then my will is that each one of them as they thus arrive at full and lawful age or marry shall receive from my estate one hundred cows and calves and also the horses owned by such child individually, and that said horses be first appraised and to the child or children having the less valuable horses shall be made up from my general estate enough to make them equal in value to those of the most valuable.
My farm on which I now reside situate about eight miles from Fredericksburg on the Pedernales River, comprising fourteen hundred and seventy ? acres of land together with all the ???, farming stock, ? wagons, carriages, household and kitchen furniture, beds, bedding & thereon: I wish taken charge of by my Executor after my death and until my children either marry or become of full age.
After my death and until my children either marry or become of full and lawful age I wish my mulatto woman Milly to remain with the other property on the farm. But when my children become of full and lawful age or marry it is my will that Milly have the privilege of deciding which one of my children she will belong to, and that she shall be the property of which ever one of them she may then select.
My old servant Jack I wish taken care of by my executors after my death and to remain in my family and have the privilege of selecting his homes with either of my children and to be provided for during his life, and at his death to be decently buried at the expense of my estate.
I give and bequeath to my daughters Nancy and Rachel the trunk of clothes, jewelry ? of their deceased mother, also all other jewelry I may have.
I have on hand now two promissory notes, one on my nephew W. A. Wallace for two thousand two hundred and thirteen dollars principal, and the other on my niece(?) M.A. Holcomb for eight hundred dollars principal. My will and desire is that my said nephew and niece shall keep and use the money their respective notes calls for if they so desire, until the time for the general division of my estate as provided for in this my will, they paying eight percent per annum interest for the use of the same. That if my said nephew and niece do not wish to keep and use said money, then my will is that my executors shall collect the same due on said notes principal and interest and invest the same in Confederate States Bonds for the use and benefit of my children.
My will and desire is that my brother Thomas C Doss, hereinafter to be appointed one of my executors, shall, after my death, take charge and control of my farm together with all the farming utensils, slaves, teams, etc and manage and conduct the business of the farm to the best advantage until the time for the general division of my estate and that he keep an account of the income and expenses of the same, and that he be allowed for such services one fourth of the net income from the farm.
I will and desire that my brother Thomas C Doss shall sell and dispose of the horses and ? cattle of my individual stock as they may come in market, but in no case dispose of any of the stock horses or cattle, and to invest the proceeds of such sales in Confederate State Bonds for the benefit of my children.
I further will and desire that my brothers Thomas C Doss and William C Doss shall when a suitable opportunity offers, to be judged by them, sell and dispose of and convey away all of my interest in the Mill property known as Doss's Mill situate on Threadgills Creek in Gillespie County, said property consisting of the land and the mill and other improvements thereon, and to invest the proceeds of the sale of said mill property in Confederate State Bonds for the use of my children. I further will and desire that my brother Thomas Doss, one of my executors, shall sell my interest of the copartnership horses and beef cattle, as they may come in market, but in no case to sell any of the stock horsesor cattle, and keep an account of the income and expenses of the sales of the copartnership horses and cattle, and account for said sales at the general division of my estate. I will and desire that when my three children Sam, Nancy and Rachel shall ? of them either marry, or arrive at full and lawful age, then my whole estate, not herein before directed, consisting of land, slaves, horses, mules, cattle, hogs,oxen, ?, carriages, household and kitchen furniture, beds, bedding, farming utensils, money or notes in hands of executors, Confederate State Bonds, and all of property of every description that I may died possessed of, or that may accumulate to my estate from any source whatsoever after my death shall be equally divided between and among my three children Sam, Nancy and Rachel,so that each shall have as near as practicable an equalportion of my estate. My will is that my niece Mary W Holcomb be guardian of the persons of my tow daughters Nancy and Rachel, but if she is not willing to take such guardianship then I appoint my Executors guardians of their persons and property and I do also appoint my executors guardians of the person and property of my son Sam.
I nominate, constitute and appoint William S Dickson and Joshua D Robinson of Gillespie County and William Magford(?) of Mason County appraisers to make all the appraisements that may be necessary or required by this my will and also to make any and all other appraisements and ? of my estate, or any portion thereof which may be necessary under the law.
I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my brothers, Thomas A. Doss and William A. Doss executors of this my last will and testament, willing and desiring however that my brother Thomas C shall have general control and management of the affairs of my estate, except as to the mill property and the sale of the same in which I wish my brother William to have equal ? with him.
And I will and desire that my brother William shall make the farm on which I now reside his home whenever and so long as he may desire, and that he be provided with clothing and whatever other necessaries he may desire at the expense of said farm, ? that he have control and management of the farm at any time when my brother Thomas may be necessary absent there from.
In witness thereof the said John E Doss to this my last will and testament, consisting of the four, foregoing pages have set my hand with my own proper signature in presence of the undersigned subscribing witnesses on this the 11th day January A.D.1863.
Signed and executed in presence of William C. Thomas A. C. Foster
Sources
- ↑
Will:
"Texas, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1974"
Probate Minutes, 1850-1918; Index, 1850-1974; Probate Records, 1867-1936; Author: Texas, County Court (Gillespie County); Probate Place: Gillespie, Texas
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2115 #1983187 (accessed 11 January 2024)
Will of John E Doss of Gillespie, Texas, granted probate on 11 Jan 1863.
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