Will of Milton Ford, Wilcox County, Alabama, 1853

Date: 22 Apr 1853 to 21 Jun 1853
Location: Wilcox, Alabama, United States
Surnames/tags: Ford Alabama Slavery

Introduction

This is a transcribed copy of the Will of Milton Ford of Wilcox County, Alabama. It was written on 22 Apr 1853. It was proved on 21 Jun 1853.^[1]

Persons Listed:

• Milton Ford, Testator
• William Flecher, Executor
• Alexander M Creagh, Executor
• Mary Elizabeth Ford, granddaughter, child of Testator's son Samuel A. Ford
• Emeline, enslaved person (girl)
• Mrs. Rhan, Mary Elizabeth's mother
• Sarah Francis James, Testator's granddaughter, child of Testator's deceased daughter, Nancy Ann Lancaster
• Elizabeth Rial, Testator's granddaughter, child of Testator's deceased daughter, Nancy Ann Lancaster
• Mary, Testator's granddaughter, child of Testator's deceased daughter, Nancy Ann Lancaster
• Milton, Testator's grandson, child of Testator's deceased daughter, Nancy Ann Lancaster
• Harriett, enslaved person (girl)
• Lucy W Cothrell, Testator's daughter
• Sutton Cothrell, Testator's son-in-law
• Mary Ann, enslaved person, (girl)
• Mary E Gamble, Testator's daughter
• Caroline, enslaved person (girl)
• Louisa A Gamble, Testator's daughter
• Wm Gamble, Testator's son-in-law
• Candiss, enslaved person, (woman)
• James Waller Ford, Testator's son
• Jackson, enslaved person, (boy)
• Milton Lewis, Testator's son
• Martha, enslaved person (girl)
• Thomas Lancaster, Testator's son
• Sam, enslaved person (boy)
• Harriett G Holman, Testator's step-daughter
• P D Holman, Testator's son-in-law
• Susan, enslaved person, (girl)
• John, enslaved person (old man)
• Susan, enslaved person (old woman)
• Geo M Hammer, witness
• John Kelly, witness
• A B Cooper, witness
• Jno A Jackson, judge

---

In the name of God Amen

I Milton Ford of the County of Wilcox & State
of Alabama being weak & sick of body but of sound & disposing
mind memory & understanding - do make publish & declare this
as & for my last will and testament - hereby revoking & disclaiming
void all other & previous wills by me at any time heretofore made

First I commit my Soul to God who gave it and my body
to the earth

Second I appoint William Flecher and Alexander M Creagh to be
Executors of this my last will & testament and charge them
with the faithful execution thereof

Third To Mary Elizabeth Ford daughter of my deceased Son
Samuel A. Ford I give a Negro girl named Emeline now in
possession of M^rs Rhan her mother

Fourth To [[Sarah Francis James]], [[Elizabeth Rial]], [[Mary]]] & [[Milton]]
children of my deceased daughter [[Nancy Ann Lancaster]] I give
and bequeath a Negro girl named [[Harriett]] and confirm all
gifts heretofore made to them or their mother.

Fifth To my daughter [[Lucy W Cothrell]] wife of [[Sutton Cothrell]]
I give and bequeath a Negro girl named [[Mary Ann]] to be
the separate property & estate of my said daughter & to hold to
her sole & separate use free from all control & use of her present
or any future husband

Sixth To my daughter [[Mary E Gamble]] I give and bequeath
a Negro girl named [[Caroline]].

Seventh To my daughter [[Louisa A Gamble]], wife of [[W^m Gamble]] I
confirm the gifts heretofore made her of a Negro woman named
[[Candiss]].

Eighth To my Son [[James Waller Ford]] I give & bequeath a Negro
boy named [[Jackson]].

Ninth To my son [[Milton Lewis]] I give and bequeath a certain
Negro girl named [[Martha]]

Tenth To my son [[Thomas Lancaster]] I give and bequeath a Negro
boy named [[Sam]].

Eleventh To my Step daughter [[Harriett G Holman]], wife of [[P.D.
Holman]] I give and bequeath a certain Negro girl named
[[Susan]] to be the Separate property and estate of the Said Harriet
& to her hold to her Sole & Separate use free from all control
of her husband

Twelfth It is [my] will and desire and I hereby direct my executors to Sell
all my real estate and perishable property to pay all my
debts and Should the Said real estate and perishable
property not be Sufficient to pay my debts then my Said
executors will Sell Such other property as they deem best be-
living my earnest desire & in most state all my debts be paid

Thirteenth If after paying my debts - my old and faithful
Negro man [[John]] shall be left (and I do not want him Sold
of the debts can be otherwise paid) I give and bequeath the Said
man John to my Son Milton Lewis to be allotted to him at an
appraisement hereafter provided for

Fourteenth In like manner of my old woman [[Susan]] can be
kept after the payment of my debts I wish her to had &
choose her Master or Masters among my children and the
one thats chosen is to take her at an appraisement hereafter
provided for

Fifteenth The above named Slaves John & Susan are to be
appraised by good & judicious persons in the neighbourhood
to be selected by my Executors and Such appraisers Shall consider
the fact that I wish said Slaves to be Ridly dealt with &
comfortably provided for so long as they live

Sixteenth consider that I have made advances to all my older
& named children to the value & amount of all least Eighty
dollars each I hereby direct my executors Should there be any
estate left after paying my debts and the legacies above
give to pay to each of my younger & unnamed children
Eighty dollars - to make them equal to the others and
after so making them equal the remainder of my estate to
be equally divided among all my Children.

Signed Sealed published & declared by the Said Milton
Ford as his last Will and Testament this Twenty Second day
of April eighteen hundred and fifty three in the presence
of the undersigned witnesses who have Subscribed their names thereto
in the presence of Said Milton Ford & of each other

Milton Ford (Seal)

Geo. M. Hammer
John Kelly
A. B. Cooper

The State of Alabama Wilcox County
Probate Court - Special Term June 21^st 1853
George M Hammer one of the Subscribing witnesses to this
foregoing Will of Milton Ford dec^d personally appeared in Open
Court who after being duly sworn Says on oath that the
foregoing in the last Will of Milton Ford dec^d So far as he knows
or believes, that he together with John Kelly & A.B. Cooper
the other two Subscribing Witnesses San the Said Milton Ford Sign
the Same and heard him declare that it was his last will
and testament that he together with the other two Subscribing
Witnesses John Kelly & A.B. Cooper on this day of the execution
of Said Will to wit on this 2^nd day of April A.D 1853
in the presence of each other and in the presence and at
the request of the Said Milton Ford Sign their names as witnesses
thereto that at the time of the Signing publishing & declaring the
Same by the Said Milton Ford to be the last Will and
testament, he was of sound mind and memory and over
the age of twenty one years and that Said Will was executed
in Wilcox Co Ala

Geo M. Hammer

Sworn to & Submitted
in Open Court this 21^st
day of June A.D. 1853
Jno. A. Jackson
Judge

Sources

1. ↑ Probate: "Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999", database with images
   Wilcox County, Alabama, Probate Records; Author: Alabama. Probate Court (Wilcox County); Probate Place: Wilcox, Alabama Imaged 626-628
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8799 #2326133 (accessed 18 March 2023)