General Notes

[Johnson.FTW]

[1144734.FTW]

REFN: 7672
WILL dated 14 Mar 1855, Shelby County,Tennessee.
In the name of Go d Amen, I James Titus of the City of
Memphis, County
of Shelby, and State of Tennessee being feeble in body,
but of sound mind
and disposing memory and being conscious of the
uncertainty of life, and
the certainty of death, and being desirous in my lifetime
to direct how the
worldly goods and estate of which I may die seized and
possessed, shall
be disposed of and held, do ther efore make and publish
this my last will
and testament, hereby and by these presents, setting
aside annulling and
revolking any and all wills heretofore made by me.
Item First - I will that as soon after my decease as may
seem p roper
according to custom that I may be buried in a becoming
manner. I
comm end my soul to God who gave it.
Item Second - I will that as soon after my dec ease as
circumstances will
permit that my Executor hereinafter mentioned and named,
shall from the
proceeds of my estate pay any and all just debts I ma y
owe at my death.
Item Third - I will and desire that my said Executor sell
at private sale or
publicly my negro man named Jacob or Jake aged about
n ineteen or
twenty years and my negro woman named Annah aged about
thirty two
years, also the interest in lot in the City of
Memphis,#517 (five hundred
and seventeen) containing about seven acres, I owing four
fifth of said lot
as appears from my title papers from Bristor and that
said lot and negroes
b e sold on such terms as my Executor shall think must to
the interest of my
e state. That my Executor sell as he shall think best such
other property as I
may possess at the time of my death, and not hereinafter
provided for.
Item Fourth - I will and desire that at my death the
following named slaves
shal l have their freedom in consequence of their
faithfulness to me and their
at tention to me and my interest, I desire my Executor
immediately after my
dea th to take such steps as may be necessary for the
emancipation, by the
Count y Court of Shelby County,Tennessee or petition to
the legislature of
said st ate and to have a special act passed for the
purpose unless the said
slaves should choose to leave said state to reside in
some of the free states
in wh ich case my Executor will take the proper steps and
have them so
emancipatio n to be a charge upon my estate and the said
slaves above
alluded to and her einafter mentioned until such
emancipation shall be under
the management and control of my Executor , but said
slaves shall be
entitled to the proceeds of their labor for their support
and maintainance I
hereby vest the title of said slaves in my executor in
trust for purposes
aforesaid and none other.
Item Fifth - The slaves alluded to and mentioned in the
above and Fourth
It em or clause are Asberry, aged about twenty three
years, woman Ann
aged twen ty five years, and her three children to wit,
Caroline aged about
eight year s, George aged five years and Ebenezer aged
about three years.
Item Sixth - I also will and desire that the said slaves
Asberry, Ann,
Caroline, George a nd Ebenezer have the sum of five
hundred dollars in
cash to be paid from my estate by my Executor.
Item Seventh - I will that the sum of fifty dollars be
expended by my
Executor in the purchase of a ring to be selected by my
Exe cutor to be
kept by my kindsman James H. Edmondson as a testimony of
my high
esteem and regard for him.
Item Eighth - I will and desire that all and ever y part
of my estate of every
kind nature and description which may remain af ter all of
the foregoing
provisions and requisions are complied shall go to and be
vested absolutely
in my such beloved nephew James D. Frazer of the St ate of
Texas and that
the same and every part thereof shall be delivered ove r
to him by my
Executor as soon after my death as the nature of the
duties afore
mentioned will permit.
Item Ninth - It i