Death Notes

WILL OF WILLIAM SKAGGS

In the name of God, Amen: I, William Skaggs of the county of Green, State of Kentucky, being of sound mind and memory, do by these presents constitute and ordain this my last will and testament, to wit:

Item First - I give to wife Polly Skaggs the tract of land whereon I now live with the exception of 50 acres whereon my son Henry now lives, during her life and also my negro girl Mary Ann and my negro boy Newton, the gal about 15 years of age and the boy about 16 years old, together with all my household and kitchen furniture, my farming tools of every description, three cows and calves, and five head of young cattle, three head of horses, all of the above named property ot is my will and desire that my wife shall have and enjoy the use of during her life.

Item Second - I give to my daughter Elizabeth Pearce one negro girl Sarah, about 13 years old, which negro girl my daughter Elizabeth Pearce has now in her possession and having given my daughter above mentioned some property at her marriage, I consider that she has had her full part of my estate.

Item Third - I give to my daughter Polly Elkin one negro boy Preston, about 12 years old which boy my daughter now in her possession, and having had other property at her marriage I give her no more of my estate.

Item Fourth - I give to my daughter Nancy Peace one negro girl named Nancy, about nine years old, which girl my daughter Nancy has now in her possession and she having had other property at her marriage, I give her now no more of my estate.

Item Fifth - I have given to my son William Skaggs in his life some 300 acres of land, more or less, and I also give to my son William during his life one negro boy by the name of Jacob, which boy I have since purchased of my son William and paid him for which I consider was his full part of my estate, and it is my will and desire that the heirs of my son William have no more of my estate.

Item Sixth - I give to my son Fields Skaggs 100 acres of land whereon my son now lives, more or less, also one negro girl Harriet and her increase, which negro my son now has in his possession.

Item Seventh - I give to my daughter Rachel Warren 100 acres of land supposed to be 100 acres, more or less, adjoining the lands where my daughter now lives. I am also to make to my son-in-law William Warren a deed to the land he purchased of John Salsman, supposed to be 20 acres, including the improvement in a strate line to the old line.

Item Eight - I give to my daughter Sibby Salsman 100 acres of land whereon my daughter now lives, also one negro girl July Ann, about 23 years old, which negro my daughter has had in her possession for some years. I purchased and paid my daughter some years since for said negro.

Item Ninth - I give to my son Jeremiah Skaggs 100 acres of land whereon my son now lives, also I give to my son Jeremiah one negro boy Jasper, about 17 years old.

Item Tenth - I have given to my daughter Jane Warren $80 heretofore, and it is my will and desire that my daughter Jane Warren have no more of my estate.

Item Eleventh - I give to my son Stephen Skaggs 100 acres of land whereon my son now lives, also one Negro girl, Sinday, about seven years old, also $50 to be paid out of the sale of my out lands to my son Stephen.

Item Twelth - I give to my son Henry Skaggs 50 acres of land whereon my son Henry now lives, and at the death of my wife I give to my son Henry all the tract of land wherein I now live, supposed to be 300 acres.

The land given to my son Stephen is to be first run off and then my son Henry is to have the remainder of the tract wherin I now live at the death of my wife, also one negro boy named Sess (of Sep), about seven years old.

Item Thirteen - I give to my daughter Eliza Cravat 100 acres of land whereon she now lives, the same more or less, also $100 to be paid to my daughter out of the sale of my out land, also two cows and calves and two head of young cattle.

Item Fourteen - I give to my granddaughter Elizabeth Skaggs one negro girl Polly, about three years old.

Item Fifteen - It is my will and desire that my two negro women, Easter and Sealy, shall have their freedom at my death. The have served me faighfully for my years.

Item Sixteen - It is my will and desire that at the death of my wife all the property she dies possessed of shall be sold and the proceeds equally divided between my children, that is to say, Fields Skaggs; Rachel Warren; Sibby Salsman; Jeremiah Skaggs; Stephen Skaggs; Henry Skaggs; Eliza Cravat. The children not named in this last item I give no more of my estate than I have named for them.

Item Last - It is my will and desire that my sons Fields and Henry be my executors.

Notes from the Green County Review of October 1980:

The foregoing will of William Skaggs was located, filed with other original wills, in the GC Court Clerk's Office. It was not recorded in the will book for the time period; whether the omission was due to error or whether the will was set aside is not now known. An entry in GC Order Book 10, p. 226, shows that the will was produced in court on Oct 16, 1848. On Nov. 20, 1848 (Order Book 10, p.242) Fielding Skaggs was appointed administrator with Jeremiah P. Skaggs and William Pierce as sureties. An inventory and list of sales of the estate was produced in court on Feb. 19, 1849 (OB 10, p. 249).

NOTE: Henry Skaggs, probable son of William and Mary Simpson Skaggs was born about 1779, and married Sally Lacefield on June 1, 1797. In Perrin's, a sketch of James H. Boston of Metcalfe County, Kentucky, it is stated that James H. Boston was the son of Abner Boston and Susan Skaggs; that Susan Skaggs Boston was the daughter of Henry Skaggs who married Sallie Lacefield; and that Henry Skaggs was a Baptist Minister and 'the son of William Skaggs.'

William Skaggs did have a son named Henry; however, this son Henry was born about 1821. William Skagg's first marriage, according to DAR records, was in 1778. The Henry Skaggs who married Sally Lacefield and who was born in 1779 or so could possibly be from the first marriage; however, William's will did not include this earlier Henry Skaggs.