Submitted by Jackie Pace.

Montgomery Co. AL Will Records, Vol 2
Written: 29/Oct/1826 Probated: 9/May/1828

In the name of God Amen. I, WILLIAM ASHLEY Senior, of the state county aforesaid, being in a feble state of body but of a sound mind memory, thanks be to Almighty God for the same, I do herefore make this last will & testament.

1 Item: I have give to my son JOHN G. ASHLEY in the year of our Lord 1813: one negro man named Luke and bed & furniture & horse, bridle saddle, some stock of cattle & hogs, also $100 toward paying for a negro woman named Ester, also $500 in land which has been receipted for.

2 Item: I have given to my son JAMES ASHLEY in the year 1815: one negro man named Bob & bed & furniture & horse, bridle & saddle & some stock of cattle & hogs, also $125 towards paying for a negro girl named Jude, also the interest of $500 in land which he has received.

3 Item: I give & bequest to my daughter ELIZABETH ASHLEY one bed furniture, also 7 Negros named as follows: Buck (Block?), Fanny, and her children, Virgil, Dewey, Caroline, Lundy, Isaack.

4 Item: I give & bequest to my daughter ROSEY ASHLEY one bed furniture, also one Negro woman named Ester, one boy named Robert, also a boy named Jo, also a boy named Arch, also a boy named Owen & Alaca, a girl. Also I give & bequest a quarter section of land by the NW quarter of Section 20, Township 16 and Range 17. Also my horses & carriages to be equally divided between ELIZABETH and ROSEY ASHLEY.

5 Item: I give & bequeath to my son WILLIAM ASHLEY one bed furniture I shall allow him to keep Will & Lucy until my Executors give him two nearly equal. Also one horse, bridle & saddle which he has already had, also 3 cows & calves already had by him, also a quarter Section of land, the NE quarter of Section 10, Township 16, and Range 17 whereon he now lives.

6 Item: I give & bequeth to my son FELIX ASHLEY one bed & furniture with household furniture where I now live. Also the quarter section where I now live and all that appertaining thereto, 2 horses, saddle & bridle, 5 cows & calves & all the hogs I do not dispose off, to crops of every discription except what I shall give to others, & also all the moneys except what I shall give to others, & also all the moneys owed or in hand. But he at the same time is bound to buy two negros to redeem those WILLIAM has & to pay my debt out of said crop & moneys due me. Also the working tools of every kind. Also I give & bequest a negro man named Kit, also Frank until he is taken up from WILLIAM ASHLEY, then Will is to belong to him, also Tom & Mary also I give to him. Then Frank is to return to the property not itemed.

7 Item: I give & bequest to JACK FLOWERS two half quarter section of land east of John Hughes also 200 bushels of corn, 2000 ct. fodder, 1200 ct. pork & the young Sorrel Horse, 3 cows & calves on condition he calls for no further settlement if he does this property returns to the part that is not itemed. Then each of the males pay a proportionable part of this if any he should attain.

Item 8: I give to JOHN BARNES if he comes to this country with his family, 200 bushels of corn, 2000 ct. fodder, 1000 ct pork & to his wife I give a Negro woman named Phillis & also 4 cows & calves my wish is he should have two shares & 2 small boys counted as one hand & he putting in 2 horses & I feed them the first year if my people can agree, I wish him to stay 3 or 4 years, and if they cannot agree and he chooses to stay, my wish is for him to have 20 acres to himself of open land for three years if he chooses to stay.

10 item: The balance of the property not yet itemed Old Sam, young Sam, old Tim & wife Parrot & Lucy after the others are redeemed, also one gray horse, also old Arch & Nora his wife, the town property to be divided between my sons one year after my death. The property is to be valued before it is divided and JAMES ASHLEY is to pay up what he is owing me before he draws his part of this property interlined in four places before assigned.

My will is that JOHN MCQUEEN and my son FELIX ASHLEY be my Executors to this my last will & testament. 29/Oct/1826
Signed & Sealed in presence of

JOHN HUGHES
WM.HOBBIE

WM. ASHLEY Senr. (Seal)
...........................................................................

State of Ala, Montgomery Co.:
Personally appeared JOHN HUGHES one of the subscribing witnesses to the last will & testament of WM ASHLEY SR in open court & made oath that he was present & saw WM ASHLEY SR execute the annexed instrument of writing as his last will & testament, that the Testator was of a sound & disposing mind, memory & understanding of the Execution of said will, that he witnessed the same at the request of said Testator in his presence and in the presence of WM HOBBIE the other subscribing witness of the same.

Court 9/May/1828
N.E. Benson JOHN HUGHES
I.C.C.M.C