1811 Will of Absalom Hooper

The verbatim transcription includes all the spellings of the original. However, formatting into paragraphs, italics [for names of non-relatives and slaves], and bolding [for family members] all were added for clarity and emphasis. Also, underlines replace the word sic to mark places where mistakes exist in the original.

Absolom Hooper, Dec^d.,Will Recorded Augt 25th 1813

In the name of God Amen, I Asalom Hooper Sr. of the County of Davidson and State of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory considering the great uncertainty of life and the certainty of death do this 15th day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eleven make and establish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following to wit

I commit my body to the earth from whence it came and my soul to God that gave it, and that after my decease I be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter mentioned and that all my just debts be paid out of my estate,
as to my real and personal Estate, I will and bequeath in the form and manner following viz
- Item 1st I will and bequeath to my daughter Hetty Jones (1) one hundred dollars in cash and forty dollars cash as soon the money is collected from James Stuart (2) for keeping his children.
- Item 2d I also give and bequeath to my son Joseph Hooper one negro man named Isam and one negro woman Mary.
- Item 3d I give I give and bequeath to my daughter Sinia Alston five dollars.
- Item 4th I give and bequeath to my son Absolam Hooper seventy acres of land that I bought from Benjamin Nichols and the following negroes that is to say Cesar, Winney, little Sam, Clay, Bill, old Sam, and Sarah and also the Smith tools.
- Item 5th I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Robertson four cows and calves and fifty dollars in cash as soon as the money is collected from James ~~Stuar~~ Stewart for keeping his children.
- Item 6th I give and bequeath to my son Nimrod Hooper four hundred and twenty eight acres of land being the place where I now live and the following negroes Viz, Big Andrew Dave little Andrew Jim Baxer and Fan
- Item 7th I give and bequeath to my two sons Absolam Hooper and Nimrod Hooper all my stock of all kinds and all my household and kitchen furniture and all my farming tools of every discription to be equally divided between them.
- Item 8th I give and bequeath to my daughters Hetty Jones and Elizabeth Robertson and my two sons Absalom Hooper & Nimrod Hooper that part of the estate of Joseph Holmes (3) that is coming to me to be equally divided between them,
and for the faithful execution of this my last will and testament I ordain and appoint my trusty friend John Lucas and my son Absolam Hooper my executors of this my last will and Testament, and by these presents I revoak all other wills by me made or assigned.

In witness whereof I the said Absalam Hooper Snr have to this my last Will and testament set my hand and affixed my seal this day and date above written.

Signed sealed published and declared by the said
Absolam Hooper Snr the testator as his last will
and testament in the presence of us who were
present at the time of signing and sealing thereof Abs^m Hooper Seal
L. Shannon, Isaac Lucas
Susannah ^her X _mark Lucas

State of Tennessee Davidson County Court July Sessions 1813 The last Will and Testament of Absolom Hooper Decd as admitted in court for probate was duly proven in open court by Isaac Lucas & Susannah Lucas two of the subscribing ....

Notes:

(1) The clerk copying this will made several errors. First, of course, is the misspelling of the name of the testator as Asalom Hooper. Nor was the clerk consistent, using Absolom, Absolam, Absalam, and the abbreviation Absm for the given name. The other problem is the first letter of the given name for Hetty Jones. The given name of Absalom Hooper's daughter was Letitia or Leticia, with nickname Letty. Her first marriage was to George Cook(e). After his death, she appears as Leaticia Cook, administratrix, with Absalom Hooper and Isom Allen Parker as her securities, on 11 July 1797. Davidson County, Tennessee marriage records show Aquilla Jones married Lettie Cooke on 16 April 1798.
(2) Davidson County records show that James Stuart married Sallie Hooper on 4 February 1797.
(3) On 25 November 1765, Absalom Hooper had married Elizabeth Holmes in the Long Canes or Russell Creek area of South Carolina. How Mrs. Elizabeth (Holmes) Hooper was related to Joseph Holmes has not yet been determined.

Sources:

Davidson County, Tennessee Will Book 4, pages 246-247 [Tennessee State Library and Archives Microfilm Roll No. 427].
Davidson County Court Minutes, Book B, page 412. [FHL microfilm #205,435].
Davidson County Marriage Records Book 1 1789-1837 [FHL microfilm #200,294 ].
Hooper/Holmes marriage record is in Salley, A.S., editor, 1904, "Journal of William Calhoun," in Publications of the Southern History Association, VIII:3 [May 1904] pp 179-195.

See also Absolom Hooper Decd Will for a scanned image made from microfilm.

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1811 Will of Absalom Hooper

of South Carolina,Natchez District [British West Florida],and Davidson County, Tennessee

of South Carolina,
Natchez District [British West Florida],
and Davidson County, Tennessee