Submitted by Lesli Christian
Lawrence County, Ohio Probate Court
Sec. (?) Journal, Vol. 1, Folio 366, where the following entry occurs.
Court of probate of Lawrence County, Ohio, held at the courthouse in Ironton on the 16th day of January AD 1856, in the matter of proving the will of William W. Hatfield, deceased.
The last will and testament of William W. Hatfield, late of said county, deceased, was this day produced in open court by Elzaphan Rucker, one of the subscribing witnesses in the will named and therefore (?) appeared in open court said Elzaphan Rucker and Perry Payton, the subscribing witnesses in the will named and on oath testify to the due execution of the same, which testimony was reduced to writing and filed with said will and it appearing to the court by said testimony that said will be duly attested and executed and that said testator at the time of executing the same was of full age and of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint. It is, therefore, ordered that said last will and testament together with this journal entry and the testimony of aforesaid be recorded in the book of wills.
Fletcher Golden, probate judge
The Will:
In the name of God, Amen, I, William W. Hatfield, being of sound mind and memory and considering the uncertainty of this frail life, do therefore make, ordain, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament. That is to say ‹
First: After all my lawful debts are paid and discharged, the residue of my estate, real and personal, I give, bequeath and dispose of as follows, to wit:
To my beloved wife, as long as she remains my widow, the land, also the personal property, and after her death, the real estate to the two youngest boys to wit: James (I. or J,?) Hatfield and Samuel Y. (?) Hatfield.
The above-named boys are to pay the two girls proportionate for their shares in the lands when the heirs all become of lawful age. And at the widow¹s death, the remainder of the personal property is to be divided equally between all the children now living. In witness in hereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the thirtieth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
William W. Hatfield
The above written was (?) by the said William W. Hatfield, in our presence and acknowledged by him to be his last will and testament.
Elziphan Rucker
Perry Payton
(His Mark)
The Testimony
The State of Ohio, Lawrence County ss
Be it remembered that on this 16th day of January AD 1856, personally appeared before me, Fletcher Golden, judge of the court of probate at the courthouse in Ironton, Elziphan Rucker, and Perry Payton, who being duly sworn according to law, make oath and say respectively that they are subscribing witnesses in the last will and testament of William Hatfield, that the paper hereto attached and purporting to be the last will and testament of William W. Hatfield, deceased, was by said testator signed in presence of these deponents and that the same was signed by these deponents in presence of the said testator and at his request and that said testational the time of executing the same was of full age and of sound mind and memory and not under any restraint.
Sworn to before me and signed in my presence the 16th day of January AD 1856.
(by)
Elziphan Rucker
Perry (X) Payton
(His Mark)
Fletcher Golden, Probate Judge
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