Will of William Cook

of Shelby County, Kentucky

We, Abraham Cook and Seth Cook, were called upon by our brother William Cook, a short time before his death, at his place of residence in Shelby County and in his last illness, to take notice that it was his wish (or words to that import) that his wife Catherine, should remain in possession of his estate, real and personal (except Peter a negro man slave) during her life, and that we should act as agents to council and assist her in raising her children and if any of them had need of any article that could be spared without trespassing their mother or the rest of the family that we by the consent of their mother would let them have and keep an account thereof so that they might be made equal at their mother's death and that Peter should be free on the payment of Fifty Dollars; a balance of two-hundred and fifty dollars which Seth Cook and Abraham Bohannon as agents for Peter had undertaken to pay which is all paid but the aforesaid fifty dollars and we heard him speak of this as being his will more than once and he requested Seth Cook to draw it up in writing which he did but it was not signed though after it was read to him he said it was in substance his wish and that said William Cook departed this life on the sixteenth day of this present month and this statement we have committed to writing this twentieth day of March 1816.

Witness our hands and seals in presence of:

Thomas Mitchell

Signed: Abraham Cook

(Seal)

John ad Smach

Seth Cook

(Seal)

Shelby County, Set May County Court 1816.

The within writing purporting to be the...will of William Cook deceased was produced in Court and proved by the oaths of Abraham Cook and Seth Cook to have been made out agreeable to the requests and direction of the said decedant and that he wished it to be considered as his last will and testament whereupon the same was ordered to be recorded which is done accordingly.

John Newland

Clerk

Shelby County, Kentucky Will Book 3, Page 421