Will of Nathan Fleming, Son of William Fleming

Be it remembered that I, Nathan Fleming, being weak in body but of perfect and sound mind and memory, calling to mind the uncertainty of human life, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following, that is to say:

1st. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Lydia Fleming the one-third of the place which I now live on together with all my household and kitchen furniture, four milk cows and all my sheep and hogs, four negroes named Sabra, Jesse, Alsa, and Betsy, and one mulatto named Amos, to have and to hold and dispose of as she shall deem it necessary so long as she shall live and after her death to be disposed of in the following manner, that is to say: Archibald Fleming, my son, to get her thirds of the lands and the balance distributed in the following manner, that is to say: To my daughter Rachel Hart fifty dollars in property at the appraisement; to my daughter Elizabeth Hays fifty dollars over and above all her claims that the estate holds against her at appraisement; to my daughter Lydia Fleming one dollar at appraisement; to Nathan Fleming one hundred dollars at appraisement; to Thomas Fleming, my son, fifty dollars over and above what he is indebted to the estate to be paid as above.

2nd. I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Fleming above what she has had one negro girl named Irneah.

3rd. I give and bequeath to my son William Fleming one dollar.

4th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Hays one dollar.

5th. I give to my daughter Jane Fleming one negro girl Harriet.

6th. I give to my daughter Lydia Fleming one dollar.

7th. I give and bequeath to my son Nathan Fleming one dollar.

8th. I give to my son Leven Fleming one negro girl named Casander.

9th. I give to my son Thomas Fleming one hundred acres of land lying in the forks of the river, the place he now lives on.

10th. I give to my son Joseph Fleming as much of my land adjoining his home place as shall make it equal in value to my home place, also one negro boy named Caleb, together with one half of my horse creatures, also one-half of my farming utensils, also one half of my wagon and smith tools, together with onehalf of my sugar camp with fuel.

11th. I give to my son Archibald Fleming the balance of my home place, also one negro boy named Phill and one-half of my horse creatures, half of my wagon, half of my smith tools, and half of my farming utensils, the balance of my cattle to be equally divided between Joseph and Archibald.

12th. I give to my grandson Beniah Fleming one negro boy named Ambrose, also one horse, saddle, and bridle, worth seventy-five dollars, if he lives until he becomes twenty-one, and if not to remain the executors' property.

13th. Be it remembered that if any of my heirs shall hereafter employ an attorney to cancel or law with what is herein written as my last will and testament (he) shall (not) be considered as an heir and shall totally loose his dowery.

Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint my sons Joseph and Archibald Fleming executor of my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other wills formerly made by me.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 27th of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.

Nathan Fleming (seal)

Witness: Peter Miller, Ferrell Dunn, Samuel Fleming, and John W. Lilly.

Nathan Fleming died on the 9th day of March, 1825; his wife, on the 15th of September, 1834. Both are buried in the cemetery at the Fleming Memorial Chapel. The inscriptions state that Nathan was aged 75 years and 11 days and Lydia 82 years, 4 months, and 11 days. If this is correct as to Nathan, the date of his birth as given above is incorrect by a few days.

William Fleming Family by Francis Marion Brand