On 14 Aug 1854, Theodocia Purcell, widow of John Purcell, signed her last will and testament in which she left her estate to her nephew William Shane, and his nephews William and Nathan Morrow. She also made special provisions for her slave named Sophia in gratitude for her years of service.
Bullitt County Will Book E, Pages 341-343
In the name of God, amen. I Theodosia Purcell of Bullitt County Kentucky do make and publish this my last will and testament in writing, hereby revoking and making void all former wills at any time by me heretofore made. And first, I direct that my body be decently interred, and that my funeral be conducted in a manner corresponding with my estate and condition in life. And as to such worldly estate as it has pleased God to invest me with, I dispose all as follows.
First, I devise that all my just debts be paid, and funeral expenses be paid as soon after my decease as possible out of the first money that shall come into the hands of my executor from any portion of my estate, real or personal.
Secondly I will and bequeath my Negro woman Sophia to William T. Morrow and Nathan Morrow, children of Eldridge and Mary Morrow, upon condition that they treat said slave kind and humanely and feed and clothe her well during her life; and hire her out to such persons, and such only as she may select to live with, in case it should become necessary to hire said slave, and should the said William and Nathan fail to comply with the above conditions as to the said slave, or their guardian during their minority, or attempt to sell her, then I direct that my executor shall seize and sell said slave to some person with whom she selects to live for the best price he can get, and the proceeds of said sale be held by him for the benefit of the said William and Nathan, and paid to them share and share alike in such manner, and at such time as is hereafter directed.
Third, I will and bequeath all the rest and residue of my estate, real, personal and mixed of which I may die possessed to the said Nathan and William Morrow, and to my nephew William Shane to be equally divided between them, share and share alike as soon after my death as practicable.
Fourth, I direct and my house and lot in Shepherdsville be sold so soon as practicable by my executor, and that the proceeds of said sale be distributed between the said William and Nathan Morrow and William Shane my nephew as directed in the third clause of this my last will.
Fifth, I direct that my executor receive all the money herein bequeathed to the said William and Nathan Morrow, and the proceeds of all the property that may be sold under the directions of this will for their benefit, and that he put the same out on interest and collect the same annually and pay it over to their guardian or guardians for their education and support until they severally arrive at the age of 21 years, at which time he is directed to pay to each the principal as he arrives at that age.
Sixth, I direct that my executor retain in his hands annually the interest on $200 out of the bequests herein made to William and Nathan Morrow, and that he pay the said interest over annually to the said slave Sophia so long as she lives, or until the said William and Nathan shall have arrived at the age of 21 years; after which time it shall be their duty to pay the said sum to the said Sophia, and they shall give my said executor bond and security for the faithful and punctual payment of the same; and in case they fail to give said bond, it shall be the duty of my said executor to retain in his hands $200 out of the portions of the said William and Nathan and loan the same out and collect the interest annually and pay the same to the said Sophia during her life, and at her death, he is to pay the said $200 over to the said William and Nathan Morrow.
I made this and the above provisions for the said Sophia in consequence of her long and devoted services to me which have existed for many years, the last 17 of which I have been confined to my bed, and could not have lived without her. I hope therefore that the provisions herein made for her will be strictly performed and carried out.
Lastly, I do hereby make and ordain William Wilson my executor of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I Theodocia Purcell the testatrix have to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal this the 14th day of August 1854. (signed) Theodocia [her x mark] Purcell. Witnessed by C. R. Samuels and William Wilson
If you, the reader, have an interest in any particular part of our county history, and wish to contribute to this effort, use the form on our Contact Us page to send us your comments about this, or any Bullitt County History page. We welcome your comments and suggestions. If you feel that we have misspoken at any point, please feel free to point this out to us.
The Bullitt County History Museum, a service of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is located in the county courthouse at 300 South Buckman Street (Highway 61) in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The museum, along with its research room, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday appointments are available by calling 502-921-0161 during our regular weekday hours. Admission is free. The museum, as part of the Bullitt County Genealogical Society, is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization and is classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. Contributions and bequests are deductible under section 2055, 2106, or 2522 of the Internal Revenue Code. Page last modified: 12 Sep 2024 . Page URL: bullittcountyhistory.org/bchistory/john-purcell-will.html
