Message Boards – Bland Will

Do you remember Ancestry Message Boards? As I was ‘purging’ my folder of BLAND research, I came across a printout of a 1999 message from the BLAND board that is a transcription of a will.

Thankfully, the person who shared this transcription provided the source information. While the page for Nelson County, Kentucky indicates the wills have not been digitized, I was able to locate them by browsing the Kentucky State Probate Records 1727-1990.

Weirdly, the cover of the book is the last image on the roll. The lowest page numbers are on the end of the roll with higher page numbers closer to the beginning of the film.

Kentucky Probate Records, 1727-1990
Nelson County
Will Records, 1785-1830, Vol. A

NOTE: Cover of book is last image on roll. Book is filmed in reverse order.

Image 393 – page 166

In the name of God, Amen. This fifth day of
October in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hun
dred Ninety-five, I, John BLAND of the County of Nelson
& State of Kentucky, being in a weak and low state of health
but of perfect mind & Memory & Calling to mind the morta
lity of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all
men once to die I do constitute, make and ordain this
to be my last will and testament Princippally and
first I freely give & recommend my soul into the hands
of Almighty God who gave it me my body I recommend
to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like & decent
manner at the direction of my Executor nothing dou
bling but at the Great Resurrection I shall receive the
same again by the might power of God who gave it me
and as Touching such wordly Estate as it hath pleased
God to bestow on me in this life I do give device and dis
pose of in manner & form following Viz

It first it is my will that Margret, my dearly
beloved wife for her support during her natural life do inherit

page 167

To Wit: all my estate, both real and person, all moveable or
immoveable unless such [moietys’ as in this shall be hereafter
mentioned to be given to my other hiers of my sd Estate and after
her death metnion to be made how to divide the same equal
ly agreeable to my will and pleasure
Item secondly it is my will that my eldest son, Osborn BLAND
be paid twenty pounds cash out of my sd estate at the de
cease of my dearly beloved wife Margret Item Thirdly it is
my will that my eldest daughter, Prudence SMITH wife to
Fleming SMITH, be paid five pounds specia in like manner
as above in case any of her hiers should ever come after the
same and if not the same to be equally divided among my
other heirs
Item fourthly it is my will that my son Samuel BLAND be
paid thirty pounds specia to be paid in like manner as
above specified Item fifthly it is my will that my son
John BLAND shall have a conveyance of a part of a tract of
land I purchased of James DAVIS with Jesse Dvis his secu
rity which conveyance I do alloy my exeuctor s to make to
my said son John agreeable to a bond In now have on this sd

Page 168 — (image 392)
James & Jesse Davis sd land to begin at a Dogwood and Sugar
tree corner to John Jenkinson and running with his line
N> 70.6 degrees 124 to a walnut and two red buds standing in sd
Jenkinsons line thence No E 78 poles to one other line
in sd survey thence with two other lines of sd survey to the
Beginning.
Item Sixthly it is my will that my two sons Isaac &
Elijah BLAND have the remaining part of the land
I now hold on the waters of Simsons Creek, at the decease of
my dearly beloved wife Margret, also one negro each
of them is to have of the increase of my negrese woman
Lucy whit it is my will that Isaac is to have the choice
of the same Isaac and Elijah is to pay forty pounds to the
specia remaining part of my estate to be paid in one
year after the decrease of my wife Margret
Item Seventhly it is my will that the remaining part
of my moveable estate together with my real estate is to
be equally divided among six of my children named
Mildred HUGHES, Daniel BLAND, William BLAND, John
BLAND, Frances HUGHES and Molly RANDOLPH.
Item Eigthly it is my will that Nancy Bland daugh

page 169
ter to Henry Bland is to have twenty pounds specia which
is to come out of Mildred Hughes part of my Estate
Item Ninthly and lastly it is my will that my dearly belov
ed wife Margret together with Daniel and John BLAND,
my two sons, be executors whom I do constitute and ap
point of this my last will and testament and I also do
Revoke and Disannul all and every other will or wills le
gacy or legacys or bequeath made by me ratifying and
confirming thus to be my last will and testament. In wit
ness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this day
and date first written.
John Bland (seal)
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of us:
Anthony THOMPSON,
Henry JENKINSON, (or possibly Tinkinson)
Elizabeth JENKINSON.
At a court held for Nelson Co., on the 8th day of Dec
ember 1795, this last will and testament of John
Bland, deceased was proved by the oaths of Anthony Thompson, Henry Tinkinson and Elizabeth Tinkinson subscribing witnesses thereto and sworn to by Margret Bland, Daniel
Bland and John Bland Exors therein named and ordered.

page 170 (image 391)
Ordered to be recorded
Teste Ben Grayson, Co Clk

Kentucky Probate Records, 1727-1990, John Bland, 1795; Nelson County, Book A, pages 166-170; Database with images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed online 18 December 2023).