Wilkinson County, Mississippi
Will Book I, page 143


RUFFIN DELOACH WILL

       1st I do will and bequeath that my estate both real and personal shall be kept together for the term of three years after my decease unsold and undivided under the superintendence and management of my hereinafter named executor or my administrators; for the purpose of paying my just debts, with the proceeds there of unless the same be sooner paid.

      2nd. I do Will and bequeath that at the expiration of said term of three years, all my real estate, attached to the plantation on which I now reside may be sold at the discretion of my executor or admin’ and can junction with my wife ABBA DELOACH and the proceeds there of applied to the payment of such of my debts as may remain unpaid. And that the remainder of the proceeds of said sale [if any] be equally divided between my beloved ABBA and my sons JESSE and JOHN M. DELOACH, but should my executor and my wife ABBA not deem it expedient to sell my aforesaid real estate then, I will & bequeath same to my said wife, ABBA and my sons JESSE & JOHN DELOACH.

      3rd. I will and bequeath to my beloved daughter OLIVIA McELRATH all the Negroes Slaves I have heretofore delivered unto her possession together with the increase & no more.

      4th I will and bequeath to the children of my deceased daughter ELIZABETH ORR [viz] MARY TRIMLEY ERELINA McNULTY, RUFFIN H. ORR, and WRIGHT B. ORR a certain negro woman named HANNA & her child DENNIS and their increase, to be sold by my executor or administrator on a twelve month credit and the proceeds equally divided amongst them.

      5th I will and bequeath to my beloved wife ABBA DELOACH the following named Negroes viz, PATIENCE BALEMAN or BATEMAN, JUPITER SAM and SALLY, to her and her heirs forever and MARGARET & her increase to my son JOHN M. DELOACH.

      6th. I will and bequeath to my son JOHN M. DELOACH the following named negroes viz: GEORGE REUBEN, NELL, BEN, NELLY and her two children, HARRY and FANNY & their increase together with my real estate, lying west of JOHN BIRD’s entry and south of the Burlin tract.

      7th I will and bequeath to my son JOHN M. DELOACH the following named negro slaves viz. LEWIS, TIM, REUBE, ALFRED, PEGGY, CAROLINE & her two children, MARY & SARAH and EDA and their increase together with the tract of land lying between the Clark & Burlin surveys, In trust forever for the following purposes and none other that is to say in trust for the said JOHN M. DELOACH his exs, admins & c, to take care of manage work and apply the proceeds thereof to the maintenance of & support of my son JESSE DELOACH during his natural life and at his decease to transfer and deliver the said property to his several descendants should he leave any, But should my said son JESSE die leaving no issue then & in that case I will and bequeath the said negroes, LEWIS, TIM, RUMBO, ALFRED, PEGGY, CAROLINE, & her two children, MARY & ISAAC and EDA & their increase to my son JOHN M. DELOACH, and my daughter OLIVA McELRATH and their heirs forever, to be equally divided between them.

      8th I will and bequeath to my wife ABBA DELOACH and my sons JESSE & JOHN M. DELOACH equally all my farming utensils horses, oxen, stock of cattle hogs & sheep, also my household furniture to them & their heirs forever

      9th. I will and bequeath to my great granddaughter MARY ANN McNULTY a certain negro girl slave named SUSAN child of my negro woman CAROLINE

      Lastly I do constitute and appoint my son JOHN M. DELOACH sole executor

26 Oct 1833 RUFFIN DELOACH

witnesses GERARD C. BRANDON, GERARD BRANDON, JAMES C. BRANDON

Codicil:

      I RUFFIN DELOACH do make this my codicil to the annexed my last will and testament bearing date the 26th October A. D. 1833 and I hereby change so much of the seventh article of said will as gives the residuary property willed in the trust for my son JESSE DELOACH, to my son JOHN M. DELOACH and my daughter OLIVA McELRATH, and their heirs for ever, and in the event of my said son JESSE DELOACH dieing without lineal descendants, then I do will and bequeath one third of said property to my said son JOHN M. DELOACH, one third to my said daughter, OLIVA McELRATH, and the other third to the heir of my deceased daughter ELIZABETH ORR, and their heirs forever. Secondly. I do will and bequeath to my son JOHN M. DELOACH and his heirs all the land I have purchased at the land office, West of Pearl River, since the 26th day of October, 1833 the same lying in fractionate township No 1 of Range four west of the basis meridian.

11 April 1835 RUFFIN DELOACH
witnesses GERARD C. BRANDON, GERARD BRANDON, JAMES C. BRANDON