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Note: In the name of the Benevolent Father of All. I John Wells of [He]ndricks County and State of Indiana do make and publish this [my] last will and testament. Item 1st, I give and devise to my beloved wife Elizabeth in lieu of [her] dower, All the cash in hand and coming to me from John Baxter for [the] farm on which I formerly lived in Jefferson County, and which he bought [from] me, together with all the Stock of Cattle, Horses and Household good, Furniture [pro]visions and other goods and chattels now belonging to said testator, during [his] natural life as aforesaid, except so much as may be sufficient for the [pay]ment of my just debts. Item 2nd Two years after my decease, I bequeath to my sons [Aar]on Wells, Lemuel Wells, Thomas J. Wells, Joseph Wells and Francis [We]lls , one dollar each, and to my daughters who are married viz Elizabeth [Wh]itsete Jane Berry, Eliza Baxter and Sarah Ann Whitesitte I bequeath [one] dollar each. And also to my daughter Mary M. Wells my daughter [who] is single, I bequeath one dollar. Item 3rd. At the death of my said wife all the real estate and [prop]erty, or proceeds thereof, as may then remain unconsumed and unex- [pen]ded; I give and devise to my sons Simeon R Wells, and George W [We]lls, Samuel F. Wells and Ebenezer N Wells and also Mary M. Wells [my] daughter an equal division of the estate. And in the event of [one] or more deaths of the last described children then the remaining that are [liv]ing shall have an equal division of the estate. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal [the] twenty sixth day of September 1854. Signed and acknowledged by said John Wells as his last will [an]d testament in our presence and signed by us in his presence. [Th]omas Graham Sr. } his [Eb]enezer S. Watson } John X Wells mark [Sta]te of Indiana Hendricks Count Oct. Be it known that on this the 30th day of October A.D. 1854, Come Thomas [Gra]ham Sr. and Ebenezer S. Watson, the subscribing witnesses to the forgoing instrument [?]nting, before the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of said County and [?] on being duly sworn upon their oath depose and say that they saw John [We]lls subscribe said instrument and heard him declare the same to be his last [wil]l and testament, that they subscribed their names thereto as witnesses, at his [req]uest, in his presence and in the presence of each other and that said testator [was] of lawful age and competent to devise his property, and that at the time he [was] not acting under any coercion or restraint Margaret (Trapp) Peace gives the following as children of John, but does not give any other information. She says "Family raised in Jefferson Co. The list mostly from the memory of Mary Ann (Wells) Nay". Mary Ann (Wells) Nay was a descendant of Samuel Wells (b. 1799). Margaret estimated birthdates from the 1850 census. Her list: Aaron Wells, Lemuel, James [not named in will], Jefferson, Joseph (1830), Wm. [not named in will] John Wesley (1831) [not named in will], Francis, Elizabeth, Eliza, Jane, Sarah Ann (1834), Minerva (1837), Simeon R. (1839), Geo. W. (1841), Mary M. (1846), Samuel, and Ebenezer.
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