WILL OF ROBERT HARVEY MATTHEWS  l814-1894

THE STATE OF TEXAS)
Navarro County

To all persons concerned.  Be it known that I...R H Matthews, a citizen of  the State of Texas & of Navarro County, being of lawful age, of sound mind & disposing memory:  in view of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, do make this my last Will and Testament, disposing of the worldly Estate with which it has pleased God to intrust me.

ARTICLE lst:   I will and require my Executors to pay all my just debts out of the first money that may come into their hands after my death.

ARTICLE 2ND:  After complying with Article lst I will and Bequeath to my beloved Wife, Bettie Matthews, all and singular my entire estate both real
and Personal, hereby giving her full control and ownership in fee simple with full power to collect all sums of money that may be due me by Note,
acct., or otherwise and to Sue and be Sued in any or all the courts, and to exercise full control & ownership after my decease hereby retaining full
control and ownership of any & all of my said Estate during my natural life any change, trade, sale, or transfer of any part or all of my said estate..that be as binding as if this will had not been executed.

I further direct that no action of the County or Probate Court shall be necessary further than to receive this will and a return of an inventory of all the property of my estate.   No bond shall be required of any Executors.

I hereby appoint my said wife Bettie Matthews Executor and hereby authorize her to select an assistant at her discretion.

Signed Sealed and Delivered (using scroll for seal) on this 25th day of May one thousand eight hundred and ninety one.

                               R H Matthews

Witnessed:
Joe M Berry
A J Williams
A H Berry


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                  PROBATING THE WILL
No. ll47

Estate of R H Matthews   Decd.            )Pending in Court
       Inventory and List of Claims       )of Navarro Co. Texas


To The Honorable M D Shelton, Judge of Said Court:

     And now comes Mrs. Bettie Matthews, Executrix of said estate and
respectfully submits the following as an appraisal of and inventory and list
of claims due this estate and notes due this estate, and which is as
follows, to wit:

Separate property of R H Matthews, Dec'd:

465  Acres land in Navarro Co on A L P M Smith
            Senito Survey valued at $5812.50

315  Acres     "     George Gentry Survey 6340.00

100  Acres     "     James Meredith Survey   600.00

l/2 Int. in Lot & Brick Storehouse on Collins Street,
     Corsicana 2000.00

     Total value separate Real estate                $14,752.50


           Community Property of R H Matthews & wife
                     Bettie Matthews


Lot No 1,2,3,4,5,6  Blk l8 Dawson, Texas $l500.00
l Acre land John Fullerton, Dawson, Texas   700.00
57 l/2 Acres land George. Gentry Sur, Navarro co          l437.50
Parts of Lot # l-2-& 3 Blk l7 Dawson, Texas        2000.00
l Acre land Geo. Gentry Sur, Navarro Co with Gin        2000.00

l5 Head of Cattle         75.00
7 Mules                                                   450.00
4 Head Horses                                             150.00
l Buggy                                                    80.00
4 Head of Hogs                                             50.00
Household and Kitchen Furniture                           500.00
      Cash on Hand                                        910.00

  Total value Community Property                        $9852.50


                 Separate Notes

l Note against

      J D Warren & L H Matthews due July l/95 424.66
              "        July l, l896             424.66
              "                      July l, l897            424.66
     Matthew Mellin                        " 237.50
Allen Carroll                         "                  321.00
     Frank Mellin                          " l7l.40
     M A Fox                        July l, l895 250.00
"                      July l, l896 500.00
      "                             July l, l897             500.00

           Total Amount of Personal Notes                $   3253.90

              Community Notes

l Note Against

J E Whiteside & Larkin Hill due Aug.l,l893 $    l00.00
     J Keeton                     due Oct l5, 1894       22.50
J H Nelson                   Due                         l00.00
J S Berry                                               100.00
J H M Evans                                              37.75
T J & R H Marsh              Due Apr l, l894             300.00
Mr E. Priddy                 Due                         l0l.55
W E Berry & J M Berry,      Jany lst l895              ll39.61
             "                    Jany lst l896             ll39.61

        Total Amount of Community Notes                 $    3109.78

              Recapitulation

Total Value of Separate Property                       $   l4752.50
Total Value of Community Property                          9852.50
Total Value of Separate Notes                              3253.90
Total Value of Community Notes                             3l09.78

Separate & Community Estate                            $ 30,968.68

                    -----------------------

THE STATE OF TEXAS(     Before me the undersigned authority this     County
of Navarro(     day personally appeared Mrs. Bettie Matthews who being by me
duly sworn on her oath says that the above and foregoing inventory and list
is a Complete inventory and list of the property and claims of her testation
that have come to her knowledge.

      Given under my hand an seal of office this 3rd day
      of December AD l894.
            <J P>                 J B Davis, J P & Ex officio
                                Notary Public, Navarro Co. Texas

                  --------------------------

We the Commissioners of Appraisal, appointed by the Honorable
County Court of Navarro County, Texas, to appraise the property belonging to
the Estate of R H Matthews, Dec'd.,do hereby on our oath say that the above
and foregoing valuations of the property rendered into inventory by Mrs.
Bettie Matthews, Executrix of said estate is in our opinion correct.

                          Joe M Berry
                               Larkin Hill
                               H C Garner
                                  Commissioners

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 3rd day of December AD l894.

     <JP>                         J B Davis J P & Ex Officio Notary   
Public, Navarro County, Texas

[ Matthews, James Harvey ]
                    

 LAST WILL & TESTAMENT
JAMES HARVEY MATTHEWS
1739-1825

IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I, James Matthews of Maury County and State of Tennessee being of sound and perfect mind and memoro (Blessed by to God)  Do this Seventeenth day of September in the year of our Lord 1819 make and publish this my last Will and t estament in manner following that is to say,

First, I give and bequeath to Mary my Beloved Wife all the negroes her life time to work for her and to wate on her at her pleasure and at her Death I alow Abner to have Rachael and her offspring, and I alow my wife to do as she pleses with Minty, alwo I alow my Beloved Wife to have all the Horse Beasts, Cows, Hogs, and Sheep, that belong to me, and also her own Saddle and Bridle and all the Household furniture Sutch as beds and bed clothes Belonging to her or me, and all Waring Clothes Belonging to me I alow her to Do with them as she sees proper, and all Dresser ware and cooking tools that she now claimes and also my Clame and Right to the Land we now live on....And I allow my Son Abner to have the Waggon and all belonging to it, also I allow him to have my Surveying Instruments and my Watch and gunns, and also my Saddle and if I have forgot anything I hope there will be no Dispute about it....and I hereby make and ordain my Son Abner Executor of this my last will and testament in Witness where of I the said James Matthews have to this my last will and testament Set my hand and Seal the day and year above written.

Signed, Sealed, published and Drawn
by the Said James Matthews the Testator
as his last will and testament in the presence
of us ware present at the time signing and
sealing thereof.
Witnesses:
Joel Reece James Matthews
Lloyd Harper
Isaac J Thomas SEAL

Courtesy of John Doak Matthews, TANGLEFOOT FARM,  Culleoka, Tennessee  34861
Submitted by Carl Matthews