Will of Amos Rice
Pettis County, Missouri
Will Book, __?
drawn May 9, 1857
I Amos Rice of the County of Pettis and State of Missouri do hereby make and publish this my last Will and Testament as follows to wit:
First I desire my funeral expenses and all my other debts be first paid then.
Second I give and bequeath unto James Wyatt of the County of Pettis and State of Missouri and to his heirs and assigns forever, my farm situated in Said County of Pettis, State aforesaid, consisting of two hundred and ten acres of land more or less being the same tract of land purchased of John Hughes in eighteen hundred and fifty four.
Third, I give and bequeath unto Samuel Wyatt of the County and State aforesaid and unto his heirs and assignees forever all the live stock and farming utensils of which I am possessed consisting of cows, oxen, steers, calves, ploughs, &c &c.
Fourth, I give and bequeath unto Margaret Emery or Emeery commonly called Margaret Emery of the County and State aforesaid and to her heirs and assigns forever the proceeds of two promissory notes, one of which is for the sum of seventy five dollars payable one day after date to my order by J H Anderson for value received on the first day of December 1854. The other said note is for the sum of two hundred and twelve dollars payable twelve months after date to my order by J H Anderson and Andro Howell for value received on the 22nd day of October 1854. The money arising from said notes shall be paid to the said Margaret Emery as soon as collected.
Fifth, I give and bequeath to Anne Margaret Richards of the city of St Louis and State aforesaid all the money of which I am possessed (after paying such expenses) as I shall under awhile in St Louis amounting probably to about two hundred dollars and I hereby direct my executors to deposit the same to the credit of the said Anne Margaret in the German Savings Institution in the City of St Louis, the interest on said sum of money shall be compounded quarterly on every third month and the said Anne Margaret shall not withdraw from said Institution either the principal or interest until after the expiration of ten years from the date of these presents. But in case the said Anne Margaret should marry before the expiration of the said ten years she is to be at liberty to withdraw the same at her pleasure.
I do hereby appoint Adam Richards and Jasper Reed the executors of this my last Will and Testament.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the ninth day of May eighteen hundred and fifty seven.
Amos Rice (his mark)
Attested in the presence of the testator by L Harbine, John N Straat and subscribed to this Will the name of Amos Rice at his request and according to his direction and in his presence. John N Straat
State of Missouri, County of Pettis
The State of Missouri to the Mayor or other Judicial officers in the City of St Louis, Greeting. You are hereby authorized and commanded to cause to come before you L Harbine or Harbin and John N Straat, witnesses to the last Will and Testament of Amos Rice (lento anna??) to take their attestation of the same according to law, and that you whereon this commission with the Will annexed to this court with all convenient speed and that you certify how you execute this commission.
Witness R R Spedden, Clerk of the County Court in and for the County of Pettis aforesaid with the seal of said court hereto affixed at office in Georgetown this 7th day of December AD 1855. (Seal) R R Spedden Clk
State of Missouri, County of St Louis
Be it remembered that on the ninth day of October AD 1856 before me the undersigned John How (?) Mayor of the City of St Louis County and State aforesaid personally appointed John H Straat one of the subscribing witnesses to the last Will and Testament of Amos Rice to the within commission annexed and the said John N Straat having by me first duly sworn on his oath deposes and says he subscribed and signed the name of the said Amos Rice to the instrument of writing annexed to the said commission at the request of the said Rice and according to his direction and in his the said Rice presence and the said Amos Rice made his mark to the said annexed instrument of writing and published the same as his last will and that he this said Rice was at the time of the making and publishing the said instrument of writing as his last Will of sound mind to the best of my knowledge and belief and over the age of twenty one years and I the said John N Straat subscribed my name to said will as one of the witnesses thereto and in the presence of the said Amos Rice the testator.
John N Straat
Subscribed and sworn to before me October the 9th AD 1857. In testimony whereof I have here to set my hand and affixed the seal of the city of St Louis the day & year last aforesaid. John How, Mayor Attest J G Hafer (?) Registrar
State of Missouri, County of Pettis
The State of Missouri to any Judge Justice of the County Court or Justice of the Peace or Mayor of the chief magistrate of Keokuk, Lee County and State of Iowa Greeting. You are hereby authorized and commanded to cause to come before you Leander Harbine a witness to the last Will and Testament of Amos Rice dec. and hereto annexed and his attestation to take according to law and that you return this commission with the will annexed to this Cout with all convenient dispatch and that you certify how you execute this commission. Witness R R Spedden Clerk of the said Court with this seal thereof affixed at office in Georgetown the 14th day of February 1857. (Seal) R R Spedden Clk by A M Barrett DC
State of Iowa, County of Lee
Be it remembered that on this 25th day of February AD 1857 before me the undersigned a justice of the peace in and for the county and state aforesaid personally appeared Leander Harbine one of the subscribing witnesses to the last Will and Testament of Amos Rice to the within commission annexed and the said Leander Harbine having been by me first duly sworn upon his oath deposes and says that the said John N Straat subscribed and signed the name of the said Amos Rice to the instrument of writing annexed to the said commission at the request of the said Rice and according to his directions and in his (the said Rice) presence and the said Amos Rice made his mark to the said annexed instrument of writing and published the same as his last Will. And that he the said Rice was at the time of making and publishing the said instrument of writing as his last Will of sound mind and over the age of twenty one years and the said Leander Harbine subscribed my name to the said Will as one of the Witnesses thereto and in the presence of the said Amos Rice the testator. Leander Harbine
Subscribed and sworn to before me February the 25th 1857. In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed the seal the day and year last aforesaid. Wm. Stotts, Justice of the Peace
State of Iowa, County of Lee
I Eri J Leech Clerk of the district Court in and for said County do hereby certify that William Stotts Esq is an acting justice of the peace in and for said County duly commissioned, sworn and qualified and his signature to the foregoing is genuine. Witness my hand and official Seal at Keokuk this 25th day of February 1857. Eri J Leech, Clk DC
State of Missouri, County of Pettis
I, R R Spedden Clerk of the County Court of the county of Pettis do certify that on the 18th day of April last the foregoing last Will and Testament of Amos Rice dec'd was presented in open court and probate thereof having been duly made in execution of commissions issued from said court the same was ordered for record.
Whereupon the same with accompanying testimony is truly recorded in my office in Georgetown, in my hand this 22nd day of May 1857. R R Sp
Submitter: Transcribed by Cathy Warbritton as is and as a service. She is not researching these families and does not have further genealogical information on them.