I John Keyser, of Russell County & State of Virginia being weak in body, and calling to mind the uncertainty of life, and being desirous of disposing of my worldly affairs, which it has pleased God to bless me with do make the following distribution of my estate, viz:
1st. I desire that my wife Nancy, hold her dower on the home farm where I now live, and as she will be entitled to one third of my estate I deem it unnecessary to make any other provision for her.
2d. To my two sons Andrew and John Keyser I have already given all I desire them to have.
3d. The farm on which I now live I bequeath to my two sons James and Lafayette including a quantity of big survey land I purchased from William B. Aston on the north side of Clinch River, commencing at the mouth of Dumps Creek running up said creek about one hundred yards then taking the ridge and with the river to the lands of my brother Joseph Keyser, where the widow Keyser now lives, the lower end of the home I give to my son Lafayette, the upper end to my son James, the big survey land on the north side of the river as above described I give equally to James and Lafayette. I also bequeath to my sons James & Lafayette and to be equally divided as can be the land adjoining the lower end of the farm on which I now live, and for which I hold a title bond on James Roberts. And to James I give one gray colt now claimed by him, and to Lafayette the gray colt he claims.
4th. To my son Harvey I bequeath my farm on the north side of Clinch River known as the Sutherland farm, including about fifty acres more or less which I purchased from William B. Aston and all under fence. My other farm on the same side of the river, known by the name of the old E?ph place I bequeath to my three daughters viz: Margaret, Vina and Prisca, to be equally divided between them including about thirty acres I purchased of William B. Aston and adjoining the land I gave my son Harvey and not under fence and to the same girls I also give a good milch cow.
5th. To my son-in-law James Kelley I give the privilege of keeping five hundred acres of the mountain land on which he now lives or so much as he can pay at the price William B. Aston would charge it to me at, and to his wife Nancy Kelley I bequeath a good cow in addition to what I have heretofore given her.
6th. After my death I desire my executor herein after named to sell all my personal property according to law the proceeds of which to be equally divided among all my daughters, viz: Matilda Smith, Polly Kelly, Nancy Kelly, Margaret Keyser, Vina Keyser, & Prisca Keyser.
7th. I bequeath to my three grand children Harvey, Mary & Franky Stone of any of them that may be living the sum of two hundred dollars to be made up by all my daughters in the event that the said grand children come and receive it themselves.
8. The remaining quantity of my mountain land I give the privilege to all my sons of keeping and dividing as equally as they can after paying the price William B. Aston would charge it to me at.
9th. And lastly I hereby constitute and appoint Edward D. Kernan my executor to this my last will and testament. Given under my hand and seal this 4th day of February in the year of our Lord 1850.
John Kiser (Seal)
Signed sealed & delivered in the presence of
Abraham Childers
Nimrod Kiser
At a court held for Russell County on the 4th day of May 1852. - This instrument of writing was exhibited in court as and for the last will and testament of John Keyser deceased, and proven by the oaths of Abraham Childers and Nimrod Kiser the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of Edward D. Kernan executor therein named who made oath, and together with Nathaniel Dickenson, William B. Aston and John F. McElhenney his securities, entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of $2000 conditioned according to law, certificate is granted him for obtaining probat of the said will in due form.
Teste,
James P. Carrell C.R.C.