Be it known that I James Gordon of the city & county of St. Louis, State of Missouri, being of sound mind & knowing that uncertainty of life & be desirous to make same disposition of my effects, I do make & publish this my last Will and Testement. It is my wish that the following depositaton be made of all my property & effects situated as being in Mercer County, State of Ky. 1^st. I give & bequeath to my three sisters Lucy, Emily & Sarah & to my Heirs of their bodies all my right title claims & interest in any of my Fathers old farm on which my said sisters now reside. I also give & bequeath to them in the same manor all claims held by me against the Estate of either my Father or Mother. Said claim consisting of a note giving me by my mother in her life time for $1013.85, dated 20^th Feb., 1844, I also give & bequeath to my sister Lucy all & every amount of money due me by her from money loaned or otherwise, I father will & bequeath to my brother Christopher my farm which lies adjoins the property above named containing fifty acres & is know as the Pleasant Hill Farm. I also give to my brother all money due me by him upon the following conditions, first that he transfer his interest in our Father & Mothers Estate to our three sisters (unknown words)married I that he also pays to the person authorities to received the sum of One Hundred Dollars per year for the term on ten years & if my said brother should not except said bequest - with these conditions that I give my said claim against him to my three sisters before married & give all or either of them the choice of taking my said Farm with same condition as proposed to my said brother & if they or either of them should think fit not to take said farm with the conditions there it is my wish that said Farm shall be sold to the highest bidder on a credit of from one year to ten years, that is to say ten equal yearly payments & that the proceeds ensuing from said sale be applied by the person whom I shall appoint, or who shall otherwise be legally authorized to the education & support of the surviving children of my Deceased brother Price Gordon & I then be appoint Draper Newton of Mercer County & State of KY as execrator of this portion of my will. It is my will that the following disposition be made of all my property & effects situated as being in the State of Missouri for or any other place except what has been here to for referred to in my will. I wish first that all my just debts be fully paid, I wish that the house & lot on which we now live together with the furniture which we now & may have at my death, my slave woman Jane & my Rockaway, may remain in possession of my wife Sally Ann for the joint use of herself & our children as long as they or a majority of them shall remain together, then to be disposed of my other effects shall be, I give & bequeath to my brother Preston Gordon the sum of Five Thousand Dollars provided that amount doesn’t exceed what will fall to my wife & children each. If upon a settlement of my Estate that shall not be a sufficient amount to give each my wife & children & my said brother Preston, five Thousand Dollars each, then I will that they shall each in have a equal share. If then should remain a Surplus to the amount of One Thousand Dollars I give & bequeath to my Sister Lucy B. Munday to be by her used for the purpose of educating & other wise providing for her children. It is my wish & will that my Ex~or proceed to sell my Graves farm on which my Brother Preston now resided by laying its land off in five acre lots or any other size that they shall think best and see the same or such part then of and of which terms and at such ties as they shall think best for the interest of all concerned & if it shall at my time be deemed by my Ex~or best for the interest of my heirs to sell all my Real Estate on long credit or other wise then it is my wish that it should be done & in such case it is my will that if my Wife Sally Ann, wishes to retain the house and lot in which we not live or any other piece of property which I may own that she be allowed to retain the same at a valuation to be fixed by Ex~or appointed by the probate court for that purpose & that she be charged with said valuation in the distribution of my Estate under this instrument do so much money received & of a full settlement of my Estate & the payment of all my debts & bequest it is my will that the remainder of my estate be equally divided between my wife Sally Ann & my daughters, Margaret B. Elizabeth & Eupherrice J., Arimus E & Mary Emily, the condition on which my Brother Preston is entitled to the provisions of this will is that he convey all his interest in the Estate of our Father and Mother to our three sisters Lucy, Emily & Sarah & I appoint Marshall Brotherton & my brother Preston Gordon my Ex~ to this my will & request that they may not be acquired by the probate court to give security as such Ex~or as I have every confidence that they will do their duty fast, fully without the erosion in the fifth line first page made before sighing, in testimony where I have here to sit my hand & affixed my seal on this 13^th day of September 1851.