I John H. Hess of Russell County & State of Virginia do hereby make & publish my last Will and Testament in the following manner to witt.
1st. I give to my wife Catharine Hess all my personal property Cattle, Horses, Sheep and Hogs together with my house hold & kitchen furniture & farming implements.
2nd. I also give to my wife all my corn, bacon and wheat for the support and benefit of my family, I desire my wife to have her saddle & bridle also the benefit of my saddle and gun.
3rd. I desire my wife to have all the above named property to have and hold so long as she remains my widow, But if my wife Catherine should marry then I desire all that I have given her to equally divide between my four children. Except her saddle & bridle.
4th. I do constitute and appoint my Father James Hess my Executor given under my hand and seal Jany 8th 1870.
John H. Hess (seal)
Signed Sealed and delivered
In the presents of
L.S. Hargis
B. F. Vermillion
At a court continued and held for Russell County at the Court here on the 8th day of Febry 1870.
The last Will and Testament of John H. Hess was this day produced in court & proved by the oaths of L. S. Hargis & B. F. Vermillion the two subscribed witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded. And James Hess the executor therein named who took the oath of an executor prescribed by law & entered into & acknowledged his bond in the sum of one hundred law directs. A certificate is therefore granted him for obtaining probate of said will in due form
Teste:
J. C. Gent D.C.