Cooper, Matthew 

Contributed by Bridget Cooper Castle
Holmes CountyState of Mississippi

In the name of God Amen

I Matthew Cooper of the above County and State do hereby make his my last will and testament being of a sound mind and hereby revoking all other wills that I have heretofore made. 1stIt is my will and desire that my beloved wife Elizabeth Cooper shall have all my property both real and personal estate during her life and if there is a property that she may think necessary to sell she can sell it and the money go to her support and if there is any over her support it is to be loaned out for the benefit of my children.2ndIt is my will and desire that after the death of my wife that my son James W Cooper shall have ten acres of land lying around and including his house being the West Side of my land and namely acres on the East side of my tract bounded by P.H. Biles and G. Butler On the North East & South making 100 acres. 
2ndIt is my will and desire that my daughter Polly Cooper after the death of my wife shall have 70 acres of my land lying on the West bounded by S. Borte? land on the North David A. Shanks land on the West and S. Covington to H. Biles land on the South & West. The said seventy acres of land to be my daughters own right and property her lifetime and is not to be sold by her or any other person and after her death it is to be sold and the proceeds to be equally divided between her heirs.The money to be put out as interest and given to them as they become of age. 
 3rdIt is my will and desire that after the death of my wife that all my personal property shall be put upand sold on twelve months credit and the proceeds equally divided between my son James W Cooper and Polly Covington and the heirs of my deceased son Samuel Cooper shall be per our interest and is not to be given only as they become of age.
My Executors shall give them severally the sums belonging to them.
 4thIt is my will and desire that my son James W Cooper and my friend Wilson RSproles to be my Executors to carry this my will and testament into effect.
In testimony whereof I hereby set my hand and affix my seal this 1st day of October A D 1853.


Matthew Cooper (signature)
Attest
James P. Butler
William B. Usher
E. S. Sproles

 
State of Mississippi
Holmes County
In the Probate Court of said county at the September Term 1854 thereof. In the matter of a certain instrument of writing purporting to be the last will & testament of Matthew Cooper deceased.
Be it remembered that at a term of the Probate Court of the county of Holmes in the State aforesaid begin and held at the Court House in and for said county. On the fourth Monday in September A D 1854, personally appeared in open Court James P. Butler & William B. Usher subscribing witnesses to a certain instrument of writing, purporting to be the last will and testament of Matthew Cooper late of said county deceased bearing date the 1st day of October A D 1853 who having first been duly sworn deposed and said that the said Matthew Cooper signed sealed published and declared said instrument as his last will and testament in the presence of these deponents and in the presence also of Elizabeth S. Sproles the other subscribing witness on the day of the date thereof that the said testator was then of sound disposing mind & memory and more than 71 years of age that these deponents subscribed said instruments as witnesses thereto at the instance and request and in the presence of said testator and also in the presence of each other on the day and year aforesaid. 

Sworn to & subscribed in open Court this 28th September 1854


William B. Usher
James P. Butler