LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF

DRURY HAM, Revolutionary War Soldier

Transcribed by

Valerie J. Thompson

March 1, 2019

Lincoln County, Kentucky Will Book M, pages 84,85

     I, Drury Ham of Lincoln County and State of Kentucky do hereby make my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following, that is to say, 1^st, I desire that all my just debts be paid,  2^nd it is my desire that my wife, Mariah, have two hundred dollars paid to her at my death, and two hundred dollars more at the end of one year thereafter, and should she die before I do, it is my desire that my wife’s son, Lilburn Johnson shall have the last two hundred dollars named in this item, and the first two hundred dollars named in this item returned to my legal heirs, and it is hereby understood and agreed upon by and between myself and my wife, Mariah, that she is not to come in or claim any more of my estate exclusive of the four hundred dollars named above in this item. 3rdly, it is my will and desire that my daughters, Sally Harris and Matilda Wheeldon, and my son, Hardin W Ham shall have an equal part both real and personal of the balance of my estate that I have not herein before disposed of. 4^th, it is my will and desire that the children of my daughter Lucinda Graham have one equal part of my estate the same as my two daughters and my son named in the 3^rd item of this my Last Will and Testament, and the said Lucinda Graham shall be the agent for her children, and receive their part of my estate and apply it to their benefit. 5^th, It is my will that Charles N. Talbot and Drury W. Talbot, and Hardin W. Talbot, infant children of my deceased daughter, Malinda Talbot, shall have one equal part of my estate the same and equal with my children herein before named and that their part of the money arising from my estate be put in interest until they arrive at the age of twenty-one years

Page 85

old, and in case either of the children named in this item should die before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years old, the part of each child to return to his brothers, and in case all three of said children should die before they arrive at the age above named, then and in that case their part is to return to my legal heirs. Lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint Elisha Perkins and Lewis Ball as my Executors of this my Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 26^th day of September 1835.

N B: The words, she, to and part were entered before assigned. 

                                                                                          Drury Ham {Seal}

Signed and sealed

In presence of:

Lewis Ball

Lewis X Padgett (his mark)

E. Perkins

Dabney Gooch

Lincoln County Kentucky Court Set

At a county court holden for the County of Lincoln on Monday, the 28^th of December 1835, the Last Will and Testament of Drury Ham was exhibited into court and was proven by the oath of Lewis Ball, one of the subscribing witnesses, and ordered to be recorded by Elisha Perkins, one of the Executors named in said will, who made oath as the law directs, and executed bond in the amount of three thousand and five hundred dollars with Moses Grimes and Green Moore, his securities, with proper condition ordered that a certificate be granted to him in and form of law.

                                                                                 Witness: Thomas Helm

                                                                                 Clerk of Lincoln County Court

According to the pension papers of Drury Ham W27878, he died the day after Christmas, the 26^th of December 1835. He had previously been married to Rachel Williams, 21 June 1791 in Madison County, Kentucky. He married Mariah Johnson 6 April 1827 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. He was born 9 July 1760 in Orange County, Virginia. From census records, Mariah was born in 1800. 

There are other estate papers for Drury Ham, in Lincoln County, Kentucky Estate Box 34, and further record in Order Book 10, pages 398-400

Mariah married Elisha Perkins 6 February 1840 in Pulaski County, Kentucky. The marriage bonds are recorded in the pension papers. Elisha Perkins died 22 November 1864. James Eubank and Benjamin F. Eubank gave statements that "Elisha Perkins died on the 22 day of November 1864 and that she [Mariah] has remained a widow from that date until the present time.They further state that they are able to fix the date of death of Elisha Perkins for the following reasons, that they were present soon after the death and helped dress and lay said Elisha Perkins out after his death. Also,the said Elisha Perkins died on the 22 day of November 1864, it being the same day that we killed a lot of large hogs that was bought at James Crows, and furthermore, the above date is inscribed on said Perkins tombstone..." 

Mariah Perkins is buried at the Barrier Johnson Farm Cemetery in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
Mariah, wife of Elisha Perkins June11, 1800-May 15, 1875 Presious Gran Ma
Photograph of her tombstone is located at https://sites.rootsweb.com/~kylinco2/3Cemeteries/PerkinsMariah-Barrier FarmJohnsonCem.jpg