At Gonconda, Illinois, Monday, the 18th of September, 1854, at a term of the court, court of Pope County, in the state of Illinois, held as a court of probate at the courthouse in Gonconda in said county on Monday, the 18th day of September A.D. 1854.

Present:
Honorable Andrew Sisk, Judge
John Raum, Clerk

On this day the clerk of this court submitted the following for approval having been filed and heretofore proved before me, the said clerk, being the will of Thomas Cowsert, deceased, and which is words and figures as follows, to wit:

In the name of God, Amen. I Thomas Cowsert of the county of Pope and state of Illinois, being of sound memory and disposing mind, having a desire to dispose of the world goods which it has pleased Almighty God to bless me with, do hereby make and publish this my last Will and Testament as follows.

First, I do hereby give and bequeath to my son Matthew Cowsert one dollar and fifty cents in money, he having received from me heretofore as much of my estate as I intended for him to have.

Secondly, I do hereby give and bequeath to Elisha C. Brown and Polly his wife one dollar and fifty cents in money, they having received from me heretofore as much of my estate as I intended for them to have.

Thirdly, I do hereby give and bequeath to my son, Benjamin F. Cowsert and Elizabeth his wife one dollar and fifty cents in money, they having received from me heretofore as much of my estate as I intended for them to have.

Fourthly, I do hereby give and bequeath to John B. Smith and Christiana his wife a promisory note for fifty dollars on him due to me in November of the present year, they having received from me heretofore as much of my estate as I intended for them to have.

Fifthly, I do hereby give and bequeath to my son John Cowsert and his wife Tenisy the bed and bedding and clothing belonging to me which was not later taken to the place where I now reside and as I hold a promisory note on Emmanuel Harmon for fifty dollars paying the 2nd of December A.D. 1856, my will and meaning is that said not when paid be equally divided between my sons, John Cowsert Jn and my son James Cowsert Jn, provided that my son James when of age will sign his right to an interest in a forty acre lot of land sold to Joseph Butler of Hardin County by me and in case of disagreement out between the parties, the said John Cowsert is to receive twenty five dollars and my son Robert Cowsert the other twenty five dollars as _______ as collected by my son John is to pay James if he makes second right to the land above mentioned thirty dollars of said note leaving to John twenty dollars out of said note.

Sixthly, I do further give and bequeath to my son Robert Cowsert and Maria his wife the sum of one hundred dollars each note fifty dollars which I hold on Joseph Butler and Adam Anslinger as security, one note due 25th of December in the present year the other note due on the first day of March A.D. 1855. Whereas I reside with my son Robert and his wife Maria and they care (sic) take care of me and provide for my _________ and does everything in their power to alleviate my bodily afflictions, for these _______ I also give and bequeath the said Robert Cowsert and his wife all my personal estate consisting of personal property of any and every description whatsoever kind that I may have at my decease, after the payment of my physicians bill / if any / and my final expenses and the expenses of setting up of my estate and lastly, I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my son Robert Cowsert of Pope County, Illinois, the executor of this my last Will and Testament given under my hand and seal this 6th day of May A.D. 1854.

Thomas Cowsert

Subscribed and Acknowledge
in the Presence of
George Hamilton
Henry Wilson
John C. Ashford

State of Illinois, County of Pope

On this the 24th day of May A.D. 1854 personally came before me, the clerk of the court, court of said county, at my office in Golconda in said county, Henry Wilson and John C. Ashford, two credible witnesses who being duly sworn according to _______ on their oaths deposed and say that they were present and saw the said Thomas Cowsert who executed the within and foregoing Last Will and Testament that he acknowledged the same in their presence that they believed and still believe that the said Thomas Cowsert was of sound mind and memory at the time of signing the same and that they attested the signing of said Last Will and Testament in the presence and by the request of the said Thomas Cowsert and in the presence of each other.

Henry Willson
John C. Ashford

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court at Golconda, this the day and year aforementioned.

Jno Raum, Clk

The proceedings have in the proving of said will before the clerk of the court is hereby confirmed and ordered that the same be made a matter of record which has been accordingly done and it is further ordained and ordered that the ______ testament of ________ by the clerk of this court to Robert Cowsert, the executor named in the will of said deceased by and the same is hereby confirmed, he having taken the oath of entrust into bond as required by law and having been duly qualified.

The Probate Record of Pope County, 1848 to 1857, Volume G, Page 332