Genquest

Will of Isaac McCoy

I, Isaac McCoy, Missionary to the North American Indians, now in Westport, Jackson County, Missouri, being in common health and in the exercise of ordinary soundness of mind and judgement, do make this my last will and testament: viz:

1st. I will and bequeath to my sons John Calvin McCoy and Isaac McCoy, and to my daughters Delilah McCoy Lykins, Christiana McCoy Ward, and Eleanor McCoy, and to the heirs of my daughter Sara McCoy Givens, each a large bible with marginal references and to each Butterworth's Concordance, the whole to be purchased out of my movable property now in my possession, and to each cash, which added to the value of the aforementioned books, shall make the amount bequeathed to each equal to ten dollars; these books I bequeath, not on account of their pecuniary value, but as indicating a father's regard for his children and the earnestness which he would recommend to them the perusal of the scriptures.

2nd. I will and bequeath to my daughter Eleanor McCoy fifty dollars, I having heretofore given to my daughter Christiana McCoy Ward a similar sum at her marriage, and having given to my daughter Delilah McCoy Lykins and to my daughter Sarah McCoy Givens, deceased, each a little over fifty dollars; my movable property consists of three horses, a few cattle, and swine and such amount of farming utensils, household and kitchen furniture, etc. as is sufficient for our current convenience in the moderate style of our living; the movable property I have procured out of my earnings in the service of the United States, and, with the exception of the pieces heretofore given to my daughters, as before stated; its is the whole amount which I have saved and applied to private purposes.

3rd. I will and bequeath the whole of my movable property mentioned in the preceding paragraph to my wife Christiana McCoy, except so much as may be necessary to pay my past debts and to pay pieces above bequeathed to my sons and daughters and to pay my funeral expenses; the residue of my property consists of four tracts of land containing in the whole a little over five hundred acres and a female salve named Chainy; the tracts of land and slave are in part of the proceeds of property owned by me and my wife before we became missionaries, and in part from an amount left in my hands by my son Rice at his deceased. No part of the property having come into my possession in any other way than the two sources above mentioned. I have ever considered it as property belonging to my family and that I could no in justice to them consume it in paying the cost of living.

4th. I will and bequeath the whole of the above mentioned four tracts of land, containing in the whole a little over five hundred acres to my wife Christiana McCoy; the female slave above mentioned was purchased by me on the 13th day of July 1835, and I paid for her four hundred and fifteen dollars. She had been sold by her late owner and appeared to designed for the New Orleans slave market. She and her husband entreated me, with many tears, to remember and prevent her being torn from a husband and many children. The appeal was too affecting to be resisted. I bought her from motives of humanity; also, I believe, to the gratification of my neighbors and of my missionary brethren, all appearing to be deeply affected with the prospect of everlasting separation of the poor Negro family. I have ever been averse to holding a slave as property, and I did not promise to do more that to advance the money for her to prevent her being sent to the south until she could find some suitable person for a master near to her husband and children; by law she is my property at this time, and

5th. I will and bequeath the above mentioned female slave Chainy to remain the property of my wife Christiana McCoy until she, the said Chainy, shall by her service, reckoned at the usual hire of female slaves in this country under circumstances similar to those which attent her during her servitude, remmerate the said Christiana McCoy or her heirs, for the four hundred and fifteen dollars I paid for her, with six percent interest, and then she, the said female slave Chainy, shall become free from bondage.

6th. I will and bequeath that if the above mentioned female slave Chainy shall during the term of her slavery bear a child or children, then the said off-spring shall be instructed to read with facility before reaching the age of twenty-seven years, and then he shall go free from bondage, and if a female, she shall remain a slave until she arrives at the age of twenty-four years and then shall go free from bondage, and all the descendants of said female slave Chainy to the latest generation, who shall be born in slavery, shall be instructed to read with facility before arriving at the age of twenty years, and all females shall go free from bondage at the age of twenty-four years. It being hereby directed that no male descendant of said female slave shall so remain slavery after reaching the age of twenty-seven years and that no female descendant of said slave Chainy shall remain a slave after reaching the age of twenty-four.

My daughter Nancy Judson McCoy is mentally and physically incapable of taking care of herself, her mind and the proper use of her limbs were impaired, we believe, by a nervous fever since we, her parents, became missionaries; previously she appeared to possess common activity of body and sprightliness of mind; for her future comfort I feel the deepest solicitude and to provide for her future comfort is one reason which induces me to leave most of my property to my wife, believing that she will apply it for the use and benefit of our afflicted daughter, Nancy Judson McCoy, except insomuch as will be necessary for her own comfort and the comfort and education of out tow minor children Isaac and Eleanor during the minority.

7th. I will and bequeath that should my wife Christiana McCoy died without directing how the property then in her possession shall be disposed of, such property, excepting so much as shall be necessary for the comfort and education of my children Isaac and Eleanor during their minority, shall be applied to the use and comfort of my said daughter Nancy Judson McCoy, in the manner that shell be most productive of benefit for her.

8th. I will and bequeath that all property that is or shall become mine by heirship or otherwise, shall become the property of my wife Christiana McCoy. I desire that the Journal of the Missions and all other papers and such manuscripts and books as I have written, together will other books in my possession, which in some degree embrace subject relating to the Indians, be safely kept together and presented to the care, first, of my wife, and afterwards to the eldest of family descendants, excepting as careful persons under a sufficient pledge for safe keeping and return, be allowed them for laudable purpose.

I desire, if it can be done without needless expense, that means to be taken to perpetuate the recollection of the places of the graves of my deceased children Mahal Elizabeth, Maria Slaughter, Joseph and his infant brother Charles Rice and Sarah.

For the execution of this my last will and testament I hereby appoint as executrix my wife Christiana McCoy and as my executors Johnston Lykins and John Calvin McCoy. My first care is for my family, my second is for the Indians; for both I desire to labor while I live and to pray while I am dying.