Note: Susan Hooks was the widow of Col David Hooks who died in 1836. She was born Susanna Dickson in 1790. SUMTER COUNTY, ALA. Will Book 1, Page 196. Copy Positive. SUSAN HOOKS - WILL In the name of God Amen - Know all men by these presents that I, Susan Hooks, of the State of Alabama & County of Sumter being of sound disposing mind & memory knowing that it is appointed to all persons to die & not knowing at what time my Creator may call me from my sojourn on earth - do hereby constitute, ordain & appoint this to be my last will & testament revoking all others by me made heretofore. Item 1st I wish all my just debts & funeral expenses paid. Item 2nd I give & bequeath to my son, Samuel D. Hooks, one dollar. Item 3rd I give & bequeath to my daughter, Mary Williams, one dollar. Item 4th I give & bequeath to my daughter, Ann Eliza Wright & her husband, Thomas Wright, jointly one dollar. Item 5th I give & bequeath to the children of my son, Robert D. Hooks, deceased, one dollar each. Item 6th I give & bequeath to my grandson, David Hooks, son of Thomas C. Hooks, deceased, one dollar. Item 7th I give & bequeath to my daughter, Barbary Catherine Coster & her husband, George Coster jointly, one dollar. Item 8th I give & bequeath to my daughter, Civil Stallings, during her lifetime for her support & maintenance the annual hire (or amount equivalent to) of my Negro man, William, & said Negro is to remain in the possession & under the control of my son, David W. Hooks, for that said purpose. The amount to be given to my said daughter, Civil Stallings, of the said Negro is to be computed only for the time she may stay & live with my son, David W. Hooks, or with his family. And it is my will that at the death of my said daughter, Civil Stallings, said Negro, William, be sold & the proceeds of his sale divided equally between my daughter, Martha W. D. Thomas, & my daughter-in-law, Margaret A. Hooks, wife of my son, David W. Hooks, which is hereby given to them in the same way & manner as the other property of Negroes that I shall hereafter in this my will give to them. Item 9th I give & bequeath to my daughter, Martha W. D. Thomas, one bed & furniture will (sic) furnished and my Negro man, David, for her sole use & benefit during her lifetime & after her death to go to the child or children of her body & if she or they should die without an heir said property to go to the children of my son, David W. Hooks, equally or if at the death of my said daughter, Martha, she have no child living said property to go to the children of my said son, David, equally. Item 10th I give & bequeath to my son, David W. Hooks, two beds & their full furniture. Item 11th I give & bequeath to my daughter-in-law, Margaret A. Hooks, wife of my son, David W. Hooks, all of my landed estate during his lifetime & after his death to all of her children begotten by said David W. Hooks equally. I wish further that my son, David W. Hooks, to exercise entire control over said land & premises all the time. It is not however to be subject to his debts but the rents, profits & interest arising therefrom to be appropriated to the use & benefit of his wife & children. Item 12th I give & bequeath to my daughter-in-law, Margaret A. Hooks, wife of my son, David W. Hooks, my Negro man, Needham, which said Negro property is hereby given in the same way & manner & for the same purpose as the Landed Estate herein before given to my said daughter-in-law, Margaret A. Hooks. It is furthermore my will & desire that my son, David W. Hooks, be vested with full power of a Trustee of his wife & children in the management of the Landed Estate that I have herein before given to his wife, Margaret A. Hooks, & their children for their use & benefit & it is my desire that he has full power & I do hereby empower him to sell & dispose of said Lands whenever he may think it to the advantage & best interest of his said wife & children to do so & to invest the monies arising therefrom in other lands for all the purposes of the first - & I wish it so understood that in the lands, Negro, & all other property that I have or do herein give to my daughter-in-law, Margaret A. Hooks, & children that my son, David W. Hooks, have full power to manage, control & possess the same without restraint but that nothing thereof is to be chargeable with any of his debts. Item 13th It is also my will & desire that all of my Estate of Lands, Negroes, stock of all kinds, farming utensils & c be kept together & under the management & control of my son, David W. Hooks, until all of my just debts & liabilities are paid or until a reasonable time for that purpose. Item 14th It is also my will & desire that all of my goods & chattels, rights & interest of what kind (*****) not disposed of in the foregoing Items will be sold & the proceeds equally divided between my daughter, Martha W. D. Thomas, & my daughter-in-law, Margaret A. Hooks & children. Item 15th I leave my Son, David W. Hooks, & my son-in-law, John J. Thomas, Executors of this my last will & testament & desire that the Judge of the Orphans or Probate Court shall not require of them for the execution of said trust any security. This September 15th, 1856. Attest: Her Mark Susan X Hooks Wm. G. Chiles C. W. Hooks Wm. R. Hooks The State of Alabama Sumter County I hereby certify that Susan Hooks whose name appears on the foregoing, did while of sound memory & disposing mind did make, publish, sign, seal, and declare the same to be her last will & testament and that I, together with W. E. Chiles and Wm. R. Hooks in her presence and at her request, signed our names witnesses on the day the same was published and declared by said Susan Hooks on the 15 Sep't 1856. Sworn to & subscribed C. W. Hooks before me Feb. 9, 1857 A. W. Dillard Judge.