Probated Will of William Y. Christy of Lawrence County, IL.
Filed November 13th 1871.

This Deed made and entered into this fourth day of September the year of our Lord, one 
thousand eight hundred and seventy one by and between Francis M. Christy and Margaret 
his wife of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, Jane E. Knox and Shannon K. Knox her 
husband of Jackson County, Missouri, Harriet L. Sheridan and John Sheridan her 
husband of Washington County, Iowa, the aforesaid Francis M. Christy and George M. 
Whittaker of Lawrence County, Illinois as trustees of the said Harriet L. Sheridan and 
Nancy E. Whittaker and the said George M. Whittaker … husband and the said George 
M. Whittaker as Executor … last Will and Testament of William Y. Christy deceased of 
Lawrence County Illinois, parties of the first part … Joseph S. Christy of  (blank spaces 
here) party of the second part.

Witnesseth: That Whereas, the said William Y. Christy on the … day of January, A.D. 
1870, died leaving him surviving as … the said Francis M. Christy, Jane E. Knox, Nancy 
E. Whittaker, Harriet L. Sheridan and Joseph S. Christy. And whereas… William Y. 
Christy in his last Will and Testament provided the farm on which he resided at the date 
of said Will to wit: on the eighth day of January A.D. 1869, together with sixty (60) acres 
to wit: the North part of the West half of the South West quarter section seventeen (17) 
Township three(3) North Range thirteen(13) … in said County of Lawrence, should be 
sold by his Executor at time and upon such terms as his heirs, or a majority of them agree 
upon, authorizing and empowering the  said Executor .. the same. And Whereas it was 
also provided in said Will that said Joseph S. Christy should have and receive a legacy of 
One Thousand Dollars ($1000.00), and the said Francis M. Christy the balance of a 
legacy of One Thousand Dollars amounting to One Hundred and Thirty two Dollars and 
.. ($132.50), both of said legacies to be paid out of the proceeds from the sale of said 
farm. And whereas, also, the remainder of the money arising from the sale of said farm 
was devised and bequeathed to the said Francis M. Christy one fifth part, to Nancy E. 
Whittaker, one fifth part, to said Jane E. Knox one fifth part, to said Joseph S. Christy, 
one fifth part and to the .. Francis M. Christy and George M. Whittaker, Trustees in and  
.. trust for the use and benefit of the said Harriet L. Sheridan one fifth part.

And Whereas the said George M. Whittaker was ….wated(sp) in the said last Will, as the 
Executor thereof and on the Seventeenth day of January, A.D. 1870, the said Will was 
delivered before the Probate Court of the said County of Lawrence and said George M. 
Whittaker in pursuance of the ap… therein has duly qualified as Executor thereof. And 
the said Francis M. Whittaker *(should be Christy), Jane E. Knox, Nancy E. Whittaker, 
Harriet L. Sheriden and Joseph S. Christy ….. authorize and empower the said Executor 
to convey the said farm with the reservation hereinafter made, and the said sixty (60) 
acres of land above described, for the sum of Seven Thousand Five Hundred dollars 
($7500.00) to the said Joseph S. Christy it being expressly understood that the said 
Francis M. Christy and Joseph S. Christy do not waive their rights respectively to the said 
legacies payable out of the money arising from the sale of said farm by becoming parties 
herein. Now Therefore, in consideration of the premises and the sum of Seven Thousand 
Five Hundred Dollars ($7500.00) to the said George M. Whittaker in hand paid by the 
said Joseph S. Christy, the receipts whereof is hereby acknowledged, the said parties of 
the first part have granted, bargained, sold and conveyed, and these presents do grant, 
bargain, sell, convey and confirm unto the said Joseph S. Christy, all their right, title, 
interest and estate, in and to the following described real estate, which the said parties of 
the first part, or either of them has therein as heir, devises, trustee or executor to wit: The 
farm on which the said William Y. Christy deceased, resident at the date of the said Will, 
being the West half of the North West quarter of Section four(4), Township three(3) 
North, Range thirteen (13) West containing Eighty (80)acres: Excepting and reserving a 
lot of ground included by a st…. geu…*(statue?) and used as a family burying ground, in 
said West half of the North West quarter of said Section four(4), Also the East half of the 
North East quarter of Section five (5) Township three (3) North Range thirteen (13) 
West, containing Eighty(80) acres: Also, the South East quarter of the South East quarter 
of Section thirty two(32), Township four(4) North, Range thirteen(13) West, containing 
Forty (40) acres: Also the South West quarter of the South West quarter of Section thirty 
three(33) Township four(4) North Range thirteen(13) West, containing Forty (40) acres: 
Also the North part of the West half of the South West quarter of Section Seventeen(17), 
Township three(3) North, Range thirteen(13) West, containing Sixty(60) acres, all in the 
said County of Lawrence State of Illinois. Together with all and singular the tenements, 
…editau..nts and appurtenances thereunto belonging or in any wise appertaining. To have 
and to hold the … unto him the said Joseph S. Christy, his heirs and assigns. Forever. In 
Testimony whereof, the said parties of the first part have here unto each their hands and 
seals this day and year first above written.


					Francis M. Christy
					Margaret Christy
					Francis M. Christy
					As one of the trustees of Harriet L. Sheridan
					Jane E. Knox
					Shannon K. Knox
					Harriet L. Sheridan
					John Sheridan
					Nancy E. Whittaker
					George M. Whittaker
					As one of the trustees of Harriet L. Sheridan
					George M. Whittaker
					Executor of the last Will
					And Testament of William Y. Christy
					Deceased

Transcriber Notes:

Following this is a Notary Public statement in the State of Missouri and County of St. 
Louis that he has witnessed the signatures of Francis M. Christy, and Margaret, his wife 
both being of the City of St. Louis.  Then there is another Notary Public statement in the 
State of Missouri and County of Jackson that he has witnessed the signatures of Shannon 
K. Knox and Jane E., his wife both of Jackson County.

The document I transcribed this from is an old copy made some time ago by a family 
member of the original handwritten probate records. Where there are places that I either 
couldn't read the copy or the handwriting I have placed ….   These sections are never 
more than 5 or 6 letters long.

I also have a copy of Quit Claim deed, dated January 1873, wherein Joseph S. Christy 
paid another $4,000 for the same parcels of land as in William Y. Christy's will, to a 
James O. McDowell and his wife Clara. The deed mentions that the payment releases all 
of the McDowell's rights to the land under the State Homestead Laws. So, I guess the 
McDowell's had at some point laid claim to and homesteaded some of the property that 
William Y. Christy owned.  In 1870, Joseph S. Christy was away at school and so would 
have been very young when he made these two investments in the land in Christy 
Township.  I am not clear on why he did that, he became a pharmacist who had a shop 
and a home in Sumner.  I'm not sure what he did with all of his Father's land after that 
either. I know that Andrew Christy Jr., the Uncle of Joseph S. and his siblings, died in 
1869 and being childless and unmarried and quite wealthy, left a great deal of money to 
all of his nieces and nephews, so I suppose that is where Joseph S. got the money to buy 
all that land at such a young age.

Laurel Treat
January 17, 2006