"The following tribute to the memory of George and Isaac Naught, thefi rst white settlers of Woodstock township, written by Miss AdalineNaugh t, was read at the Sugar Grove annual homecoming.....
George and Isaac Naught were the first white settlers in Woodstocktown ship (and among the first in the county), locating there the yearfollo wing the first invasion of Schuyler County by home-seekers. Theycame f rom Whiteside County in 1824, first settling on Section 36.Soon afterw ards, George removed to Bainbridge township, where he madehis permanen t home. He secured the land now owned by the C.W. Davisheirs, and by h is wife rest in the Davis Cemetery. He married Mrs.Mary Stephens of No rth Carolina, April 1, 1841....
Very soon after their arrival George purchased all of the land nowowne d by the heirs of the C.W. Davis estate, and with his wife,sleeps in t he Davis Cemetery. With his nephew, John Naught, theyenlisted for serv ice in the Black Hawk War in 1832, five othersjoining them from the Na ught Settlement as it was then called."
George died childless.
"This day came William Stephens and presented the last will andtestame nt of George Naught deceased for Record which being dulyprocess is ord ed to be recorded which is in words and figures asfollows viz.
"I George Naught of the County of Schuyler and State of Illinois domak e and publish this my last will and testament in name and formfollowin g that is to say:
"First it is my will and desire that a certain black horse known bythe n ame of pilot shall belong to my wife, Mary as long as she lives.Also i t is my will that the balance of my personal and real estate,that exec utors shall dispose of as such thereof as will satisfy allof my just d ebts and expenses, also and after this it is my will thatmy wife Mary s hall have her third of the balance of my estate if any.
"Also I will unto my Brother, Isaac Naught and his heirs all my righti nterest and title to fifty acres of land off the east side of theNorth E ast Section thirty one in township one North of the Be--(?)line in Ran ge one west of the fourth principal meridian lying andbeing in the Cou nty of Schuyler and State of Illinois, and then theremainder if any is m y will that it shall be divided equally betwixtmy wife Mary and Joshua L amma an orphan boy that I raised, also theProbate Justice shall appoin t three disinterested freeholders to layoff and divide the property re maining betwixt the above Mary Naughtand Joshua K. Lamma persons expre ssed in the above will and lastly Ihumbly constitute and appoint my sa id brother, Isaac Naught andWilliam Stephens to be the Exedutors of th is my last will andtestament, In Testimony whereof I have hereunto my h and and seal thisthe 7th day of October A.D. 1844.
"Assigned and acknowledged in the presence of us who he requested toas sign our names as witness to the same.
Enoch Edmonston his
Stafford S. McElhose George X Naught
mark
"State of Illinois, Schuyler County
This day personally appeared before me Adam Dunlop, Probate Justice ofP eace in and for said county in open court Enoch Edmonston andStafford S . McElhose two enscribe witnesses unto being by reason dulysworn on th is deposi and say that they were preent and the abovenamed George Naug ht acknowledged the signing the above last will andtestament in their p resence and they believed and still believe thatthe said George Naught w as of sound mind and memory as to the signingof said last will and tes tament in the presence of others. Intestimony where of I have hereunto s et my hand and affix the seal ofsaid court of Probate this 3d day of F ebruary A.D. 1846. /s/ A.Dunlop P.J.
"And whereas Letters of administration have been to the said WilliamSt ephens on the estate of the said George Naught decd. It istherefore as end that the Letters of administration granted to him thesaid William b e recorded and that Letters Testamtntary appear to himas follow viz.
"State of Illinois, Schuyler County: The people of the State ofIllinoi s, to all whom these presents shall come-Greetings, Know yethat wherea s George Naught late of the County of Schuyler and Stateof Illinois di ed on or about the 16th day of January, A.D. 1846, asit is said after h aving duly made and published his last will andtestament, a copy where of is here unto (...?) having at the time ofhis death, property in the S tate which may be lost, destroyed ordiminished in value if speedy can b e not taken of the same andinasmuch as it appears that William Stephen s has been appointedexcecutor in and by said last will and testament t o execute the same,and to the end that the said property may be preser ved for those whoshall appear to have a legal right or interest therei n, and that saidwill may be executed according to the request of the s aid testament,we do hereby authorize him the said William Stephens as s uch executorto collect and (...?) all and singular those goods and cha ttels,rights and credits which were of the said George Naught at the t imeof his decease in whosoever hands possession the same may be found i nthis state; and will and truly to perform and fulfill all such dutiesa s may be injoined upon him by the said will so far as there shall bepr operty and law charge him and in general to do and perform allother ac ts which now are on him after may be required of him by law.Witness Ad am Dunlap Probate Justice of the Peace of the said Countyof Schuyler a t his office in Rushville this 6th day of January(wordlined through) F ebruary A.D. 1846. /s/ Adam Dunlap, Probate Justiceof the Peace."
The wills were recorded in the Schuyler County Probate records1827-188 7. Recorded in LDS Film number 1311617, part 3, pages 37-38,for Mary, a nd pages 46-48 for George Naught.
It appears that George wrote his will 7 Oct. 1844, and Mary wrote herw ill 20 Sep. 1845, but Mary's will was probated 17 Nov. 1845, andGeorge 's will 2 February 1846. Therefore Mary died some two monthsbefore her h usband.
