They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Liberty County Will — William Woodward


Will Summary (published 1964)

William Woodward of Liberty County, planter. Last Will and Testament dated September 28, 1791; probated December 1, 1792. Directs his stock of cattle, about 60 head now with Joshua Stafford in Liberty County and his stock of cattle at home (except eight head reserved for his daughter Ann) to be sold; also his 7 horses, hogs, etc. Gives to his daughter Ann his home plantation of 294 acres and his slave, 4 lots in Sunbury, all to be hers when she is 18 or marries; if she dies before then, same to go to his brother, John Woodward and his two sisters Sarah and Eliza Woodward (“or by the names my sisters may now be called”) they now residing or did reside at Shentonin Leistershire near Market Bosworth in Great Britain. Executors: Friends, Francis Coddington and John Graves and William Thomas Harris of Liberty County. Witnesses: David Rees, J.P., Charles Irvine, Charles Barnett Goff. Probated on testimony of David Rees.

Slave names left out of the original summary:

To daughter Ann Woodward: “…also my Ten Negroes – to wit – Dick and Phebus /Men/ Sally, Lucy & Lirby /Women/ Gosport, Cuffee and Isaac /Boys/ Judy and Pheby [alt: Phebe] /Girls/…”

To daughter Ann [Woodward]: “a mulatto female child now a sucking infant of the wench Lirba until the said child shall arrive at the age of twenty one years at which age I give it its freedom…”

“Fourthly I do direct that my Negroes be put out with some proper person to work on shares and that my plantation & my houses & lots in Sunbury be rented & that my Executors do apply so much of the money arising from the said Negroes work and Rents of the lands and houses aforesaid as shall be necessary for the maintenance and giving a good education to my aforesaid daughter Ann and that the remainder of what the Negroes may earn or the rents amount may be laid out in Negroes for the use of my said Daughter Ann…”

Find the original (complete) will online at:

Ancestry.com:

https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8635/005759431_00001?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d8635%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=005759431_00044

FamilySearch.org:

“Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93L-P9P4?cc=1999178&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B > image 44 of 689; county probate courthouses, Georgia.

1964 Summaries From: “Georgia Court-House Records – Liberty County,” 1964 quarterly issues of The Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Folks Huxford, Editor. Published Under the Auspices of The Wiregrass Georgia Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.