They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Liberty County Will — John Osgood Senior


Will Summary (published 1964)

John Osgood, Sr., of Liberty County. Last Will and Testament dated April 21, 1806, probated May 4, 1807. Gives to his wife, Rebecca, certain personal property and one-third of remainder of his estate; to his son, John Osgood, the home place of 150 acres; to son, William Osgood, 176 acres that testator bought of Dr. Henry Wood; to daughter, Mary, certain slaves; to daughter, Esther, certain slaves; to daughter, Elizabeth, two slaves; to granddaughter Mary Ann Osgood, one slave; to daughters Elizabeth and Hester, a slave each.

Slave names left out of the original summary:

To wife Rebecca: “my Negro Wench named ?? Neddy ??”

…”and a sufficient quantity of land for her Negroes to plant (provided she continues them on my plantation)

To daughter Mary: “my Negro Wench called ?Big? Nanny, to her, her heirs and assigns forever.”

To daughter Esther: “my Negro wench named Dafney [alt: Daphne], to her, her heirs and assigns forever.”

To daughter Elizabeth: “two of my Negro Girls, Viz. Binah & Salenah [alt: Selina] to her, her heirs and assigns forever.

To granddaugther Mary Ann Osgood: “my Negroe Girl Rose, to her, her heirs and assigns forever.”

“My will further is that my wife shall have little Nanny at the appraisement and my son William to have Flora, Will & Phillis [alt: Phyllis] at the appraisement as part of their proportion.”

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_00093

FamilySearch.org:

“Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893L-P9K3?cc=1999178&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B > image 93 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.