Transcription
In the name of God, Amen. I Mary Maxwell of the State of Georgia and County of Liberty, feeling the necessity of making suitable preparation for death in temporal as well as spiritual matters, do therefore, now that I enjoy the full use of all my faculties, with humble gratitude for the worldly goods which have been bestowed upon me, will and dispose of them, after my decease, in manner and form following, viz:
1st. To my son Joseph Edward, I give & bequeath the following negroes, with their future issue to him & his heirs forever, vis. Leah, Toby, Tom, Smart, Louis, Lindy, Nimrod, Thomas and Charles. Also to my son Joseph Edward in cash the sum of three hundred & fifty dollars.
2nd. To my daughter Julia Rebecca King I give and bequeath the following negroes, with their future issue, to her and her heirs forever, vis. Old Lindy, Philis [alt: Phillis], James, Peter, Rose, Grace, Rosean [alt: Roseann or Roseanne] & Samuel. Also to my daughter Julia R. King my entire stock of cattle.
3rd. To Laura Elizabeth and Charles Edward (children of my deceased son James Audley Maxwell) I give & bequeath the following negroes, with their future issue, to be equally divided between them, to them and their heirs forever, viz. Clarissa, Cate, Robin, and Cretia. It is further my will that the several portions of my personal estate left to my son Joseph Edward and to my daughter Julia R. King be appraised and the two divisions equalised as to value.
It is further my will, anything contained herein to the contrar notwithstanding, that the portion of property already willed to my daughter Julia R. King be held in Trust for her the said Julia R. King and the heirs of her body and solely for her and their use and benefit, by my Executors, as herein after named & appointed.
In token of my regard and confidence I constitute and appoint my son Joseph Edward Maxwell and my friends Revd Charles C. Jones, Executors of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this…[abrupt transition to next part, in different handwriting]
It is further my will that my boy Edward not heretofore mentioned be given to my dear daughter Julia R. King as she owned his mother. I give her also my blue and white china flower pots, and my tea set of white and gilt china, also my set of Scotts Bibles (the money being given to me to lay out as I wished) – my wearing apparel, I also give to my daughter Julia – my stock of cattle heretofore mentioned are to be left to my daughter Julia and is not to be included in that portion of my will which mentioned “that the several portions of my personal estate left to my son Joseph and my daughter Julia R. King be appraised and the two divisions equalised as to value”. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twentieth day of July in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred & Forty Three.
Witness
John Stevens
Jos. S. Stevens
A. M. Stevens
[End Transcription]
Find the original (complete) will and other papers online at Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org. [Source name on both sites: “Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992” → “Liberty County” → “Wills, Deen, Thomas-Miller, E.C. 1925-1957”] [Find another copy at: “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93T-XBFH?cc=1999178&wc=9SB7-6T5%3A267679901%2C268014801 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Miscellaneous probate records 1850-1863 vol C and L > image 41 of 703; county probate courthouses, Georgia.]