They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Liberty County Will – Mary C. Wilkins

Will Summary:

Testator: Mary C. Wilkins, town of Sunbury, Liberty County, State of Georgia

Bequests:

  • to Joseph Jones, and my son James Samuel Wilkins, the following negro slaves, with their future increase, to wit, Rosina, Betty, and Adam, in trust for the benefit and suport of my daughter Ann E. Bowen, and her issue.”

  • To Joseph Jones and son James Samuel Wilkins ten shares of the Planters Bank in Savannah, in trust for the benefit and support of daughter Ann Elizabeth Bowen and her issue.

  • To son James Samuel Wilkins, “I give Luke, Helen, Nancy, William, Amos, Molly, Phebe, Scipio and Simon, together with their future increase; also Helen’s child Rebecca, & Phebe’s child Sandy, to him and his heirs forever.”

  • To husband Samuel Wilkins, the balance due and claimed by her from the estate of James Cochran deceased.

  • If her son James S. Wilkins dies intestate or dies leaving neither a widow or issue, then Joseph Jones shall receive all the above mentioned slaves in trust for the benefit and support of her daughter Ann E. Bowen and her issue.

  • If Ann E. Bowen dies without issue, or if the issue shall die “intestate, leaving no issue, or surviving partner, as husband or wife,” then she wills all the negro slaves left to her to her son James S. Wilkins.

  • Specifies that the trustees for the property willed to her daughter Ann E. Bowen and her issue are empowered to receive the “interest, hire, profits, and avails, and emoluments, of said negro slaves and bank stock” willed to her daughter for the purpose of her support during her natural life, and after her death, all of that property, with its profit or increase, goes to her children when they come to lawful age or marry. None of this property or profits shall be subject to the “will, disposal, deeds or debts” of her daughter’s husband.

  • If testator’s husband, Mr. Samuel Wilkins, dies before her, then she [the testator] will have more property than she does now, and she wills that it be divided into two equal parts: one part to go to her son James Samuel Wilkins, with the same provisions as for the negros that she has given him above, and the other half to her son James S. Wilkins and Joseph Jones in trust for the support of her daughter [Ann] E. Bowen and her issue.

Executors: husband Samuel Wilkins, son James S. Wilkins, and Joseph Jones Esqr.

Date signed: 31 July 1828

Witnesses: Paul H. Wilkins, Archibald Wilkins

Probated by Paul H. Wilkins on 2 March 1829.

Recorded on 12 March 1829.

See original will at: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93L-GCX3?i=467&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901&cc=1999178