Location: Liberty County, Georgia
Deceased: M. Bennet
Date Sworn: 1842-03-17
Appraisers: Rich. [Richard] S. Baker, Saml [Samuel] Way, Thomas W. Flemming [Fleming]
Estate Administrator: not named
Court Officer: not named
Date Recorded: not given
Recording Official: not listed
Total Value of Property Appraised: $9552.87
Value of enslaved persons: $9390
Comments: The enslaved people were appraised in two lots. The lots were put in a hat, and Mrs. Sarah ?R? Baker draw lot #1, which left lot #2 for William B. Bennet, minor. The document then proceeded to say: “By the request of Mr. Jos. S. Baker and William Spencer we proceeded to appraise such of the goods and chattels of the Estate of Bennet as were shown us by them” and then lists household items valued at $162.87. Continues: “Personally appeared E.H. Bacon and Oliver Stevens Sen. who being sworn deposeth and ?saith? that they have appraised the foregoing articles and to which their names are signed. Sworn & subscribed this 25 June 1842, T.W. Quarterman, J.P.” Signed by E.H. Bacon and Oliver Stevens. [NOTE: An estate inventory was made for William B. Bennet, minor, in 1844 by guardian Jos. S. Baker. The slaves listed here in Lot #2 were in that estate inventory. Possibly William B. Bennet was coming of age at that time. In March 1842, Joseph S. Baker and William Spencer took out a guardianship bond for William Spencer to act as guardian for William B. Bennet, said to be the child of the deceased Matthew Bennet.]
| Enslaved Person Named | Value | ||
| Washington | 500 | 1 | |
| Minder | 450 | 1 | |
| Tom | 450 | 1 | |
| Lyzzy | 325 | alt: Lizzy | 1 |
| Simon | 300 | 1 | |
| Cudjo | 225 | 1 | |
| Tom (L. Tom) | 175 | “L. Tom” | 1 |
| Hannah | 15 | “O. Hannah” | 1 |
| Charles | 500 | 1 | |
| Phoebe | 475 | 1 | |
| Jim | 400 | 1 | |
| Nancy | 200 | 1 | |
| Hucky | 325 | ?Hacky or Hackey | 1 |
| Stephen | 100 | “L. Stephen” | 1 |
| Lizzy | 175 | 1 | |
| Robert | 500 | 2 | |
| Hannah | 450 | 2 | |
| July | 400 | 2 | |
| Stephen | 550 | 2 | |
| John | 275 | 2 | |
| Chloe | 300 | 2 | |
| Toney | 200 | 2 | |
| Mary | 225 | 2 | |
| March | 500 | 2 | |
| Betsy | 400 | 2 | |
| Becky | 75 | 2 | |
| Charlotte | 300 | 2 | |
| Abram | 175 | 2 | |
| Moses | 300 | 2 | |
| Joe | 125 | 2 |
Find the digitized original at: “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93L-GHPG?cc=1999178&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B > image 608 of 689.
These antebellum estate inventories and appraisals generally included all the deceased person’s “property,” including enslaved persons. Only those names are documented here for historical and genealogical purposes. Anyone interested in the actual property owned by the deceased may find it at the link at the bottom of the page. Names are listed in the original order, as this often gives very valuable information about family groupings or the age of children (who may be listed in age order).