Location: Liberty County, Georgia
Deceased: Maxwell, Charles Edward, Dr [Doctor]
Date Sworn: 1852-06-07
Appraisers: Wm [William] Maxwell, W. Q. Baker, Thos [Thomas] W. Fleming
Estate Administrator: Rev [Reverend] C. C. Jones
Court Officer: T. W. Quarterman, J.P.
Date Recorded: 1852-07-02
Recording Official: J. S. Bradwell, Ordinary
Total Value of Property Appraised: not listed
Value of enslaved persons: $17575.00
Comments: This was a complicated inventory, appraisal and division, which is summarized below. Please be sure to refer to the link to the original below the table.
Numbers 1-31 below with “1” in the Lot # column were described as “Schedule 1.” After that, numbers 1-16 with “2” in the Lot # column were described as “Schedule 2.”
Numbers 1-10 & 28 (Sawney) [with the “Lot #” column listed as “1”] were also separately listed as follows: “The following named negroes embrace in value one third part of the above thirty one, jointly inherited from the Est. of Mr. Audly [alt: Audley] Maxwell by Mrs. S.M. Cumming and her two children Laura E. and Charles E. Maxwell; and this one third we divide and assign to the Est. of Dr. Charles E. Maxwell.”
After #31, numbers 1-10 [with the “Lot #” column listed as “2”] were listed separately as follows: The following named negroes embrace in value one half the above sixteen, jointly inherited from the Est. of Maj. Andrew Maybank and Mrs. Mary Maxwell by Laura E. Maxwell and Charles E. Maxwell not heretofore divided; and this one half we divide and assign to the Est. of Dr. C.E. Maxwell…”
Real estate was also listed, as follows, with the notation “one half the above tracts (bought the first two 963 acres and the last heired from Est. Audley Maxwell jointly by Laura E. and Charles E. Maxwell) belongs to Est C.E. Maxwell, said lands never yet divided between the heirs.”
“Lambert Plantation 863 acres pine barren tract attached to it 100 Col’s [Colonel’s] Island tract 350 = 1313 acres
Bacon tract on the Col’s Island containing 150 acres. “
At the end of the appraisal, S.M. Cumming and L.E. Maxwell signed their names to: “We hereby request that the lawfully qualified appraisers and dividers of the Est. of Dr. Charles Edward Maxwell proceed no farther than to separate said estate from property, both personal & real, in which he possessed rights, jointly, with ourselves, so that it may be distinctly designated, as we do not desire a further division of it between ourselves but that it may come to us as it is, share & share alike, in all proceeds & interests therefore accruing. Witness our hands this seventh day of June 1852.” Witnessed by Mary Jones and Elizabeth Maxwell.
| Enslaved Person Named | Value | Description | Lot # | |
| 1 | Zipporah | 225 [250] | “Born 1802” | 1 |
| 2 | Rachael | 500 | “Big”“Born 1822” | 1 |
| 3 | Betty | 500 | “Born 1825” | 1 |
| 4 | Isaac | 600 | “Born 1829” | 1 |
| 5 | Joe Finney | 550 | “Born 1831” [alt: Joefinney] | 1 |
| 6 | Jenny | 450 | “Born 1836” [also spelled Jenney] | 1 |
| 7 | Cato [Cate] | 250 | “Born 1843” | 1 |
| 8 | William | 250 | “Little”“Born 1845” | 1 |
| 9 | Ben | 125 | “Born 1849” | 1 |
| 10 | Mary | 75 | “Infant”“Born 1852” | 1 |
| 11 | Sarah | 500 | “Big” | 1 |
| 12 | York | 600 | 1 | |
| 13 | Dick | 550 | “Born 1835” | 1 |
| 14 | Tenah | 500 | “Born 1837” | 1 |
| 15 | Rachael | 400 | “Little”“Born 1840” | 1 |
| 16 | Celia | 250 | “Old”“Born 1799” | 1 |
| 17 | William | 700 | “Driver”“Born 1823” | 1 |
| 18 | Hannah | 500 | “Born 1821” | 1 |
| 19 | Cate | 450 | “Little” | 1 |
| 20 | Eliza | 150 | “Little” | 1 |
| 21 | Scipio | 50 | “Born 1850” | 1 |
| 22 | Charlotte | 500 | “Born 1826” | 1 |
| 23 | Elizabeth | 300 | “Born 1843” | 1 |
| 24 | Phillis | 250 | “Born 1845”[Alt: Phyllis] | 1 |
| 25 | Shadrack | 200 | 1 | |
| 26 | Cinda | 100 | “Infant”“Born 1850” | 1 |
| 27 | William | 600 | “Big”“Born 1851” | 1 |
| 28 | Sawney | 250 | “Born 1798” | 1 |
| 29 | Susan | 500 | “Born 1825” [hard to read; could also be Jasan] | 1 |
| 30 | Sawney | 200 | “Little” | 1 |
| 31 | Brister | 100 | “Born 1850’ | 1 |
| 1 | Jacob | 0 | “Old”“Born 1783” | 2 |
| 2 | Sarey [Sary] | 400 | “Little”“Born 1821” | 2 |
| 3 | Diannah | 100 | “Born 1850” | 2 |
| 4 | Moll | 300 | “Born 1824” | 2 |
| 5 | Jacob | 600 | “Little”“Born 1831” | 2 |
| 6 | Rachael | 500 | “Little”“Born 1833” | 2 |
| 7 | Stephen | 400 | “Born 1840” | 2 |
| 8 | Primus | 150 | “Old”“Born 1796” | 2 |
| 9 | Bella | 250 | “Born 1803” | 2 |
| 10 | Abram | 600 | “Born 1825” | 2 |
| 11 | John | 600 | “Born 1828” | 2 |
| 12 | Nat | 600 | “Born 1830” | 2 |
| 13 | Clarissa | 250 | “Old”“Born 1802” | 2 |
| 14 | Cate | 500 | “Big” | 2 |
| 15 | Cretia | 500 | “Big” | 2 |
| 16 | Robin | 550 | 2 |
Find the digitized original at:”Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-993T-XYMY?cc=1999178&wc=9SB7-6T5%3A267679901%2C268014801 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Miscellaneous probate records 1850-1863 vol C and L > image 59 of 703
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).