Parish: St. John
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Harriott [Alt: Harriet], Tenoy
Slaveholder: Darling, Andrew
Date: 1767-03-25
[Begin transcription]
In the name of God Amen. I Andrew Darling, Merchant of Sunbury in Saint John’s Parish and Province of Georgia, being in middling health of body, and of sound mind and memory; but calling to mind my mortality, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die; Do make ordain and appoint this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following: committing my body to the Earth to be buried with a decent and Christian like burial, at the direction of my Executors; and my soul into the hands of God that gave it. I will, first of all, that my lawfull [sic] debts and funeral charges be paid.
It is my Will, that the interest of such monies as I herein after give to my beloved Sisters, be paid to my honoured Mother, Elizabeth Darling, during her natural life; for the sole use of her the said Elizabeth Darling.
I give to my beloved Sister Euphan Darling, one hundred pounds Sterling to be paid her after the decease of my said Mother; when my said Sister shall arrive to the age of twenty one years or be married.
I give to my beloved Sister Mary Darling, one hundred pounds Sterling to be paid her, after the decease of my Mother, at her marriage, or when arrived at the age of twenty one years.
I give to my beloved Sister Katharine Darling, one hundred pounds Sterling, to be paid her after the decease of my Mother, at her marriage or when arrived the age of twenty one years.
It is my will that if any of the above mentioned Sisters should die unmarried, or under the age of twenty one years, that the money herein given to her, or them so dying, shall be paid to the Survivors and equally divided between them or to the Survivor if but one be left.
It is my will that the above mentioned legacies be remitted as soon as my debts are paid, and affairs settled, and bills of Exchange can be obtained, unto James Fraser Esquire, Provost of Inverness in Scotland.
I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Jean Darling, one Negro Wench named Harriott [alt: Harriett], with her issue, to her her heirs and assigns.
I further give and bequeath to my said Wife, the use of my dwelling house in the town of Sunbury, with the lot of land on which it stands, with the kitchen and and all the buildings and improvements standing or being on, or in any wise appertaining to, the said lot, with all my Plate, Household Goods and kitchen furniture during the actual life of her my said Wife and after the death of my said Wife, I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Elizabeth Darling, the abovesaid house, lot, buildings, improvements, household goods, and furniture, to her heirs and assigns.
I further give to my Wife one rideing [sic] chaise and two chaise horses.
It is my will that that if my Daughter Elizabeth should die unmarried, that is to say before marriage and before the death of my abovesaid Wife, that in such case, whatever I have herein mentioned as given to my said Daughter, shall be given, and I do [several words unclear] to my abovementioned Wife, her heirs and assigns.
Excepting only as above excepted, I give and bequeath to my beloved Daughter Elizabeth Darling, one Negro girl by name Tenor, one tract of five hundred acres of land, and one other tract of one hundred and fifty acres of land, [word] the Parish of Saint David and Province of Georgia, to her and her heirs and assigns, to be delivered to her when [she] arrives to the Age of eighteen years or at Marriage.
It is my will that untill [sic] the affairs of my Estate is so settled that my above said Wife may receive such part of the same as I have herein given her, she shall be allowed fourty [sic] pounds annually for her maintenance.
Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint my beloved Friend Simon Munro Executor, and my beloved Wife Jean Darling Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revokeing [sic] and disannulling all other Wills and Testaments by me heretofor [sic] made or mentioned, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament.
Signed sealed published and pronounced this twenty fifth Day of March Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and Sixty Seven.
In presence of
John Goulding [alt: Golding]
Thomas Quarterman
Alexr [Alexander] Christie
Andw Darling
[End transcription]
NOTE: In an attached document, Permenas Way and Roger Kelsal were named executors of the will by James Habersham, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Georgia Province and the Ordinary, on June 8, 1772. Darling was described as “late of Sunbury merchant”.
Source: “Wills, Colony of Georgia, RG 49-1-2, Georgia Archives”, Colonial Estate Records, held by Georgia Archives Virtual Vault; accessed online at: https://vault.georgiaarchives.org/digital/collection/cw/id/409/rec/56.