Parish: St. John
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Silvia
Slaveholder: Dunham, William
Date: 1769-12-22
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In the Name of God Amen. I William Dunham of St. Johns Parish in the province aforesaid Planter being sick and weak in body but of sound mind and memory thanks be unto Almighty God and considering that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following. First and principally I recommend my Soul in the hands of Almighty God that gave it hoping through the merits of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to receive the same again at the general resurrection of the dead and as for my body I love it to be buried according to the discretion of my Executors hereafter named, and as for my worldly goods I give and bequeath them in manner and form following. Viz.
It is my Will that my loving Wife Mary Dunham have and enjoy my dwelling house and the appertenances thereunto belonging with the use of all my household furniture during her widowhood or life should she never marry and it is will that my Estate be kept undivided untill [sic] my lawfull [sic] debts and funeral charges be paid and untill [sic] the legacies that I have hereafter left be raised and made out of the improvement of my Estate. Then my will is that my Estate be divided that my loving Wife and those of my children then of age may have their share and dividend as hereafter left them and knowing my Wife to be pregnant with Child my Will is that my settlement with buildings and improvements be in the dividend of lands that falls to that child should it be a man child or to the youngest of my sons.
I give and bequeath to my loving Wife Mary Dunham the Negroe Wench Silvia [alt: Sylvia] over and above a child[‘s] part of my personal Estate and to her Heirs for ever.
I give and bequeath to my son John the use of one fifth part of my lands and one ninth part of my personal Estate not as yet given during his life, and at his death I give and bequeath it to his children to be equally divided amongst them but for want of such children to return and be equally divided among ?rest of my? children and to their heirs for ever.
I give and bequeath to my three Sons William Charles Paul James and to the child that my Wife is now pregnant with if a man child, all my lands not yet given to be equally divided among them shear [sic] & shear [sic] a like and to their heirs for ever.
I give and bequeath to my three Daughters and to the child that my wife is now pregnant with if a girl, namely Mary Esther Martha and Hannah four hundred pounds Sterling in lieu of lands to be equally divided among them and their heirs for ever.
I give and bequeath to my loving Wife Mary Dunham and my six children Viz William, Charles, Mary Esther, Martha, Hannah, Paul James, and to the child my wife is pregnant with, all the remainder of my Estate as net yet left to be equally divided among them shear [sic] and shear [sic] alike and to their heirs for ever.
I nominate my Executors hereafter named to be Gardians [sic] to my children during their minority and lastly I constitue [sic] and appoint my loving Wife Mary Dunham my Executrix and my Friends John Martin Gideon Dowse and John Sandiford [alt: Sandifort] my Executors to this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all other Wills heretofore by me maid [sic] and acknowledging this only to be my last Will and Testament. To which I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty second day of December One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Nine.
Signed Sealed declaird [sic] and delivord [sic] by Willian Dunham to be his last Will and Testament in presence of us his subscribers
Parmenas Way, Senr
Wm [William] Graves
Peter Sallens
W. W. Dunham
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NOTE: On March 2, 1770, John Simpson, Andrew Darling and Roger Kelsall were given the authority to administer the executor’s oath to Mary Dunham, John Martin, Gideon Dowse, and John Sandiford, named as executors in William Dunham’s will. Dunham was named in this document as being a deceased planter of Saint John’s Parish.
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/87/rec/72.