Parish: St. John (St. Andrews)
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Ceasar [Alt: Caesar], Fibby [alt: Phoebe], Cilly [alt: possibly Celie], Limbrick, Jenny
Slaveholder: Lines, Isaac
Date: 1766-02-05
[Begin transcription]
In the Name of God Amen. The fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Sixty Six I Isaac Lines of the province of Georgia in the Parish of St. Johns, Planter Being very sick and weak in body, but of Perfect mind and memory Thanks be given unto God for the same and calling to mind the mortallity [sic] of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament. That is to say Principally and First of all, I give and Recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the Generall [sic] Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God and as toutching [sic] such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give desire and dispose of the same in manner and form Following that is to say
In the first place I desire that all my just debts and funerall [sic] charges might be paid out of my Estate.
I give and bequeath unto Martha my dearly beloved Wife, four Negroes by name Ceasar [alt: Caesar] Fibby [alt: Phoebe, Phebe] Cilly [alt: Celie?] and Limbrick, her riding horse saddle and furniture one feather bead [sic] and furniture one watch the use of the tract of land whereon I now live during her widdowhood [sic] also an equal part of all my Neat cattle with my children marked with a crass [cross?] and slit in one ear and an under heel on the other branded [shows symbol].
I well knowing my wife Martha to be with child do hereby give and bequeath unto the said child if it be a man child and live to the years of twenty one and to his heirs forever the tract of land whereon I now live one Negroe Girl named Jenny and and six cows and calves but if a girl only to draw an equal share with the rest of my children of my moovible [sic, moveable] Estate except such Legacess [sic] as is and may be hereafter given.
I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son Samuel Lines and to his heirs forever one half of the tract of land lying in Saint Andrews Parrish [sic] one bay Horse one Writing Desk and an Equal Part of my Moovible [sic] Estate with my other Children Except such Legacees [sic] as is and may be hereafter given.
I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son Morgan Lines and to his Heirs for Ever the other half of the said Track [sic] of Land lying in Saint Andrews parrish [sic] and an Equall [sic] part of my Moovible [sic] Estate with my Other Children Except such Legacees [sic] as is and may be hereafter Given.
I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son John Lines and to his Heirs for Ever one bay Mare the Track of Land whereon I now live if the Child with which my Wife is now Pregnant should be a Girl or Die before it comes to the Years of Twenty One Likewise six Cows and Calves with an Equal Part of my Moovible [sic] Estate Except such Legacees [sic] as is and may be hereafter Given.
I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Daughter Mary Lines and to her Heirs for Ever One Grey Mare Saddle and Furniture also an Equal Part of my moovible [sic] Estate Except such Legaces [sic] as is and may be Given.
I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Daughter Rebecca Lines one Grey horse colt Likewise an Equal part of my Moovible [sic] Estate Except such Legacees [sic] as is and may be hereafter given to her and to her Heirs for Ever.
I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Daughters Martha and Hannah Lines that is to say an Equall [sic] part of my moovible [sic] Estate to Each of them and to their heirs for Ever.
And I do hereby Constitue [sic] and Appoint my Beloved Wife Martha Lines to be my Executrix and Gardian [sic] Likewise I Constitue [sic] and Appoint my Trusty Friends Nathan Taylor and John Sandiford [alt: Sandifort] to be Executors to this my Last will and Testament And Will.
And I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannuall all and every other Testaments Wills and Legaces [sic] Bequits and Executors by me in anyways before this time named, Willed and Bequeathed; Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
Isaac Lines
Sign’d Seal’d Publish’d Pronounced and Declared by the said Isaac Lines as his last Will and Testament in the Presents of us.
William Baker
John Goulding [alt: Golding]
Palmer Goulding [alt: Golding]
[signed] Isaac Lines
[End transcription]
NOTE: The following was written on a sheet of paper and included with the will:
“I Isaac Lines having a lott [sic] of land lying in the town of Sunbury do hereby desire my said Executrix and Executors to sell the said lott [sic] of land and the money arising therefrom to be equally divided amongst my children. [Signed] Isaac Lines”
The will was probated by Palmer Golding of St. Johns Parish [note: spelled Goulding in the actual will], and Martha Lines was qualified as executrix of the will, on September 17, 1766, according to an attached document.
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/723/rec/150.