Parish: St. Johns Parish
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Rachel, Bella, Chloe
Slaveholder: Carter, Thomas
Date: 1774-03-08
[Begin transcription]
Georgia.
In the Name of God Amen, I Thomas Carter of the parish of Saint John in the Province of Georgia Esqr [Esquire] being weak in Body but of Sound and perfect mind and memory, and calling to mind the mortality of my Body and that it is appointed for all men once to die, do hereby make my last Will and Testament
Imprimis first and principally I recommend my soul to God that gave it in hopes of his Mercifull [sic] Acceptance of the same and my Body to the Earth to be buried in a Decent Christian manner at the discretion of my dear Wife and my Executors herein after named, As to my Worldly Estate which it hath pleased God to endow me with in this Life I will and dispose of the Same in manner and form following That is to say
Item my Will and desire is that all my Just Debts and Funeral Charges may be first paid by the Executors of this my Last Will and Testament.
Item I give and bequeath unto my Loving Wife Mary Carter, one Negroe Woman named Rachel and her Child Named Bella, also one Negroe Girl named Chloe, to her the Said Mary Carter her heirs and assigns forever. I also give and bequeath unto my Said Wife Mary Carter her Chair and Chair Horse likewise the use of the dweling [sic] House and Household Furniture where I now live, also her maintanance [sic] of my Estate during her life while she remains my Widow and should she choose to employ her slaves on the plantation whereon I now Live my will is that she may and shall have the privilege of so doing, and draw a share of the Crop in proportion her Slaves employed thereon during the time of her being my Widow as aforesaid
Item I give and bequeath unto my Loving Sons Hepworth Carter, James Carter, and Charles Thomas Carter all my Lands in the province of Georgia Consisting in the whole, of about Eighteen hundred acres more or less, the said Lands to be equally divided amongst my said Sons Hepworth Carter, James Carter, and Charles Thomas Carter, in such manner as they shall agree on among themselves and should any of them die without a Will or Lawfull [sic] Issue, then and at such time his or their part shall go to the Surviving Brothers or Brother, but should my son Charles Thomas Carter die before he arrives at the age of Twenty one years, or without lawful [sic] Issue, then his part of the Land shall be equally divided between his Surviving Brothers or their heirs, the said Lands I give and bequeath unto my said Sons in manner and form aforesaid, to them and their heirs and assigns forever
Thos [Thomas] Carter
Item I give and bequeath unto my said Sons Hepworth Carter, James Carter and Charles Thomas Carter all the lands that I am possessed of in the provinces of South Carolina and Virginia, the Quantity I am not Certain of but my will is that the said Lands shall be divided in the same manner among them as my lands above mentioned in the province of Georgia to be divided, and with the same provisos
Item my will and desire is that all my personal or moveable Estate Consisting of Negroes Cattle, Horses, Hoggs [sic], Sheep etc be equally divided between my Wife Mary Carter my sons Hepworth Carter, James Carter, Charles Thomas Carter and my Daughters Anne Oswald and Catherine Mutteair and the division to be made as equal and just as possible as they or any appointed by them shall agree and Consent to, the same, I give and bequeath to them as above said their heirs and assigns forever
Item Lastly I constitute and appoint my Loving sons Hepworth Carter James Carter, and Charles Thomas Carter Executors of this my Last Will and Testament, and my trusty Friend James Cochran of the parish of Saint Andrew in the province aforesaid to be Guardians and assistant to my Son Charles Thomas Carter during his Minority. Ratifying Confirming and allowing this and no other to be my last Will and Testament, in Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this Eight day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and Seventy four and in the Fourteenth Year of his Majesty Reign My said Will being Contained on two sheets of paper whereon I have set my hand to the first sheet and my hand and Seal to the second sheet
Thos [Thomas] Carter
Signed Sealed and Acknowledged by the Testator as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the presence of each other have as Evidences hereunto Subscribed our names
Judah Lewis
Lewis Mutteair
Nicholas Smith
[End transcription]
Source: Ancestry.com, “Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992” -> All Counties -> “Wills, Vol Aa, 1772-1777”; accessed online at: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8635/images/007701189_00062