Enslaved People Named: Sandy, Nanny, Rose
Testator: Daniel Sillivant [alt: Sullivant]
Executors: Daniel Sillivant, Peter Winn, John Couper
Date Signed: 1794-10-02
This will was found in digitized Liberty County Probate Office loose files. It is not clear if it was ever recorded.
[Begin Transcript]
Georgia }
Glynn County }
In the Name of God Amen —
I Daniel Sillavant Senr. late of Liberty
County but now of Glynn — planter consider
=ing the certainty of death but the uncertainty when it
may happen being also sound in mind & memory— do
make this my Last will & testament In manner & form
following — Viz —
Impr: I Give & bequeath unto my son Daniel— during his
life— & to his heirs lawfully begotten (upon any other
Woman— Except his present wife Mary Sillavant late
Mary Clubb)— all my lands— or tracts of land whatever with
their Improvements— laying in Liberty County & in case
of his death without Issue as aforesaid— the said lands
to be Inherited— by & to devolve to my Grand son— John
Fraser the son of Symon [alt: Simon] & Sarah Fraser— & in case of
his death to devolve— to such other children as my said
daughter Sarah Fraser may hereafter have— to them
and their heirs for ever— And I do hereby for Good and
Sufficient Reason— for Ever Exclude the said Mary Sillavant late Mary Clubb— or the heirs of her body forever
Inheriting any part of my lands— or personal property
Whatever;
2dly — I do give and bequeath unto Patience Girardeau my
Riding Chair
3dly— I do Give & bequeath unto James Hamilton Couper
son to John & Rebecca Couper— My Negro or Mulatto
boy named Sandy— to him & his heirs for Ever—
4thly — I do Give & bequeath unto my said son Daniel one
equal moiety or half part of all my negroes— & the
whole of all personal property of every direction—
besides—
besides— subject to the same Regulations Respecting his present
wife Mary & the Issue of her body— as mention’d in the foregoing
article respecting my lands, Viz— that the said Mary
Sillavant— late Mary Clubb— or the heirs of her body shall
not Inherit any part of said Negroes or property— but
in case of the death of my said son Daniel the said Negroe
=es & personal property shall then devolve to & become the proper
=ty of my Grand child or children the Issue of Sarah Fraser
subject to the Regulations hereafter Named.
5th — I do Give & bequeath unto my Grand son John the son of
Symon & Sarah Fraser— & equally to all the other children
that my said Daughter may in future have— The Re
=maining half or equal moiety of all my Negroes to be equally
divided among them in manner & form following
Viz, that the whole of my Negroes shall Remain in
the hands of Daniel Sillavant my son— for the term of three
years after my decease— during which time the proffits and
emoluments shall be entirely to his use & benefit at the expira
=tion of which term of three years— a fair & equal division shall
then take place— one half or equal share of which shall be
delivered— to my executors hereafter named for & in behalf & in
trust— for my said Grand son John— or Grand children by my
said Daughter Sarah Fraser— & I do hereby will & direct that
My executors shall Imploy said Negroes— as to them may
appear best— laying out the proffits or income of said Negroes
towards the purchase of more slaves— or in such other way as
to them may appear best— when my said Grand son John
arrives at the age of fifteen years— My executors are then
to deliver unto him— The said Negroes with their increase
and proffits— Nevertheless should my said Daughter Sarah
have more children— before this delivery takes place— my
executors are then directed— to divide equally the said Negroes
their increase & proffits— paying unto the sons their pro
=portion at the age of fifteen years and unto the daughters
their
their proportion at their marriage or at the age of
fifteen —
I do further Name & Appoint my son Daniel Silla
=vant— with My friends Peter Winn & John Couper
Esqrs. of Liberty County— to be my executors— and
to see the contents of my foregoing— will carried into
due effect— authorizing them fully to do every lawful
act concerning the same
I do hereby declare the above to be my last will
and testament— & I do hereby Revoke all former wills
or wills by me made—
Witness my hand & seal this 13th August 1794
Signed sealed & declared to be
the last will & testament of
Daniel Sillavant Senr.
In presence of
John Couper
John Miller
John Edwards
Allan McKenzie
Codicil to the within last will & Testament— in ad
=dition to the within will I Daniel Sillavant
being weak in body but sound in mind do direct
the executors— within Named to my last will and
Testament— to sett Free in due form & proper form
My Negroe wench Named Nanny— with her female Child named Rose— hereby Revoking any part of my
will that may— appear to the contrary—
Witness written by my hand this 2 day of October 1794
Signed in the presence of and declared for the above purposes }
} mark
John Couper
Cyrus Dart
Allan McKinzie
[signed by mark] Daniel Sillivant
[Written to the side: “Fraser et al v. Bacon & Mell et al. Exhibit A, filed 21 day of [rest blotted]
Georgia } Personally appeared before us James Spalding
Glynn County } Esqr. one of the Justices for said County & Richard Bradley Esqr. Registrar of probate for the same —
Allan McKenzie— one of the above witnesses— who being
duly sworn, declares that he was present and saw,
Daniel Sillavant sign seal & declare that the foregoing
was his last will & testament— and that he also saw
John Couper— John Miller & John Edwards sign as
witnesses to the same by desire & in the presence of
said Daniel Sillavant & the said Allan McKenzie also
declares, that he was present & saw said Daniel
Sillavant also sign the above Codicil & distinctly declare
the same to be his will & that he also saw John Cou
=per & Cyrus Dart sign as witnesses to the same in presence
of and at the desire of said Daniel Sillavant—
Sworn to before us } Allan McKenzie
this 11th October 1794 }
James Spalding J.P. I do certify that foregoing is a true
Richard Bradley Copy of the original will recorded in my office.
R.O.P. G. Cty.
Richd. Bradley
R. O. P. G. C.
Recorded March the
24th 1795 &
October 1794
Find the digitized original at: Loose Papers in folders by surname, Liberty County, Georgia, Probate Court; digitized images with typewritten indexes, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9QM-J1QM : accessed 15 Jun 2026), “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 -> Liberty -> Estate records 1775-1892 Shumatt, William – Stevens, Joseph, images 29-33, FamilySearch Library film #005764247.