Enslaved People Named: Nan, Derry, Toney
Testator:Royal Spry
Executors: Gideon Dowse (Sr), Samuel Law, John Elliott
Date Signed: 1785-08-02
This will was found in digitized Liberty County Probate Office loose files. It is not clear if it was ever recorded.
[Begin Transcript]
In the Name of God Amen. I Royal Spry of the State of Georgia and County of Liberty Planter, being
in Health Body and of sound Mind and Memory, yet calling to Mind my Mortality and knowing that it is
appointed for all Men once to die, do make and appoint this my last Will and Testament in Manner and
Form following; that is to say, recommending my Body to the Earth to be buried with a decent and Christian-
like Burial at the Discretion of my Executors and my Soul to the Hands of God that gave it.
First of all, I will, that my lawful Debts and Funeral Charges be paid.
Item I give to my beloved Cousins Elisabeth Baker, Mary Bradwell, Sarah Dunham and Margaret Dunham the
sum of two hundred Pounds Sterling to be equally divided amongst them, and paid to them on the second Jan-
uary after my Decease, if not convenient sooner.
Item I give to my Niece Susanna Dowse the three following Negroes viz. Nan and her two Children Derry and
Toney, and their Issue, to the said Susanna her Heirs and Assigns, forever.
I further give as abovesaid to the said Susanna Dowse, ten Cows and their Calves, to be delivered on the first
January after my Decease to Gideon Dowse Father of the said Susanna Dorse or some other Person for her Use
which said Cattle I give with their Issue and Increase unto the said Susanna Dorse her Heirs and
Assigns forever.
Item I give in the Manner as herein aftermentioned the Remainder of my Personal Estate to be equally divided
to and amongst my Nephews, Gideon Dowse and Hugh Dowse Sons of Gideon Dowse Esqr. and Samuel Law
and Nathaniel Law Sons of Joseph Law Esqr. to be delivered to each of them at the Age of twenty one Years,
And I hereby declare it to be my Will and Design that if either of my said Nephews Gideon or Hugh Dowse should
die under Age that the Survivor of them shall have, and inherit what is herein mentioned as left to his
Brother, my Will is also the same respecting what I herein mention as given to my other Ne-
phews Samuel Law and Nathaniel Law, and in the Manner and Wise abovesaid, give the abovesaid Re-
mainder of my Personal Estate to my abovementioned Nephews their Heirs and Assigns forever.
Item All my Real Estate consisting of Lands; as below mentioned, give and bequeath to my Nephews Samuel
Law and Nathaniel Law, Sons of Joseph Law Esqr to be equally divided between them; and if either the
said Samuel Law, or Nathaniel Law should die under Age, I in that Case Will the whole to the Sur-
vivor of the said last mentioned two, and in this Manner and Wise, I give and bequeath all my Lands
to the said Samuel and Nathaniel Law their Heirs and Assigns forever.
Lastly I hereby nominate and appoint my beloved Brother Gideon Dowse Senior, and Friend John Elliott Esqr. and
my Nephew Samuel Law, (the last to act when nineteen year old) Executors of this my last Will and Testa-
ment confirming this and no other to be so.
Published, and declared this Second day of August one thousand seven hundred Eighty five to be his last Will
and Testament by the said Royal Spry in
Presence of us, desired to witness the same.
Thomas Bradwell
John Bradwell
Ann Bradwell
[Signed by] Royal Spry
[End Transcript]
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:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99QM-JTTM : accessed 15 Jun 2026), “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 -> Liberty -> Estate records 1775-1892 Shumatt, William – Stevens, Joseph, images 688-9, FamilySearch Library film # 005764247.