Location: Colleton County, South Carolina
Enslaved People Named: Seazer [alt: Caeasar, Ceasar], Robin, Nanny, Abraham, Venus, Dinah, Aaron, Lucy, Mark [or March], Moriah [or Mariah], Magg, Young Hagar [alt: Hagar], old Hahagar, Sam, Will, Dick, old Isaac, Moses, Young Isaac, Cuffy, Tom Thossham, Gomer, Froom, Peggy, Daphney, Charles, Lymus, Judy, Jack, Rose
Testator: David Hext
Year: 1759
[NOTE: This is included here because the John Hext mentioned may be the John Hext who owned land and enslaved people in Liberty County.]
In the Name of God Amen I David Hext of Colleton County in the Province of South Carolina being well in body and in perfect mind and memory, thanks be to Almighty God; But calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Die, Do Ordain this to be my last Will and Testament. That is to say, principally and chiefly, I Recommend my South into the hands of God who gave it, and my Body I recommend to the Earth, to be buried in a decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing Doubting but at the general Resurrection I shall receive the same again, by the mighty Power of God. And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life I give Devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
First I give and bequeath to Jane my wife the sum of ten pounds of Lawfull money of the province aforesaid to be paid out of my Estate.
Item. I give and Bequeath unto my loving son John Hext one negro man named Seazer [alt: Caeasar, Ceasar] one Negro man named Robin, and one Negro woman named Nanny.
Item I give and Bequeath unto my beloved Daughter whom I call by the Name Rebecca Hext the three Negroes following, namely one Negro man named Abraham, one Negro woman named Venus and one Negro woman named Dinah to her and her heirs for ever.
Item I give and Bequeath unto my beloved son John Hext, and my daughter Rebecca Hext a flock of cattle, branded R.S. to be equally divided between them.
Item I give to my well beloved daughter Ann Hext, the thirteen following Negroes namely Aaron, Lucy, Mark [or March], Moriah [or Mariah], Magg, Young Hagar [alt: Hagar], old Hahagar, Sam, Will, Dick, old Isaac, Moses, & Young Isaac to her and her heirs for ever.
Item I also give Devise and Bequeath to my well beloved son William Hext the twelve following Negroes namely one Negroe man Cuffy [alt: Cuffee], Tom Thossham [or Thopsham], Gomer, Froom [or Troom], one Negro Woman Peggy, one negro woman Daphney one Negro Boy Charles, one Negro Boy Lymus one Negro Girl Judy, one Negro Boy Jack, and one Negro Girl Rose, with all their Increase. I also give to my said son William all that parcel or tract of land situate lying and being near Jacksonsburgh, on the west side of Pon Pon River, butting and bounding to north ward on estate of John Peter containing two hundred acres be it more or leeds. I likewise give and bequeath unto my son William Hext, one other tract of land containing one hundred and Sixty acres be it more or less lying and being on the east side of Ponpon River.
I likewise give to my well beloved daughter Ann Hext Ten Cows and ten Calves such as my Executors herein after named shall choose for her.
I also give Devise and bequeath unto my said son William all the remainder and residue of my estate whether real or personal but in case my son William should die under age, or before marriage, it is my will that the part of my estate bequeathed to him should fall to my beloved daughter Ann Hext, or if my daughter Ann should die before marriage or of age, then her part to fall to my son William Hext; and in case of my son William and my daughter Ann’s death under age or before marriage then and in such case my will is that my beloved son John Hext and my beloved daughter Rebecca Hext shall have five hundred pounds currency of Province aforesaid paid to each of them, and the remainder of my Estate should be equally divided amongst my beloved brother Phillip Hext’s children.
And I do hereby nominate, constitute & appoint my well beloved brothers, Phillip Hext and Edward Hext and John Peter Executors to this my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal this Twenty second day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine.
[Signed] David Hext
Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and Delivered to be my last Will and Testament in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.
John Cochran
James Reid
Wm. Osburn
This will was proved the 3d day of Aug’t 1759 at the same time qualified Phillip & Edward Hext executors.
Colleton County, South Carolina (colonial province of), Wills and Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1671-1868, Vol. 8, 1759 will of David Hext (typewritten, transcribed], page 381 [of transcribed volume]; indexed digital images database of transcriptions of original, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9080/images/007642434_01005 : accessed 20 May 2023), “South Carolina, U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980” -> “Charleston” -> “Wills, Vol 7-8, 1752-1763,” images 1005-6 of 1222.