Enslaved People Named: Hannah, Plenty
Slaveholder: Eliza Bowler
Year: 1826
Location: Chatham County, Georgia
[Begin Transcript]
State of Georgia, In the name of God Amen I Eliza Bowler being of sound mind and memory but in a weakly state of bodily health and uncertain how long I may live have a desire to make my will and last testament; I desire my just debts and funeral expences may all be paid, I hereby bequeath to Henry Ripley Stewart my nephew and son of my sister Margaret H. Stewart my negro woman Hannah and her son Plenty; but in case of the death of said Henry Ripley Stewart before he becomes of age, I bequeath my negro woman Hannah and her increase together with her son Plenty to my Brother John M Carter and my sister Margaret H. Stewart equally.
I do also give and bequeath to my niece Sarah Eliza Stewart and daughter of Margaret H. Stewart my bed and bedding also my trunk of clothing.
I do also give and bequeath to my nephew Daniel H. Stewart son of my sister Margaret H. Stewart two certain notes of hand held by me against Col. Josiah Wilson of Liberty County payable on the first of January last past and as I also have a chance in the Land Lottery If I should draw a tract of land in said Lottery I also give to Daniel H. Stewart.
Lastly I do appoint General Daniel Stewart & John Elliot Esq. my Executors to my last will and testament I also will and leave to Mrs. Margaret H. Stewart a full suit of mourning and to my negro woman Hannah fifteen dollars. I do hereby pronounce this to be my last will and testament revoking all other wills made by me. Done at Savannah this sixteenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and twenty six.
[Signed by] Eliza Bowler
Signed sealed in presence of each and both of us witnesses
J.H. Clark
Jacob Shaffer
I do hereby add this codicil to my last will and testament
I do bequeath to Mrs. Isabella Rebecca Gilbert the sum of fifteen dollars.
Signed in presence of each other & both of us}
J.H. Clark
Jacob Shaffer
Georgia, Chatham County } In the Court of Ordinary, September Term 1826.
[Will probated by Jacob Shaffer on September 4, 1826. Recorded September 7, 1826.]
[On March 5, 1827, James P. Screven was qualified as administrator, with the will annexed, of Eliza Bowler dec’d.]
[End Transcript]
NOTE: According to petitions filed in Chatham County, the reason James P. Screven was qualified as administrator with will annexed was because the executors named, General Daniel Stewart and John Elliott, failed to prove the will.]
In May 1827, James P. Screven, as administrator of Eliza Bowler’s estate, filed a petition for “sale of negroes.”
[Begin Transcript]
State of Georgia,
To the Honorable the Justices of the Inferior Court of Chatham County sitting for ordinary purposes
The petition of James P. Scriven administrator with the will annexed of Eliza Bowler late of Savannah widow deceased respectfully sheweth
That your Petitioner administrator as aforesaid is in possession of three Negroes Slaves, viz Hannah a woman and her infant and her son Plenty – the property estate of the said Eliza Bowler deceased – that the hire of the said slaves for one year together with the other personal property of the deceased will not pay the debts due by the Estate, the said Hannah being sickly and her son Plenty too small to labour. Your Petitioner is advised and believes it will be for the benefit of the Estate that the said Slaves should be sold.
Your Petitioner therefore prays that by an order of this Honorable Court he may be allowed and permitted to sell the said Negro slaves in terms of the act of the Legislature of the State of Georgia in such cases made and provided.
To Col. Josiah Wilson Guardian of Henry R. Stewart, Sarah Eliza Stewart & Daniel H. Stewart, legatees of Mrs. Eliza Bowler deceased
Sir
Please to take notice that at the meeting of the Justices of the Inferior Court of Chatham County for ordinary purposes, which will be held at the Court house in Savannah on the first Monday in September next I shall apply to the said Court for leave to sell the negroes belonging to the Estate of the said Eliza Bowler deceased in terms of the act of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia in such cases made & provided at which time & place you will shew cause if any you have against such sale.
[End Transcript]
[Note: Appended was a statement that on August 16, 1829, Col. Josiah Wilson acknowledged receipt of the above notice “signed by Doctor JP Scriven.” The court’s response was not included in this file.]
[Note: In an attached record of estate accounts as of February 1830, Screven noted payment on November 15, 1828, of $5.24 for clothes for Hannah and her child. On December 21, 1829, he noted paying 88 cents for clothes for “Hannah’s children” [plural]. On March 1, 1827, he noted receiving $50 for “Hannah’s hire to P. Laurens.” On April 1, 1828, there was $10 for “2 month hire of Hannah” and on June 1, the same. Notes about her hire were made monthly then through February 17, 1830, at a rate of $4 or $5 a month.]
[Note: There was also an estate appraisal attached that valued Hannah at $400, a male child named Plenty at $100, and one feather bed, two moss mattresses, one bolster and one pillow at $20, as of May 5, 1827]
[NOTE: I searched the Chatham County and Liberty County deed record indexes from 1826-1837 and found no record of James P. Screven selling Hannah, Plenty and her unnamed child. Unfortunately not all deeds were recorded in court.]]
For original copy of will, see: Chatham County Probate Court, Wills, Volume F, pages 391-392; digital images, Ancestry, “Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992,” -> Chatham -> “Wills, Vol E-F, 1870-1837,” (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/160855012/person/362515883376/facts, accessed 9/20/2023), images 454-455.
For the probate records file, see: Chatham County Probate Court, Estate Records, Wills, Estates, Administrations and Bonds, Alphabetically Arranged, 1777-1852; digital images, Ancestry, “Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992” -> Chatham -> Probate Records, Bell-Boyle, Folder 86a-186, images 911-932 (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8635/images/005765219_00917 : accessed 9/20/2023).