Enslaved People Named: Mentioned but not named
Testator: William Thomas Harris
Executors: William Thomas Harris, James Gignilliat
Date Signed: 1785-08-15
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; this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord
one thousand and Seven Hundred and Eighty five, I William Thomas Harris Senior
of Liberty County and Parish of St Andrew and State of Georgia, being weak of Body but
of Sound and Disposing mind and memory and calling to mind the Shortness and uncertain
-ty of this mortal life do therefore make constitute and appoint this my last will and
Testament, and in the first place I principally Recommend my Soul to Almighty God and
my Body to the Earth; to be buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named; in
certain hopes of a Blessed resurrection thro’ the merits of Jesus Christ my saviour and Redeemer
and as to such Temporal interest as it hath pleased God to bestow on me, I hereby order and
Dispose thereof in manner and form following. Imprimis: I will that all such Lawfull Debts
as at my decease are found Justly due may be fully Discharged out of the proffits of my Crop
now on the Ground as soon as the same can be conveniently Sold together with my funeral charges
Item, I Give and Bequeath to my Beloved son William Thomas Harris, an improv’d lot of Land
in the town of Savannah and a forty five acre Lot joyning the commons of the said town of Savannah [the part about the 45 acres was crossed out and included later] with the profits arising from the same to him and his heirs for ever
Item I Give and Bequeath to my Beloved son John Harris one unimprov’d Lot of Land in the
town of Savannah together with a Forty five acre Lot adjacent to the Said Town of Savannah
after he has arrived to the age of Twenty one years, to him and his heirs for ever. Item it is my will
that the rest of my real Estate be divided equally between my three sons William Thoˢ. [Thomas] John
and James Harris, each of the younger ones to enjoy the same at the age of Twenty one years to them
and their Heirs forever, subject Nevertheless to the Incumbrance [several words crossed out] of the
residence of my Wife Mary in any part thereof and occupying the same with what slaves she may
have during the time of her widowhood, and likewise that the same be occupy’d by the Slaves
of my Daughters till the day of their Marriage or arrive to the age of Twenty one years, Item I
Give and Bequeath to my Beloved wife mary Harris, my son William Thomas Harris my Daughters
ann, Mary, Jane, and Sabra my sons John and James my personal estate as follows that after
a due appraisement of the whole it be made into equal lots and Divided to each an equal share
to them and their heirs forever, my Wife Mary to recieve the Same in Lieu of her dower and
in case any of my Daughters should Dye [sic] under the age of twenty one years or before
their Marriage that part of my estate aloted [sic] to their use shall be equally divided between my Wife
and surviving children, and should any of my sons dye [sic] under the age of Twenty one years the
personal estate shall be Divided in like manner as above recited but the real estate Shall revert to
my surviving male heirs to them and their heirs forever Lastly I nominate constitute and
appoint, My beloved Son William Thomas Harris and my Friend James Gignilliat Executors
to this my last will ratifying and confirming this to be my last will and testament and revoke
all other wills heretofore made by me.
Signed sealed and published by William Thomas Harris
to be his last will and testament in presence of us
who in his presence and in presence of each other
have subscribed as witnesses to the same, part
of the fourteenth line and part of the fifteenth
line being first erased and part of the Twenty
first line being erased and, the word, the, inserted
in both the Nineteenth and Twentieth lines and the
word, their, inserted in the twenty fourth line
Chaˢ. [Charles] Abernethy
John Lowe
James Mcmillan
[Signed] Wm Thoˢ [Thomas] Harris Senʳ. [Seal]
[Vertical text on right side of page panel:]
The last Will and Testament of
William Thomas Harris Senʳ
20 Jan.y 1786
Memorandum. This twentieth Day of January 1786. Personally appeared before me
Thomas Baker Register of Probates for the County of Liberty and State of Georgia Charles Aberne
-thy [Abernethy, alt: Abernathy], who being duly sworn saith that he is one of the Persons who signed as a Witness to this
Instrument of Writing; and that he saw the within named Testator, Wm Thomas Harris, sign,
seal and declare it to be his Last Will & Testament; And that he the said Charles Abernethy,
and John Lowe, and James McMillan, did each of them at the Request of the said Testator and
in his Presence, and in the Presence of each other subscribe as a Witness thereto.
Sworn the Day and Year
Above written before me
Thomas Baker R.P.
Chaˢ. Abernethy
[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:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89Q4-DC43 : accessed 15 Jun 2026), “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 -> Liberty -> Estate records 1775-1892 Goulding, Peter – Harris, Ann, images 94-97, FamilySearch Library film #005764237.