Parish: St. Andrew
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: [Name starting with Mo, possibly Moses or Monday], Frank, Ceasar [Alt: Caesar], Tom, Bess, Prince, Jemmy, Bob, Primus [or Primos]
Slaveholder: Jones, William
Date: 1768-02-18
[NOTE: There are holes in the original document, as noted below.]
[Begin transcription]
In the Name of God Amen. I William Jones of the Province of Georgia in the Parish of St. Andrew gentlemen being weak in [blurred] but of sound mind memory calling to mind the uncertainty of Life [2-3 words blurred] this my Last Will and Testament, first and principally I do [hole blocking several words] God in hopes through the merits of my redeemer Jesus Christ the [several words blurred] touching such worldly good[s] I shall die possessed of I [hole blocking rest of line] viz.
Inprimis: To my beloved [word blurred] Charles [piece of paper blocking surname] a tract of land situated on the river St. Mary’s. Also [number blurred] Negros Tom [name blurred] [name blurred] [name starting with Mo, possibly Moses or Monday], Frank and Ceasar, also my Roan horse to him and to his heirs forever.
To my beloved Sister Esther West, I bequeath the [word] following Negroes Tom, Bess and Besses son Prince, Jemmy and Bob that I bought of Lupton’s Estate to her and her heirs forever.
To my beloved Sisters Sally Jones and [name faded, possibly starts with S] Jones I bequeath all my [blurred] part of the Negroes belonging to my Mother’s Estate that yet remains undivided [missing] between myself and my two [missing word] mention’d [sic] Sisters also all my Stock of Cattle [holes obscuring the rest of this line but appears to be a description of how the cattle are marked]. (Also a negroe named Primus [or Primos] that [hole obscuring 1-2 words] undivided above mentioned negroes, my desire (from his faithful services past) is that he should have his freedom), to them and their heirs forever.
To my beloved Nephews Charles Middleton and William Middleton I bequeath all that Plantation whereon I now live consisting of several Tracts of Land and all the Negroes I purchased of William Middleton’s Estate, also a Stock of Cattle mark’d with an upper [blurred] and an under [blurred] in the other ear, to be equally divided between them share and share alike to them and their heirs forever.
To my beloved Friend John Webb I bequeath the little boy I bought of Mr. Samuel Elbert, to him and his heirs.
To my beloved Friends Jonathan Cochran and James Cochran I bequeath to each a horse out of my stock of horses such as they please thats [sic] not already bequeath’d [sic].
All the remaining part of my Effects not already disposed of, I bequeath to my three Sisters and Brothers to be equally divided between them.
And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my Trusted Brother Charles Jones, my Friend Jonathan Cochran and my Friend James [surname blocked by hole but presumably Cochran] Executors to this my last Will and do hereby revoke all former Wills made by me, In Witness whereof I have hereunto set and my hand and seal this Eighteenth Day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Eight.
Declared Published and Signed in the presence of
John Stewart
Simon Munro
Stephen Williams
Wm Jones
[End transcription]
In an attached document, Jonathan Cochran and James Cochran were qualified as executors in September 1775.
Source: “Wills, Colony of Georgia, RG 49-1-2, Georgia Archives”, Colonial Estate Records, held by Georgia Archives Virtual Vault; accessed online at: https://vault.georgiaarchives.org/digital/collection/cw/id/553/rec/134.