Parish: St. Andrew
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Jenny, Tom, Dick, Mariah
Slaveholder: Lewis, Jacob
Date: 1774-02-09
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In the Name of God Amen. I Jacob Lewis of St. Andrews Parish in the Province of Georgia, Planter. Tho weak in body yet perfect in minde [sic] and memory, do constitute and appoint this as my last Will and Testament and desire it may be received by all as such, and in the first place I recommend my soul to God who gave it, and my body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named.
I in the next place will and desire that my Funeral Charges and all my other Lawfull [sic] Debts be paid out of my Estate by my said hereafter named Executors after which I will and dispose of all my remaining Estate in manner and form as followeth:
To my Honoured Mother Mary Lewis I give and bequeath Twenty Pounds Sterling to be paid her annually out of my Estate dureing [sic] her natural life.
To my beloved Brother Isaac Lewis, and his son Joseph Lewis the use of one sixth part of my Estate I give, during the natural life of my said Brother Isaac Lewis to be paid him and his aforesaid son Joseph Lewis as their need requires which I leave to be judg’d [sic] by the discretion of my after named Executors, and after the death of my said brother Isaac Lewis the whole of what may remain of above said Legacy, I give to be applied discretionally [sic] as above, by any Executors wholly for the use of the aforesaid Joseph Lewis, son of said Isaac Lewis if he survive his father untill [sic] he come to the age of twenty one years at which time if any part of said Legacy remain such part I give to him and his heirs forever but in case the said Joseph Lewis should die under that age, and his Father Isaac Lewis be dead then whatever remains of his or their above said Legacy to be equally divided among those heirs whome [sic] thereafter name to share an equal dividend of my Estate.
To my honoured Mother Mary Lewis over and above the annuity of Twenty pounds above named I give the use during my said Mother’s life of one Negro Girl named Jenny and at her death if said Negro be living I will she be equally divided among the surviving hiers [sic] .
To my Brother Judah Lewis I give one Negro fellow named Tom. To my Brother Elijah Lewis I give one Negro fellow named Dick. and to my Sister Dimmis [blurred] I give one Negro Girl named Mariah, which said Negroes I give and bequeath to my said Brothers and Sister and their heirs forever.
After the above said Legacy’s be taken out of my Estate what ever may remain either real or Personal I give and bequeath to be equally divided between my loving Brothers and Sister, namely Abraham Lewis, Joseph Lewis, Isaac Lewis and his son Joseph Lewis (with the conditions and restrictions as above), Judah Lewis, Elijah Lewis and my Sister Dimmis Lewis to them and their heirs forever.
And lastly I constitute and appoint my beloved Brothers Abraham Lewis, Joseph Lewis, Judah Lewis and Elijah Lewis as Executors of this my last Will and Testament, and in them or their Major Part, I invest a full power to sell the whole or any part of my Estate both Real or Personal to enable them to pay my Debts and Legacy’s or any other expences [sic] may ?accrue? to my Estate.
Jacob Lewis
Signed, Sealed and Acknowledge to be the last Will and Testament of Jacob Lewis this Ninth day of February 1774.
In presence of us.
Andw [Andrew] Way
Albert Duynmies
Thomas Dawsey
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NOTE: Will probated by Albert Duynmies on March 17, 1776, at which time Abraham Lewis, Joseph Lewis, Judah Lewis and Elijah Lewis were qualified as executors. Will said to be recorded in Book AA pages 85-86.
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/30/rec/148.