Parish: St. John
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Tom, Harriet, Pegey [Alt: Peggy], Sam, Hectter [Alt: Hector], Primas [alt: Primus], Nancy, old Jeffery, Terrefer, Jeffery, Sirus [alt: Cyrus?], Jupiter, Silvia [alt: Sylvia], Bess, Chrismas [Alt: Christmas], Dick, Darckis [alt: Darcas], Betsey, old Bess [NOTE: not all names mentioned in the will could be read — see the transcript]
Slaveholder: Nichols, Robert
Date: 1768-09-17
[Comment: The very eccentric spelling in this will has been preserved exactly as seen.]
[Begin transcription]
In the Name of god Amen, I Robert Nichols of The Parrish [sic] of St. Johns. In the Provence Aforesaid, Planter, Being in Good Health Memery and Understanding Do Make Constitute and Apoynt This My Last Will and Testament, In Manner and Form Following, That is to Say, My Sole to Allmity God what gave it In Hopes of A glorous Reseraxion To Aternal Life In and Thrue The Meritisof My Saviour Jesus Christ, My Body to the Earth To Be Desently Bearried Accoring To the Discrestion of My Executors/
First I give and Bequeve unto My well beloved Sister Sarrah [alt: Sarah] Nichols of the Parrish and Provence Aforesaid Spenstres To Have and To Hould Forever, My five Negro’s Following [NOTE: names very difficult to read due to tearing of the page here: Tom and Harriet are visible. Parts of the other names are visible; please follow the link to the original image to try to read them] and As I Gave My Said Sister a Negro girl In St. Christophers In The Year one Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty four Known By The Name of Pegey [alt: Peggy] withoute any Deeds For The Same I Likewise give Her and Her Eshue To My Said Sister To Have and To Hould For Ever, I Likewise give Her the Bed Bedsted and Beding That She Has Now In Her Perseshion and Every Thing That She Has at Present In Her Perseshion of Mine, I Likewise give Her The Following Artickels Six Silver Table Spoons Six Silver Tea Spoons one Large Mahogeny Dineing Table all My Picktuers My Large [?leather] Portmantue Trunk one Thousand Ackers of Land Settuated In The Parrish of St. Daved’s on Fertil River In The [?province] Afforesaid Forgiving Her at The Same Time all Depts Dues and Demands To This Day/
Seconly I give unto My Step Son Morgan Sabb all My Wearing Apearral /
Thurdly it is My will That my Plantatishon Cald or Known By the Name of Springfield In The Parrish of St. Johns In The Provence Affoursaid with all My Stock of Cattle Horses Hoggs Sheep Plantation Tools and Utenshils and My Four Negros Following Viz Sam Hectter Primas and Nancy and all My Household Furniture Exsept Such As Shall Be Exsepted In This Will, Shall Be Sold To Pay My Just Debts, and The Money That Shall Remain If Aney After My Debts Be Paid, I give unto My Well Beloved Wife Mary Esther Nichols, But If The Money So Arising From The Above Artickels Should Not Be Sofishont To Pay My Said Debts, Then and In That Case only Any Other Part of My Said Estate Shall Be Sold To Make Up The Defichency Exsept Such Part as Shall Be Given In This Will To My Said Sister Sarrah Nichols/
Fortly and Lastly I give unto My well beloved wife Mary Esther Nichols During Her Natuerel Life and No Longer/ My Twefe Negros Following old Jeffery His Wife Terrefer and His Son Jeffery Sirus Jupiter Silvia Bess Chrismas Dick Darckis Betsey and old Bess Thes I give To My Said Wife During Her Naturel Life and Then To Her Son Morgan Sabb and His Hears For Ever/
I Likewise give The Following Artickels To My Said Wife One Bed Bolster Two Pillows Two Pair of Sheets Two Blancketts one Coverlet and one Mattras of Her own Chuseing out of Such Beds and As I Shall Die Persest Off/ and The Small Chamber Draws Commonly Cald Her own One Large Blue Chest and The Dresing glass one Large Dineing Table one Tea Table Seven Silver Table Spoons Six Tea Spoons Suger Tongs and Straner And The Large Soop Spoon/
And I Do Hereby Apoint Simon Munro Andrew Darling Roger Kelsall and Doc John Irvin Esqr [Esquire] of the Parrish of St. John’s My Executers of This My Last Will and Testement / and I Do Hereby Revoke all other will or Wills Hertofour By Me Made/ Declaring This To Be My Last Will and Testement /
In witnes whereof I Have Hereunto Set My Hand and Seal This Seventeinth Day of September In The Year of Our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Eight and In The Eaight Year of The Reain of His Majesty King George The Third.
Robert Nichols
Siend Seald d Deliverd n The Presents of
Simon Munro
John Gibbons Junr [Junior]
Donald Fraser
[End transcription]
Written on this document: John Gibbons of Saint John Parish probated the will, and Andrew Darling and John Irvine were qualified as executors on December 20, 1760. Simon Munro was qualified as executor on January 26, 1761.
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/550/rec/197.