Parish: St. John
Enslaved Persons Mentioned: Plymoth [alt: Plymouth]
Slaveholder: Norman, William
Date: 1773-03-03
[Begin transcription]
In the name of God Amen. I William Norman of Saint John’s Parish, in the Province of Georgia, being infirm in Body, but of Sound Mind and Memory, Do make, ordain and rattifie [sic] this my last Will and Testament, Hereby Revoking and Disannulling all Others whatsoever, as followeth, I recommend my Soul to God that [gave] it and my body I commit to the Earth, to be decently Bury’d [sic] according to the Discretion of my Executors [in] hopes of a Glorious Resurrection through Jesus Christ to Eternal Life: My Lawful [paper torn, presumably debts] first being paid, I dispose of all my Worldly Estate as followeth.
I give and bequeath unto my Loving Wife Mary Norman, One fourth part of my Personal Estate, together with a Riding Chair, Two Horses and a Negro Boy named Plymoth [alt: Plymouth] to Her, her Heirs and assigns forever. It is my Desire and Will also, that my Wife shall Live on my Plantation as long as She shall remain my Widdow [sic].
I give and bequeath unto my Loving Daughter Mary Norman, one Third of my Personal Estate to be Deliver’d [sic] to her by my Executors, when She Arrives to the Age of Eighteen Years or Marriage to her, Her Heirs and assigns forever.
I give unto my Loving Daughter Renchy [alt: Renchie] Norman One half of my Personal Estate to be deliver’d [sic] to her, when She Arrives to the Age of Eighteen Years or Marriage.
I give unto my Loving Son William Norman The Remainder of my Personal Estate; and it is my Desire and Will, That my Son/ at the Age of Eighteen or Marriage/ shall have his Choice of Either One of my Tracts of Land I now Possess in this Province, to him, his Heirs and Assigns forever.
I Will further, That my other Tract of Land, be Sold, and the Money, be Equally Divided betwixt my Wife Mary Norman, and my Children, Mary, Renchy and William Norman’s, to them their Heirs and assigns forever.
I desire and Will, That if Either of my Children should Die before they arrive to the Age of Eighteen or Marriage, Then that part so Bequeath’d [sic] unto them, to Return and be Equally Divided amongst the Survivors, to them their Heirs and Assigns forever.
Lastly I constitute and Appoint my Loving Wife Mary Norman, my Executors, and my Trusty Friends, John Elliott and Joseph Way my Executors of this my last Will and Testament to Manage and Dispose of all the worldly Estate that it has pleased God to bless me with, as above mention’d [sic].
In witness whereof I have set my hand and Seal this third day of March In the thirteenth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the Third, King and Defender of the Faith, Anno Dommina [sic] , One Thousand Seven hundred and Seventy three.
Willm [William] Norman
Sign’d [sic], Sealed, Publish’d [sic] and Deliver’d [sic] by the above nam’d [sic] William Norman as his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us who have Subscrib’d [sic] our Names as Witnesses, In the presence and at the Request of the Said Testator the day and Year above written.
Lazarus Mallard
John Bacon Junr [Junior]
Rebekah [alt: Rebecca] Elliott
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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/1148/rec/199.