Spencer, Virgil, Clark, Isaac, Noel, Daniel, Henry, Jack, Bill, Snipe, Jim, Hilliard, Matilda, Maria, Ann, Betsy, Mary, Charity, Malinda, Rose, Amanda and Jerry
These are the people -- possibly my blood family -- listed in the 1849 Last Will and Testament of John Williams (Sr.) of Jones County, Georgia. He "bequeaths" these human beings to his children and grandchildren.
The name Ann caught my attention right away because on the death certificate of my great grandfather, William Turner Williams, Annie is listed as his mother and John Williams is listed as his father. Also, Ann was among the "sixteen negroes" that John, Sr. bequeathed to his sons "to be equally divided among them." Did John (Jr.) select Ann as part of his inheritance? Most probably no matter which brother Ann went to, it's likely that John Jr. would have had access to her. Could this Ann be the mother of William Turner and my 2nd great-grandmother?
I lifted up the names of the enslaved first to honor them and recognize their lives.
I know the historical aspects of enslaver and enslaved intertwined in the same family, but to be able to document it within my family is hard to digest. As I process that John Sr is my 3rd great grandfather and his son, John Jr is my 2nd great grandfather, my concern centers on the enslaved individuals and the lives they lived.
Below is a chart of the direct paternal line from WikiTree uploaded from the Family Tree DNA yDNA test of my brother, Richard L. Williams.
While I have only started preliminary research of this Williams line of European-descent, I have seen the Wills of each of these direct ancestors from George Williams, Jr. (1671-1750) to John W. Williams, Jr.(1812-1895) and each of these men Willed their land and enslaved people to the next generation -- five generations of enslavers!
 |
| WikiTree Williams-113378 |
Last Will and Testament of John Williams (Sr.)
 |
| "Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," database with images, FamilySearch : 20 May 2014), Jones > Wills 1809-1864 vol A-D > images 242-244 of 387 |
|
|
TRANSCRIPTION:
John Williams' Will
In
the name of God. Amen.
I
John Williams of the State of Georgia and the County of Jones being
aware of the certainty of death and the uncertainty of life, being in
feeble body but sound & healthy mind and memory have thought
proper to make and ordain there to be my last will & testament,
in manner and form following, viz:
1st
I do hereby nominate and appoint my three sons, John, Thomas J and
Samuel L Williams, Executors of this my last will & testament.
2nd
It is my desire and intention that my wife Mary shall have the use of
the residence place and such negroes & stock as she may choose
sufficient for her ample and d? suport during her natural life or
widowhood.
3rd
I give to my son John Williams a negro man named Spencer to make him
even with my other three sons to whom I have primarily given a negro.
4th
I give and bequeath to my four sons, Henry, John, Thomas J. and
Samuel L. sixteen negroes, viz, Virgil, Clark, Isaac, Noel, Daniel,
Henry, Jack, Bill, Snipe, Jim, Hilliard, Matilda, Maria, Ann, Betsy &
Mary to be equally divided among them.
5th
I give and bequeath to my two grand children, Henry L. and Martha
Elizabeth Densler the following negroes, viz, Charity, Malinda, Rose,
Amanda & Jerry, in trust of my executors aforementioned &
should they both die before the arrive to the years of maturity or
the age of twenty one years said property with all that accrues to
them from this instrument to revert to the remaining legatees.
6th
All the residue of my negro property I wish equally divided among my
daughters Mittisiss, Barnard, Nancy Manderville, Katharine Bartlett
and their issue after them & to the issue of my daughter
Elizabeth Sawyer in trust of my executors (the portions following to
Katharine Bartlett and the issue of Elizabeth Sawyer to be
immediately under their control.
7th
I give and bequeath to my daughter Mittisiss And after her to her
issue all of the lands I own or possess on the northwest side of
Cedar Creek – though if her husband Jesse Barnard should wish to
remove he shall have the privilege of selling it.
8th
I give and bequeath to my three sons, John, Thomas J. and Samuel L.
all of my lands on the southeast side of Cedar Creek,
9th
I give and bequeath to my son Henry nine hundred dollars out of the
moneys arriving from my estate.
10th
I give and bequeath to my grandson Jeremiah Mauderville two forty
acre lots of land in the in the Cherokee County.
11th
All the residue of my property, money, crops, horses, mules, cattle,
sheep, & hogs, carriages of every description, plantation tools,
house & kitchen furniture, I wish equally divided among my four
sons above mentioned & my daughters & their issue
aforementioned, and the issue of my deceased daughter Elizabeth
Sawyer and Martha Densler.
John
Williams
Signed
and acknowledged this 10th
day of October in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & forty
four in presence of
W.
D.Ethridge
John
P. Key
John
L. Smith
Georgia
Jones County
In
Chambers, Dec 28th
1849 and now in vacation before us, William Moreland and Jonathan
Parrish two of the Justices of the Inferior Court of said County in
person came William D. Ethridge & John P. Key two of the
subscribing witnesses to the within instrument of writing and being
duly sworn deposeth and saith that they saw John Williams the
testator sign publish and declare the within instrument to be and
contain his last will and testament and that testator was of sound
and disposing mind and memory at the time of the execution there of
and that deponents subscribed the same as witnesses together with
John . Smith in the presence of the testator, and at his request, and
in the presence
of each other.
Sworn
to and subscribed
before
us, this 28th
Dec 1849 W. D. Ethridge
William
Moreland J.I.C. John P. Key
Jona,
Parrish J.I.C.
Recorded
16th
Jany 1850
Richard
W. Bonner C.C.O.
Codicil
to the Last Will and testament of John Williams
Georgia,
Jones County
Whereas
I John Williams did on the tenth day of October in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty four, Sign, Seal declare
and publish my last will and testament in the presence of W.D.
Ethridge, john P. Key and John L. Smith, who signed the said will and
testament as witnesses, and whereas I am desirous of altering and
changing two items in said Will and Testament, I therefore make and
publish this codicil to said Will.
First
I revoke and change so much of the fourth item of said will as
relates to my son Henry Williams, and hereby give and bequeath the
sixteen negroes in said item mentioned to me three sons, John, Thomas
J. & Samuel L. Williams.
Second
I also entirely revoke and expunge the within item of said will which
gives to my son Henry nine hundred dollars as when he shall receive
Six hundred dollars more from me, he will have received his entire
share and interest of my estate.
Signed
sealed published and declared by John Williams Sr. as a codicil to
his will and testament of the tenth of October in the year of our
Lord Eighteen hundred and forty four, in presence of us.
W.
D. Ethridge his
Alfred
Wyche John W. Williams
J.A.
Ethridge mark
Georgia,
Jones County
In
Chambers, Dec 28th
1849
And
now in vaction before us William Moreland and Jonathan Parris two of
the Justices of the Inferior Court of said county in person came
William D. Ethridge and Alfred Wyche two of the subscribing witnesses
to the within instrument of writing and being duly sworn deposeth and
saith that they saw John Williams the testator sign publish and
declare the within instrument as a codicil to his last will and
testament as herein designated – that testator was of sound mind
and disposing memory at the time of the execution thereof and that
deponents together with J.A. Ethridge subscribed to the same as
witnesses in the presence of testator at his request and in the
presence of each other.
Sworn
to and subscribed W. D. Ethridge
before
us, this Dec 28th 1849 Alfred Wyche
William
Moreland J.I.C.
Jona.
Parrish J.I.C.
Recorded
16th
Jany 1850
Richard
W. Bonner C.C.O.
Copyright © 2023 by Sandra Williams Bush, Ancestor Callings: Georgia and Mississippi Roots. All Rights Reserved.
