"In the name of God Amen. I James Willis of the County of Wilkes and State of Georgia being in sound mind & memory at this time I think fit to make this my last will and testament, revoking all others whatsoever heretofore made by me. In the first place, I recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my friends. Now as touching my worldly goods & real estate which it has pleased God to bless me with, I wish to divide it as follows, to wit, I give to my wife Judith Willis the tract of land whereon I now live, during her natural life or widowhood, and at her death or intermariage (sic) then to be equally divided between my two sons Benjamin Franklin Willis & William Berry Willis. I also give to my said wife during her natural life four negroes, namely, Lindy, Miles, Poimal and Beck also sorrel horse commantly (sic) called the fox horse, also one G-ng?? sorrel mare & one bay mare and the G-ng?? Bay mare, also my riding Gigg, also five cows & their calves, her choice of my stock, also five head of sheep, her choice, also twenty head of hogs, her choice, also one hundred barrels of corn and two stacks of fodder. Also all my household and kitchen furniture and plantation tools and at my said wifes death the above mentioned personal property then to be divided between Benjamin Franklin Willis, William Berry Willis and the child that she my said wife is now pregnant with, if it should be a living child, if not the property to divided between Benjamin F. Willis & William B. Willis. Item. I give & bequeath unto my son Benjamin Franklin Willis four negroes (namely) Tom, Nathan, Pheaba and Hall and two hundred dollars in cash, and one sorrel Filly called Satbram filly. Item. I give unto my son William Berry Willis five negroes (namely) Silvy, Linda, Janey, Same and Judy, also one sorrel horse & colt, and two hundred dollars in cash. My wish and desire is that all my just debts be paid then all the balance of my property that is not already devised to be equally divided between all my children, except Fanny Gafford & Elizabeth Hansford and there share to be equally divided between their children, that is Fanny Gafford & Elizabeth Hansford to have an equal share with the rest of my children, but their share to be equally divided between there children. --- I do herein nominate & appoint my friend William Berry, Jones Hendricks and my son James Willis Executors to this my last will & testament.
Signed sealed & delivered this nineteenth day of January, 1813.
James Willis (seal)
Presents of
Ch R Carter
Michael Pearsons
Garland Pearsons
Georgia, Wilkes County
Personally appeared in open Court Charles R. Carter, Michael Pearsons, the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing will and being duly sworn saith that they saw the above named James Willis sign seal publish and declare the foregoing instrument of writing to be his last will and testament, and that at the time of his so doing he was of sound and disposing mind & memory and that they subscribed their names as witnesses to the same in the presence of the testator and in the presence of each other and that Garland Pearson subscribed in their presence.
Ch R Carter
Michael Pearsons
Sworn to in open court this 1st March, 1813.
D. Terrell Clk"
