In the Name of God Amen--I John James of Saintmarks Parish and State of South Carolina, Planter, being in perfectMind & memory thanks be to God, do make & ordain this my LastWill & Testament in Manner & form following--Viz. I recommendmy Soul to the mercy of Almighty God trusting in the merits of myblefsed Redeemer--After all my just Debts & Funeral Expenses arepaid trusting in my Executors hereafter appointed to the decentInterment of my Body I will & bequeath unto my beloved Wife MaryJames one Seventh Part of all my personal Estate & also fiftyPounds in money, and that to be in liew of her Dower to her and herHeirs forever Also it is my desire that my said beloved Wife Maryshould have the Use Benefit or lent of my Dwelling House I now residein with all the out Buildings and four Hundred acres of Land which lyaround it &c during her Widow Hood, but in Case of my belovedWife's marriage, or Death-then it is my desire, that the abovementioned dwelling House with all the out Buildings and four Hundredacres of Land should revert and return to the Use & behoof of mySon Francis I James to him and his Heirs forever--Also it is my Willand desire that a part of the River Swamp land granted to Col.oRichard Richardson and conveyed to me by Isham Moore, that is to say,the part lying and being above Mr Thomas Rochis lowest corner of hisSwamp Land so acrofs the swamp to the lower corner of a Tract calledCameron's or McWilliams on the River, and then up gourdens toSinklers--that part to be sold by my under mentioned Executors, andthe money arising from the sale to be applied to the discharging myjust Debts & if there should be over and above paying the Debtsany over plys--it is my Desire that it should be equally dividedBetween my four Daughters, that is to say, Nancey James Mary James,Elizabeth James & Clarifsa James to them and their Heirsforever--Also it is my Will and Desire, that at or near the time whenmy Estate is to be divided, that from the Crops or otherwise, myExecutors hereafter mentioned, should out of my Estate purchase fiveNegroe girls about twelve or thirteen years of Age--and then disposeof them as follows, viz. One to be given to my Sister AnnKingswood--& to belong to her during her life, but at my SisterAnn's death, then it is my desire that the said Negrow girl &Increase if any should then belong to her Daughter Latisa Kingswoodto be to her and the Heirs of her Body forever--Also one to be givento my Sister alice Terry and to belong to her during her life--but atmy sister alice's death, then the girl with Increase if any to belongto her Daughter Mary Terry to her and the Heirs of her Bodyforever--one Negroe girl to be given to my sister Mary McGirt, &to belong to her during her life--But at my sister Mary's death, thenthe girl with Increase if any to belong to her Daughter ElizabethMcGirt to her and the Heirs of her Body forever--one Negroe girl tobe given to my Sister Martha wright--& to belong to her duringher life, but at my sister Martha's death, if she has any Childliving, then the girl with Increase if any to belong to her oldestChild, to it and the Heirs of its body forever--but if my said SisterMartha should have no Child living then for the said Negro girl givento her--than to belong to Elizabeth Wells the Daughter of my SisterAnn Kingswood to her and the Heirs of her Body forever--one Negroegirl to be given to my Sister Elizabeth Maples & to belong to herduring her life--but at the Death of my Sister Elizabeth-then thegirl with Increase if any to belong to her Daughter Alice Maples toher and the Heirs of her Body forever I do also will and bequeathunto my Son Matthew James a certain Tract of Land containing twoHundred acres of Land granted to Samuel Williams--also two Hundredacres of Swamp adjoining the said Samuel Williams Tract, & ispart of a Tract granted to Col.o Richard Richardson lying between MrThomas Rochis lower Line in the Swamp and the upper Line of AngelHarden there to be laid out for him, one Tract of two Hundred acresgranted to William Lynnard--one Tract of one Hundred and fifty acresexcept a bit sold of it to Mr Thomas Roche, granted to FrancisJames--One Tract of one hundred acres granted Henry Kerley, withanother Piece of that swamp Tract granted to Col.o Richard Richardsonthat is to say, four Hundred Acres to be Laid out for him begining onthe River near to the lower corner of McWilliams old Field running onEastwardly and then down the River measuring one Chain on the Riverand two Chain off til they make out the four Hundred acres for him ina long Square--the said to be to him and his Heirs forever--I alsowill to my Son Francis I James Except as above Excepted a certainTract of Land containing Eight Hundred & Fifty acres granted toAngel Harden, one Tract of One Hundred acres granted to DavidWilliams to be to him and his Heirs forever--I do also Will unto myfour Daughters Nancey James, Mary James, Elizabeth James &Clarifsa James Except as above Excepted & mentioned all theremainder of my Real Estate in Lands, to be equally divided betweenmy four above mentioned Daughters to be to them and their Heirsforever--note that a two Hundred acre Tract of the said Land intendfor my Daughters, was granted to Matthew James but it is meant thathe is to make Titles to his Sisters as soon as he is of age--I alsoWill and Bequeath unto my Six Children that is to say my two sonsMatthew and Francis I & four Daughters, Nancey, Mary, Elizabeth,and Clarifsa Except as above Excepted all my Personal Estate to beequally divided between my said two Sons & four Daughters to beto them and their Heirs forever---Also it is my desire that the wholeof my above mentioned estate might be kept together undervided &the Negroes all worked together on the Land belonging to my Estateuntill my Son Matthew is twenty one years of age, if he should live,and then a Devision might take place agreeable to the abovewill--Lastly I do will ordain & constitute Thomas Jones, WilliamMcConnico & Matthew James Executors of this my last will andTestament, (it is my Desire that Matthew James might act as Executorwhen he is of age) In witnefs whereof I have hereunto set my Hand andSeal this Seventh Day of December in the Year of our Lord OneThousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven
John James (SEAL)
Signed, Sealed, Published, & Declared. inpresence of us
Patrick Brock
John Greening
his
Nathaneil x Bradford
mark
Recorded in Will Book AA, page 64
Recorded March 19th 1789
William Humphrey Clerk of Court
Bundle 50, Pkge 9