South Carolina
Sumter District
In the name of God Amen I John Tisdale of theDistrict and State aforesaid being sick in Body, and of a perfect& sound disposing Mind and Memory and calling to the mind theuncertainty of Life and the great Certainty that it is appointed thatall mankind must once Die; I do hereby ordain and Declare this to bemy last will and Testament, revoking and annulling all former Will orWills made by me.
First I Recommend my Soul to that God that Gave itand desire that my Body be Buryed in a decent and Christian likemanner.
Second -- Unto my Beloved Wife Nancy Tisdale Igive and Bequeath these Four Negro Slaves vizt. Caela, Jim, Joe andHester and the Future Increase of the said Females.
Third Unto my Beloved Children Ransom Mary Ann andJohn Tisdale I give and Bequeath jointly these Twelve Negro Slavesfollowing vizt. Hood, Minia, Binah, Betty, Farrow, Jordon, Allen,Giles, Eave, Edmond, Dick & Harriet and the Future Increase ofthe said Females The said last mentioned Twelve Negro Slaves and theFuture Increase of the said Females to be equally Divided between mysaid Children Ransom Mary Ann and John Tisdale as they respectivelyMarry or arrive at the age of Twenty one Years.
Fourth -- Should my Beloved Wife Nancy beDelivered of the Child of which she is now Pregnant with: Then myWill and desire is that that Child shall have and Receive these fournegro Slaves following vizt. Frank, Dave, Lucy & Robin and thefuture Increase of the said Lucy. These last mentioned Negro Slavesto be kept together with the Slaves mentioned in my other ChildrensBequest untill the said Child shall Marry or Come of Age: But shouldthe Child Die before he or she should Marry or come of the Age ofTwenty one, then in that case the Legacy here by given to that Childshall be equally Divided between my Beloved Wife Nancy and my otherChildren to share and share alike.
Fifth My Will and Desire is that my Executorsherein after named do at a reasonable time Sell for Cash these threeNegro Slaves Nance, Amy and Amos and to Purchase out of the amount ofSales and such monies as may be due my Estate, Three other NegroSlaves and that the three Negro Slaves to be Purchased and my NegroSlaves Jesse and Molly be equally Divided between my Beloved WifeNancy and all my Children now Born or to be Born That part orPortions of said Negro Slaves last mentioned which may fall to mysaid Children is to go with the rest of their Estate & to beequally Divided between them or the Survivors as him her or them mayMarry or arrive at the age of Twenty one years.
Sixth -- Unto my Beloved Wife Nancy and my DearChildren now Born or to be Born I Give and Bequeath all my Plantationand Tract of Land whereon I now live, to them and their Heirs andassigns forever; to be equally Divided between them when my SonRansom shall Marry or arrive at the age of Twenty one years.
Seventh -- My Will and desire is that my Executorsdo Sell my Gray Horse and any other Property which I may have and notherein disposed of, to be Sold to the best advantage at theirdiscretion.
Eighth My Will and desire is that all the rest ofmy Horses, all my Cattle, Hogs, Househould & Kitchen Furniture& Plantation Tools be kept together & Used for the MutualBenefit of my Beloved Wife and Children until my Son Ransom shallMarry or Arrive to the age of Twentyone years, then such as remainshall be equally Divided between my Beloved Wife &Children.
Ninth My Will and desire is that the work &Labor of those Negro Slaves herein given to my Children shall beappropreated to their Maintenance Support and Education and otherNecessary Expenditures which my be necessary or incurred on theirAccount.
Tenth -- If any of my Debts should remain unpaidand there should not be a sufficiency to pay them without encroachingin the Legacies; then in that Case my Will & desire is that myBeloved Wife and Children shall go equal share in the Payment of suchDebts.
Eleventh -- I nominate and Appoint my BrotherFrancis Tisdale and my worthy Friend Thomas I. Wilder my lawfulExecutors of this my last Will and Testament.
Signed and Seal acknowledged on the the 21st dayof October anno Domini1820 in the presence of three witnesses who inthe presence of each other &in the presence of the Testator haveSubscribed their names as Witnesses tothis Will and Testament.
Test. J. G. Mathis
J. I. Mathis
Thomas Billups
John his X Mark Tisdale {SEAL}
(Recorded in Will Book AA page 355)
Recorded 17th Day of May 1822
William Potts Ordy
Bundle 91 Pkge 8