Harden.Hardin.Harding Family
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Franklin County GA - Will of Colonel William Hardin - 1810
Extracted from "Ancestors of Nancy Sue Gormezano" - posted on Ancestry.com
Recorded 1810, Franklin County, Ga. Will Book 1786 - 1815, 109-10
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"In the name of God, Amen.
I William Hardin, of the State of Georgia and County of Franklin being of
perfect sound mind and memory, and having some worldly goods to dispose
of at my decease, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament.
And first , I order that out of worldly Estate, my executors do cause me
to be buried in a descent and Christian like manner, and after my just
debts are paid out of my Estate aforesaid, I give and bequeath the
remaining part in the following manner......To my well beloved wife,
Sarah, the land and premises whereon I now live during her natural life,
provided she remains my widow, and also the whole of my negroes, as well
those which I may have lent to any of my children, and those which I now
do or may hereafter possess, to remain in her possession during her life
and widowhood as aforesaid, having if fully in her power to aid and
assist my said children in a just and equal manner, by the loan of said
negroes, as their respective circumstances may in her opinion require,
also my stock of every kind, plantation utensils household and kitchen
furniture, to remain in her possession, and on the principles last
mentioned at her discretion. I also give and bequeath to mny two sons,
Martin and Richard, the lands and premises whereon I now live to be
possessed by them at my wife's decease or when she is no longer my widow,
and to be divided in the following manner: Beginning at Mgeas old house,
from thence to be marked on a direct course to where the line of land
crosses the branch which empties just below Hatten's Ford, my said son
Martin to have the upper end of said land, including the island, and my
said son Richard to have the lower end of said land. And lastly at my
wifes decease, or when she shall cease to be my widow, I give and
bequeath to all my children (to wit) Henry, Mark, Swan, Martin, Richard,
Cyntha, Sarah, and Sucka, the whole of my personal property, the negroes
to be divided in the following manner, (that is to say) Each negro is to
be valued by respectable and impartial persons to be chosen by my
Executors herein after named, and when so valued the name of each negro
with the price or valuation to be written on a tickett of paper and put
into a hat or box which shall be drawn out by my children above named
Each child owing the negro or negroes whose names he draws as aforesaid,
and should it happen that one or more should draw a negro or negroes to a
greater valuation than the others, he she or they drawing the same shall
return to the others the balance in cash, in such manner that each of
said children shall have an equal value in the said negroes- and the
balance of my personal property to be divided amongs my said children and
further if I should possess any property real or personal at my decease
not named it is to be divided amongs the persons and on the principles
above mentioned, and for the due Execution of this my last will and
Testament, I do constitute and appoint my beloved wife aforesaid my
Executrix and my dutiful sons (to wit) Mark, Swan, and Martin, my whole
and sole executors, to this my last Will and Testament.
In witness
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of
October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three.
Signed, sealed & delivered
in presance of-
Mary Whitney
Wm. Harden (seal)
Gadwell Ayers
Obadiah Tremmer
I William Harden being weak and low in body but of perfect sound mind and
memory do make the following alteration in my within will, it appearing
to me that there is not that probability of my son Richard making that
proper use of the property I designed to give him as I could wish, I
therefore give the whole of the property both real and personal which is
mentioned within for him the said Richard to my wife to be disposed of at
or before her decease as she may think proper, but it would still be my
desire that if my said son Richard should conduct himself prudently that
my wife may give him the said property, I having at present made no
provision for him except five shillings which I here give him."
Test
Obadiah Tremmer
Wm Harden (seal)
Gadwell Ayers
The above is an exact copy of the Franklin County Minutes of the Court of Ordinary, May 15, 1786-September 6, 1813, on file with The Department of Archives and History or the State of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia.
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