Baldwin County GaArchives Wills.....Baker, Joseph November 27, 1817 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: D. L. Hood just4genealogy@hotmail.com January 28, 2006, 3:29 pm Source: Baldwin County Probate Office Written: November 27, 1817 Recorded: January 5, 1819 In the Name of God, Amen. I Joseph Baker of county of Baldwin and State of Georgia being in a low state of health, But of perfect and sound mind and memory, Do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following. (Viz) Item) I will that all my just Debts be Paid. Item) I will that daughter Peggy Ledbetter be furnished with a negro or other property which shall be equal in value to the Negro woman and child Which I gave to my daughter Nancy Parker at the time they were delivered Item) My express will is that my son Joseph Baker have the tract of land whereon he now lives to him and to his heirs forever but not so as for him trade or convey the same during the life of my wife Item) I give to my son Francis one negro girl named Winney I also give to My son Joseph Baker one negro girl by the name of Dot those to them and their heirs forever but to remain with my wife among the property she holds during her natural life. Item I give to the four children of my daughter Rebecca (Viz) Ashly Walker Sally Elisha & [not entirely legible but looks like "doing for"] each of them one hundred dollars at the equal division of my property that is not otherwise disposed of. Item I lend to my wife Janny Baker during her life all my property both real & personal which has not been otherwise disposed of or distributed by this my last will & testament I [illegible] Michael Peary having intermarried with my daughter Rebecca and having no sons or heirs I give unto him Ten dollars at the division of my Property that is not otherwise disposed of by this testament. Item I will that after the death of my wife, all the property remaining be equally divided Between my five Children namely Francis Baker Joseph Baker Nancy Parker Peggy Ledbetter Janny Harris And lastly I nominate and appoint my Beloved wife Janny Baker Executrix and my trusty friend Lazarus Battles & Edmond Lowe whole & sole executors of this my last will and testament[illegible] by me made and acknowledging this to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal this 27th day of November 1817. Joseph Baker (SEAL) Signed sealed and acknowledged in Presence of us: Edmond Brantly Mark Brown Sally Brown (her mark) Georgia Baldwin County Court of Ordinary Tuesday 5th July 1819 This day the last will and testament of Joseph Baker was duly proven in open court by the oath of Mark Brown one of the Subscribing Witnesses to the same & by the Court Ordered to be recorded Abner Locke, Clerk Additional Comments: I feel I have to say that the content of the will as to the disposal of human beings as property is offensive to me, but I have included it precisely because there may be descendants of these people who are looking for clues as their names and lives. It's also a true fact of the document, and editing it out would only serve to perpetuate obscuring from history the lives and contributions of African slaves in the South. I have retained the punctuation, spelling, capitalization and content of the original, and noted the places where I cannot make out what is said. This is not tanscribed from the original will, but from the copy handwritten in the will book of Baldwin County, so the content is in some degree determined not by Joseph Baker but by the copyist. It does appear by the way the will is worded that Michael Peary is not the father of Rebecca's children, so she perhaps was married twice. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/baldwin/wills/baker619wl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb