Georgia: Oglethorpe County: Benjamin Crowley Will & Estate Records ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: June Bork Jbbork@hotmail.com ==================================================================== Will of Benjamin Crowley 15 Aug 1817 Submitted by June Bork jbbork@hotmail.com 1817 Aug 15 - Oglethorpe Co, GA - Will Bk B:140-141 1817 Aug 15 - Will of BENJAMIN CROWLEY written: 1817 Oct 15 - Will proved by witnesses, Alexander W. Ewen & Jonathan Bailey 1817 Nov 20 - Will recorded In the name of God, Amen. I, Benjamin Crowley of the State of Georgia & County of Oglethorpe being sick of body but of sound & disposing mind & of perfect memory, yet calling my mortality & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die think it right to make my last will & testament and first I recommend my Soul to God who gave it my body I recommend to the earth to be buried at the discretion of my executors & as touching what worldly property it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life, I dispose of the same in the following manner & form. It is my will that all my just debts be paid. I will & bequeath to my well beloved wife SARAH CROWLEY one Negro boy named CARTER during her lifetime, also one horse named JIMUARK (?), one bed & furniture also one hundred dollars ($100) in money out of my estate for her support & at her death said Negro & other property left her to be equally divided among all my children. I will & bequeath to my son BENJAMIN CROWLEY one dollar ($1.00).. I will & bequeath to my son SPENCER CROWLEY one mare named HIGHFLYER [racehorse?].. It is my will that the remainder of my estate be divided into eleven (11) equal parts, 1] one part to be equally divided between my son CHARLES CROWLEYS three (3) youngest sons (Viz) CHARLES, LEVI & JAMES, one part out of the eleven (11) 2] one part out of the eleven (11) to my two GRANDSONS PRIOR CROWLEY & LITTLEBERRY WILKES also 3] one part to my daughter, PATSEY REYNOLDS [Martha] 4] one part to my daughter POLLY THORNTON [Mary] 5] one part to my son SAMUEL CROWLEY 6] one part to my son WILLIAM CROWLEY, also 7] one part to my son ABRAHAM CROWLEY, 8] one part to my son JAMES CROWLEY, 9] one part to my son ARCHIBALD CROWLEY, 10] one part to my son SPENCER CROWLEY 11] ...... (for John?) I appoint my sons ABRAHAM & JAMES to be my executors of this my last will & testament - I do hereby revoke, disallow and disannul all former wills by me made & declare this to be my last & testament in witness of which I set my hand & affix my Seal this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand eight hundred & seventeen (15 Aug 1817) & Independence of the United States of America the forty first - /s/ BENJAMIN (x) CROWLEY - Pronounced, signed & sealed in the presence of JONATHAN BAILEY, ALEXR. W. EWEN. 1817 Oct 15 - State of Georgia, Oglethorpe County You Alexander W. Ewen & Jonathan Bailey do solemnly say you saw the within named Benjamin Crowley dec'd sign & declare the within instrument of writing to be his last testament & at the time of his so doing he was of sound memory to the best of your knowledge & belief so help you.. Sworn to & subscribed the 15th October 1817 & ordered to ley till the next term of course.. /s/ Alexr. W. Ewen, Jona. Bailey. 1817 Nov 20 - Georgia, Oglethorpe County Nov Term the above will was ordered to be recorded in conformity to the Act of Assembly 1820 Oct 25th day - Recd of Abram & Jas. Crowley exrs of Ben Crowley decd $154.77 in full for Samuel Crowleys part of the personal property already sold of the estate of said decd & being in full for the whole claim of said Samuel Crowley into & from said estate as ____ to the personal property except such part as is now in the hands of the widow of said decd under the will of said decd - I say expense by me as the attorney of Samuel Crowley this 25 of Octr 1820 – /s/ John Crowley attorney for Samuel Crowley - Attest: Robert Freeman Oglethorpe County, Ga - Estate Records (1824-1848) - Benjamin Crowley's Probate Papers Yearly return on the estate of Benj. Crowley decd for the year 1821 By Jas. Crowley, Ex. & ..... By cash pd of Anthony Shatin (?) in part of his note.......................................... $ 130.00 ½ 1821 No.1 - paid Thomas Reynolds as per Est. ........................................... 261.35 ½ " No. 2 - paid Pryor Crowley as per Est. ..... ...................................... 77.27 ½ 1820 No. 3 - paid John Crowley for Saml. Crowley as per receipt.... .................. 154.77 1821 No. 4 - paid Thomas Reynolds for Wm. Crowley as per receipt..... 171.35 ½ " No. 5 - paid Spencer Crowley as per receipt...................................... 173.37 ½ " No. 6 - paid Presley Thornton as per receipt...................................... 123.90 (?) ink blob " No. 7 - paid Abram Crowley as per receipt ....................................... 50.00 " No. 8 - paid tax for 1819 ..................................................................... 1.00 " No. 9 - paid Moore & Gillespie as per receipt ................................... .87 ½ " No.10 - paid M. Rainey (?) as per receipt .......................................... 1.12 ½ " James Crowley exr & admr. $1014.88 " Vouchers 1821 Recd of James Crowley & Abram Crowley admr. & Exec of the estate of Ben Crowley decd $261.37 ½ unto it being in full of my wifes legacy of the real & personal estate of said decd except one Negro & bed & furniture which is in the hands of the widow till her death - /s/ Thos. Reynolds – Test: Robt. Freeman 1821 Sept 7th - Recd of James & Abram Crowley exr & admrs of Benjn Crowley decd $77.37 ½ unto in full of my part of the estate of said estate of said decd of all kinds & sorts agreeable to the will of said decd except one Negro & one bed & furniture which hereafter may be divided among the legatees of said decd - /s/ Pryor (+) Crowley - Test: Robt Freeman Compiler's Note: the brackets [ - ] in the following will are for ease of reading, numbering children and grandchildren. Years ago, this will was mis-interrupted and the grandchildren were thought to be children. Benjamin Crowley was born about 1739 in Orange Co, Va., the son of Jeffrey Crowley and his first wife Effaniah "Effie" (surname unknown as of Oct 2001). Effie was the mother of 4 children: John, Mary, Ben and Sam Crowley. After Effie died, Jeffrey married 2nd, Mrs. Martha Edwards, widow of Thomas Edwards Sr. No children from this marriage, since they were both elderly. Benjamin Crowley's wife was Sara Strong (1742-1839+), daughter of William Strong from Hanover, New Kent, Mecklenburg Co, Va.