Georgia, Oglethorpe County, Last Will & Testament of William Hardman
28 April 1825

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In the name of God, Amen. I, William Hardman of the county of Oglethorpe and 
State of Georgia, being sick and in bad health of body yet of sound mind and 
memory thanks be to God for the same and calling to mind that it is appointed 
and for all men to die and considering the mortality of my body do make 
constitute and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament.

That is to say principally and firstly of all I give and recommend my soul 
into the hands of God who gave it and for my body I recommend it to be buried 
a christianlike manner at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named 
nothing doubting, but at the general resurrection I shall recover it again by 
the power of Almighty God. And touching such worldly goods as it has pleased 
God to bless me with in this life I give will and dispose of in the following 
manner that is to say:

First All of my just debts to be paid.

Item: I give to my son, Elbert Hardman one negro boy named Isaac and one 
hundred acres of land whereon he now lives be the same more or less, one 
horse, one bed and furniture, one cow and calf and sow and pigs which 
property he has on hand and in possession of. 

Item: I give and bequeath to Susan Sorrow, wife of George Sorrow, one negro 
girl named Mary, one horse, one bed and furniture and cow and calf one sow 
and pigs which said Sorrow has in possession, and in case Susan Sorrow should 
die without heirs of body then the negro girl with her increase to return to 
her brothers and sisters and equally to be divided among them.

Item: I give to Fanny Walker, wife of Elijah Walker, one negro girl named 
Matilda, one horse, one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, one sow and 
pigs, which property they are in possession of.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son, John Hardman one negro boy named Henry, 
one horse, one bed and furniture he has in possession at this time, and to be 
made equally to his brother Elbert in land and in other property as is made 
to his brother so as to make him equal to him.

Item: I give and bequeath to Polly Simmons, wife of Charles Simmons one negro 
girl named Barbary, one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, sow and pigs, 
this same property they are in possession of, and Polly Simmons is to have 
for the value thereof so as to make her equal to her sisters. 

Item: I give to my daughter Anne Hardman one negro girl named Ritter, one bed 
and furnture and to be made equal to her sisters who has married and left me 
in the property named to them.

Item: I give to my daughter Betsey Hardman one negro girl named Nancy, one 
bed and furniture and to be made equal to her other sisters.

Item: I give to my son, William Hardman one negro boy named Nelson, to be 
made equal to the other boys in property above named.

Item: I give to my son Babzer one negro boy named Mitchell and to be made 
equal to the other boys in property above named. 

Item: I give to my son Samuel Hardman one negro man named Fleming, one negro 
girl named Edny and to be made equal to his other in property above named.

Item: I give and bequeath to my wife, Anne Hardman, all the balance of my 
property both real and personal that I may die possessed during her life or 
widowhood, if said property should increase and become incumbersome to my 
wife it is my will that she should divide equally among her children and as 
often she may think proper, taking care to keep equal divisions among them as 
possible, at the death of my wife, all the balance of the property to be 
divided among my children taking care to keep them equal. 

Lastly I do appoint my wife Anne Hardman and my son Elbert Hardman my sole 
Executors to this my last Will and Testament and revoking all other Wills I 
do ordain and constitute this to be my last Will and Testament, this 28th day 
of April 1825. William Hardman

Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence 
of us and we in the presence of each other 
having hereunto set our names:
Alban Willingham GeorgeT. Torbert James Macay 

Georgia, Oglethorpe County

Personally came in open court Alban Willingham and George T. Torbert, two of 
the subscribing witnesses to the within Will and being duly sworn saith that 
they saw the within named William Hardman, deceased, sign, seal, publish and 
declare this instrument of writing to be his last Will and Testament and at 
the time of his so doing he was of sound mind and memory to the best of our 
knowledge and belief. 
So help us God. 

Sworn to and subscribed in open Court Nov. Term 1827 Alban Willingham George 
T Talbot
Matt Rainey, CCO
Recorded Nov. 10, 1827
Charles V. Collier, DCCO