Craven County, SC – Will of Thomas Potts, 1764 ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Guy Potts ___________________________________________________________________ Will Book 1760-1767 Recorded on page 388 In the name of God Amen – This twenty third day of May Anno domini 1757. I Thomas Potts of Craven County in the province of South Carolina being sick and weak of body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men to die do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and my body to the earth to be buried in decent and Christian burial at the discretion of my Executrix and Executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God in the next place I order, will and appoint that all such debts and sums of money which I shall owe at the time of my decease as also my funeral charges be first paid and discharged and for the settling the temporal estate which it hath pleased God to bless me with, I give and devise in manner and form following Imprimis I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Potts all that plantation or tract of land near Black River containing four hundred and thirty acres butting and bounding to the south east on lands of John Story and on all other sides on lands not laid out, also two young Negroe men and one negroe boy, one large bible, one feather bed and furniture, one large bottle case, and my brass barrel’d pistols, to him and his heirs for ever to be delivered to him by my Executrix and Executors immediately after my decease Item I give and bequeath to my son John Potts all that plantation or tract of land whereon I now dwell containing five hundred acres, also one other plantation or tract of land containing two hundred acres by me purchased of Joseph Roper, also one other tract of land containing eighty acres purchased of William Brockinton, also one tract of land in Williamsburgh Township containing two hundred and seventy acres butting and bounding on all sides on vacant land, together with the appurtenances appertaining or belonging to each and every of the said tracts of land, also two young Negroe men, and one Negroe boy, one feather bed and furniture and one small bottle case, to him and his heirs for ever to be delivered to my said son John Potts when he shall arrive or attain to the age of twenty years Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Johnson, one negroe woman named Phebe to her and her heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Hughes one negroe boy named pompey to her and heir heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Anne Potts one Negroe girl named Amie to her and her heirs forever, also two hundred pounds currency to be paid to her within twelve months after my decease Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Swinton and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten one Negroe woman named Cate and one Negroe girl named Charity Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Margaret Potts one Negroe girl, also two hundred pounds currency to her and her heirs for ever the money to be paid within twelve months after my decease Item I give and bequeath to my grandson Thomas Johnston one Negroe girl named Amoret and one Negroe boy named Abraham to be delivered to him when he shall arrive or attain the age of twenty years but if and in case he should die before he arrives to age of twenty years and without issue of his body lawfully begotten – then I give and bequeath the said Negroe girl Amoret and Negroe boy Abraham to my sons Thomas and John to each an equal part Item It is my will and desire that the rest and residue of my personal estate by me not yet devised shall be kept whole and entire on any part of the lands I am now possessed of during the natural life of my dearly beloved wife Sarah Potts and after her decease to be equally divided amongst my children to each and equal part share and share alike to my sons Thomas and John and my daughters Mary, Sarah, Anne and Margaret and to their heirs for ever and to my daughter Elizabeth and the heirs of her body lawfully begotten also that the moneys arising from the sale of crops made on my plantations and from the sale of any part of my stock of cattle shall be employed in manner following, to wit, to the maintenance of my said wife and to the maintenance of such of my children as shall be living with me at the time of my decease so long as they shall remain sole and unmarried and no longer – and with the overplus, if any there be, to purchase Negroe slaves or otherwise at the discretion of my Executrix and Executors and I do hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my dearly beloved wife Sarah Potts, my friend William Huges and my sons Thomas Potts and John Potts Executrix and Executors of this my Last Will and Testament disannulling all former wills legacies and bequeaths ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal the day and year above written Thomas Potts {Seal} Signed, Sealed, published pronounced } and declared by the said Thomas Potts } as his Last Will & Testament (containing } two sheets of paper) in the presence of us } the Subscribers } John Walker { Proved before The Honble William Samuel Screven { Bull Esq'r Lieu't Governor 15th George Commander { June 1764 at the same time Qua- { lified Thomas Potts one of the { Executors of the within Will Copy obtained from: SC Department of Archives & History 8301 Parkland Road Columbia SC 29223-4905 [Transcribed from typed copy]