Kershaw County ScArchives Wills.....Belk, William December 15, 1814 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sc/scfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Larry Noah javan@paonline.com November 16, 1997 William BELK, born ABT 1745, married ABT 1771, died Dec 1814, Kershaw County, South Carolina. SOURCE NOTES: 1790: Cheraw Dist, SC census. page 46, 2 males over 16, 2 males under 16 and 5 females. 1800: Darlington Co, SC census. page 21, Britain and Jeremiah are his neighbors. 1810: Cheraw Dist, SC census, page 158. Occupation: Farmer William's will was recorded in Ordinary Court on March 20, 1815 in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina, in Will Book C, page 189, William Langley 6, Pkg 178. The will is dated 15 Dec, 1814 and the final settlement was on 12 Jan 1819 by Joseph Belk. An exact transcription of the will follows: In the Names of God Amen I William Belk farmer of Kershaw District being poorly and weak in body but perfect mind and memory thanks be unto God cauling 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, principally and first of all I recommend my soul unto the hand of almighty God that gave it an My Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christian burial at the descretion of my executors, touching sutch worldy estate whearwith it heith pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and from, I will and positefly order that all my just debs be paid first. Item 1. I lend to my bloved wife Hannah Belk during her life or widow hood one Negro Man named Charls and one Negro Woman named Dice and they plantation and hous whear I now live the Smiths tools and Sorrel Mare saddle & bridle, one feather bid, bedsted and furniture and as mutch kitching furniture as will suffise as many plantation tools & gears as will be suffisent for plantation use three cows & calves. Two tow year old steers, ten killable hogs, three breeding sows and ten year olde two ewes and a ram and as mutch houshold furniture as she will think sufficunt to keep hous with. Item 2. I give to my son Jeremiah Belk one Negro Boy named Andire to him and his heirs forever. Item 3. I give and Bequeathe to my daughter Ann Skinner one Negro girl named Tener to her and her heirs forever. Item 4. I give and Bequeathe to my son Rigdon Belk one Negro man named Hardy to him and his heirs forever. Item 5. I give and Bequeathe to my daughter Nice Skinner one Negro girl named Pat to her and her heirs forever. Item 6. I give and Bequeathe to my daughter Gatce Mixon one Negro girl named Rose to her and her heirs forever. Item 7. I give and Bequeathe to my son Joseph Belk one Negro boy named Peter to him and his heirs likewise also one feather bed & furniture and all my land except a tract lying on hubbards Branch. and the day after my wifes deth or marrage the said Negro man named Charls and Negro woman name Dice with her incries to come to my son Joseph Belk to him the said land Negros forever. Item 8. I give and Bequeath to Jean Mixon a Tract of land lying on habards Branch which I purchased from Joseph Pany to hime and heirs forever. Item 9. I give and Bequeath to Susanna Belk two cows & calvs three head of young cattle and fifty dollars in money to her and her heirs forever. Also I leave and Bequeath to beloved wife in addition her Dowry and Feather bed and furniture and after her deth the said bed to come to my son Jeremiah Belk it is my will that all the property lent to my belobed wited after her deth to be divided or sold and divided between my children hearafter named Also the rest of my property not named or lent to sold or devided equally between my children namely Jeremiah Brittons Heirs Pharabys heirs Rigdon Ann Gatce Nea & Joseph and if any of the heirs be endebted to the Estate that they pay up or Count out in perepotion each Nam drawing and equal shar like wise I nominate my sons that is to say Jeremiah Ridgon & Joseph Belk my lawfull excutors I do Hearby utterally confirming this to be my last will and testament In Witness whereof I have hear unto set my hand and Seal this fifteenth day of December in year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen. Signed Sealed published pronounced as his last will and Testament in the presents of us who in this presents and In the presents of each other have hearunto subscribed our names as witnesses. In presence of William Belk Allan McCaskill Cornelius Cook Edmond Hair [who made his mark] Additional Comments: Submitted by Donna Jenkins, Coarsegold, California: The will of John Belk of Mecklenburg County, NC (just north of Kershaw County), dated July 20, 1804 lists John's wife Marian and children John Belk, Darling Belk, Sarah Belk, Nicey McCorkle, Frances Montgomery, James Belk and Gracey Caloes who has died. He also mentions grandson James Belk (son of Brittain Belk), granddaughter Sarah Belk (daughter of Darling) and James Belk Jr's daughter Sarah, and children of William and Gracey Caloes. Our William Belk and this John Belk may have been brothers for they both had sons named Brittain and daughters named Nicey. I have not been able to find any more to support this idea. Information from the genealogy notebooks in the Santa Cruz Library tell of a John Belk that was born 1710 in England and died 1788 in Union Co, NC. This is in the same area as our Belks lived and may be their father. On a Darlington Dist, SC map dated 1820, there are three Belk homes marked and a John Mixon's home. They are all between Lynche's Creek and Sparrow Swamp, which is west of Darlington. This file located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sc/kershaw/wills/belk-william.txt