In the name of God Amen. I, William Potts Senr,Planter and Ordinary of Sumter District in the State of SouthCarolina Now in perfect health in body and of sound and disposingMind and understanding, do Make and ordain this My last Will andTestament in Manner and form following.-----------
First-------- I wish all My Just debts be paid ashereafter directed----
Secondly----I give and bequeath unto My belovedWife Jane Potts to be at her disposal all the Cattle and hogs whichMay be found in this Mark; (three Splits in one year and Smooth Cropin the other, all the Poultry of every kind, one bay Mare namedDolly, one bed matrafs, bedstead and furniture one sett of silver TeaSpoons marked BIFIM to her & her Heirs forever.---------
Thirdly----It is My wish and desire that MyNegroes be Kept and worked on My plantation and that Wife shall liveon my plantation and shall be decently supported out of my estatewith Necefsaries the same as When I was living and she to do with myNegroes as when I was alive, to take care of my old Negroes the sameas she hitherto done Also that there shall be at least two Acres ofwheat planted every year for her benefit the same as when I was aliveor be supplied with flour: Also that she be Allowed a suffeciency tobuy her Cloathing Such as she stand in Need off Also the Use of MyRiding Chair and Harnefs and should they become so that she cant Makeuse of them then to be furnished with another. Then It is my wishthat there shall be ten Milck Cows and Calves Kept, Mare GinneyDiver, four ?olds and pigs for the Use of My wife and plantation, that my wife be furnished from my Stock every year fifteen hundredweight of Pork and two beefes for her use and plantation. Onehundred weight of Coffee one hundred weight of Brown sugar one poundof Tea and two sacks of satt: And should there be any more stockraised on my plantation over Supplying My Wife and plantation to besold and money Applied to the paying of my debts or other-wisedirected hereafter Also that there be Kept for the Use and Cloathingof my Negroes and My Wifes use twelve head of Sheep it is not mywish that My Negroes Cloathing be bought but that they spin and weavetheir Cloathing.
Fourthly----My wish and desire is that My Negroesbe kept and worked on the plantation, whereon I now live none to beMoved away during the Natural life or Marriage of My Wife Jane Pottsfor her benefit and support. And After My Wife and plantation areSupplied with provisions and other Necefsaries Mentioned above fortheir Use. The balance Arising from the work of My Negroes with thesale of the balance of My stock of Hogs Cattle Horses and sheep,every Article of a perishable kind which can be spared from MyHousehold & Kitchen furniture (My Wife to keep such as she maything proper of my House hold and Kitchen furniture as she maystandin need of I leave that to her there fore will not Mention anyarticle) all of my plantation tools that can be conveniently sparedfrom the Use of my plantation, Waggon, Dearborn And every Article asthere are a great Many that are not of Use Now on the plantation:allof my Obligations Notes and Accounts which are owing to me to beApplied to the payment of my Just debts and should they not beSufficient the balance to be paid from the work of myNegroes.---
Fifthly------It is my wish and desire that Afterall my Just debts are paid, that my Executors pay over to my Son JohnJ. Potts the sum of three hundred dollars in place of Sylira and topay over to my son Edgar N. Potts the sum of three Hundred dollars inplace of Monday without Interest this to be done as soon After thedebts are paid as can be conveniently.-----------
Sixthly-------It is my wish and desire that AfterMy Just debts are paid and my son John J. Potts and my son Edgar N.Potts are paid then the Money Made on my Plantation and arising frommy Stock After supplying My Wife and plantation with the NecefsariesMentioned above for their use and support yearly to be equallydivided Among My Children and the Children of my deceased DaughterMartha N. Howard to come in for their Motherspart.--------------
Seventhly----After the death or Marriage of Mybeloved wife Jane Potts then My Children May divide the propertyamong them Share and share alike My Grand Children of my deceaseddaughter Martha N. Howard to draw their Mothers part the same as ifshe had been living or Any other of my Grand Children should theirparent be dead at that time
Eighthly-----It is My Wish and desire that shouldMy Wife Jane Potts find that she can't Manage the Negroes and isdesirous to Move Near or Among My Children as she has exprefsed thelike to me. My Executors are Authorized to dispose of my plantationon which I now live and purchase a Small tract of Land Near wherethey live for her to live on so as they can attend and see theNegroes discharge their duty to her. And It is further My wish toenjoin it on my Executors that Notwithstanding My wife should marryaain If she stand in Need of Any Necefsaries of life that they supplyher with it and I also enjoin it on my Wife that should she stand inneed of any the Necefsaries of life to be sure to Apply to myChildren It is my wish that let her situation be what it May Marriedor not that she don't want that which is needfull forher.-----------Again I say unto My Executors not to purchase anythingon a Credit for My Estate.
Lastly I Nominate constitute and Appoint My SonsSamuel T. Potts, William Potts, John J. Potts and Edgar N. Potts MyExecutors to this my last Will and testament
In Witnefs whereof I have hereunto set My hand andseal this thirtieth day of September in the year of our Lord onethousand eight hundred and thirty four And in the Fifty Ninth year ofAmerican Independence.
Signed Sealed and delivered, Acknowledged,
and declared to be the last Will and Tes- ,
tament of the said William Potts Senr. In ,
presence of us who have subscribed our ,
names as Witnefses thereto by the request ,
of said William Potts Senr. ,
E.M. Gordon
I.G.Fort
Martha P. Gordon
(Recorded in Will Book D1/2 pge41)
(Recorded February 26th 1836)
William Lewis O.S.D.
Bundle 76 Pkge2