Will of Chosel Weeks

In The Name of God Amen-

This Sixth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred & fifty I Chosel Weeks of Sumter District the State of South Carolina beinge of sound & disposinge minde memory & understanginge praised be God for the Same, do make & declare this to be my last Will & Testament in the records following towit.

1. It is my will & desire that all my just debts and funeral Charges be respectively paid.

2. I give & do sire to my beloved wife Tabitha Weeks during the term of her natural life, all that parte or potion of my Lands & real Estate including my dwelling house & appertenances lying to the north of a ditch drain running from S.W. to N.E. and crofsing the public Road about three or four hundred yards South of my dwelling house above mentioned I also give & bequeath to my beloved wife aforesaid during the term of her natural life the following negro Slaves together with the future ifsue & increase of the females towit Moses & wife Mary & children Jon & January old Cain & wife Minder children tisly, lcnora, Jake, tom deanah & Ellen Ben & Bobbit Also all my plantation utencils household & Kitchen furniture & all my horses mules cattle hogs Sheep & other Stock not hearinafter Specifically given & bequeathed also all my money after the Settlement of my debts & dues.

3. I give & bequeath to my daughter Rebecca Pack one negro Girl called nelly.

4. I give & bequeath to my Son July Weeks one ncgro Boy called paro I also Confine to him his heirs & afsigns in fee Simple three hundred acres of Land more or lefs already given off & conveyed to him of which be is now in pofsefsion.

5. I give & bequeath to my Son Joseph C. Weeks one negro Boy called peter I also confine to him his heirs and afsigns in fee Simple three hundred acres of Land more or lefs already given off & conveyed to him of which ha is now in pofsefsion —

6. 1 give & bequeath to my Son Thomas Weeks one negro Boy called merryman I also confine to him his heirs & afsigns in fee Simple three hundred acres of Land more or lefs already given off, & conveyed to him of which he is now in pofsefsion).

7th. I give & bequeath to my daughter Harriet Weeks one negro girl called Lena and Eight head of’ cattle if not given before my death)

8th. I give & bequeath to my daughter Dorothy Weeks one negro girl called Mariah and Eight head of cattle if not given before my death)

9. I give & bequeath to my Son Friendly Weeks one negro Boy called Isaac. I also confine to him his heirs & afsigns in fee Simple three hundred acres of land more or lefs already given off & conveyed to him of which he is now in pofsefsion)

10. I give & bequeath to my Son Harmon Weeks. one negro Boy called Jeffrey I also give & devise, to him all that parcel of land three Hundred acres more or lefs adjoining lands belonging to my Sons Thos. Weeks and Friendly Weeks the Estate of J. W. Sherriff & Dempsey Griffin to hold to him and his heirs afsigns forever)

11. I give & bequeath to my daughter Jemima Weeks one negro girl called patty and forty four acres of land already given off & conveyed to her husband Robart Weeks of which he is now in pofsefsion)

12. I give & bequeath to my daughter Sarah E. Griffin one negro girl called Rose and Eight head of cattle if not given off before my death)

13. I give & bequeath to my Son James W. Weeks one negro man called Joe)

14. I give & bequeath to my Son William W. Weeks one negro man called Mingo-

15. I give & devise to my two Sons J.W. & W. __ Weeks. at the decease of my wife the tract or parcel of land including my dwelling house & appertenances. herein given & devised to her during life and Subject to the use & occupation of my two daughters Harriet & Dorothy as hearin afterwards more particularly specifiede to be divided between them Shear & Shear alike & to hold to them & their heirs and afsigns forever P.S. with the promise that Benjamin Kolb are not to be Removed from the place on which he now lives for five years from this date unlefs he becomes disagreeable) I also give & bequeath to my two Sons J.W. & W.W. Weeks four mules if a live at my death my loge waggon nots & acts not collected at the Settling off of my Estate to be divided between them Shear & alike )

16. I give & bequeath to my Five daughters namely Rebecca Harriet Dorothy Jemima & Sarah E. five negroes towit Cain Cicero Charles Sally & Liddie To be appraised & Equally divided between them Shear & Shear alike )

17. I give to my two Sons James Washington & William Warren & to my two daughters Harriet & Dorothy all my household & kitchen furniture plantation utencials cattle hogs Sheep & other Stock which may be and remain after the decease of my wife to be divided between my two Sons & two daughters Shear & Shear alike)

18. It is my will & I do hearby declare that the lands & real Estate including my dwelling house & appertenances hearin given & devised to my wife during life & after her deceas to my two Sons J.W. & W.W. Weeks are also given & devised infull trust & confidence & with the promise that my wife during her natural life & my two Sons after her deceas permit my two daughters Harriet & Dorothy during the term of their natural lives respectively or untill they marry to use & occupy the lands & real Estat including my dwelling house appertenances aforesaid as a residence & home & to work such portion of Said lands with the negro Slaves & other property hearin given to them as may be necesary & convenient to render the Same productive & for their Seperate use & behoot while they remain respectively unmarried)

19. It is my will & desire that Should any of the above named negroes wild to any of my children die previous to being delivered for the lofs a to be maid good out of my Estate but any that have been delivered not to be maid good. also my Swamp lands in Santee Swamp to be Sold & Equally divided between my heirs their heirs & afsigns)

20. I do hearby Constitute & appoint my three Sons Joseph C. Friendly and James W. to be the Executors of this my last will & Testament. I also wish my Son Friendly to be my acting Executor in the Settling up of my Estate hearby revoking all former wills by me maid and declaring this to be my last will & Testament.

P.S. to act. I also give and devise to my two Sons James Washington and William Warren all the Rest and residue of my lands and real Estate which I way die Pofsefsed of and not hearin before given and devised including the lands on which my Saw mill and cotton gin are Situated to be divided between them Shear & Shear alike and to hold to them and their heirs and afsigns forever.

Signed Sealed published and )

declared by the within named)

testator as and for his last Will)

& Testament in the presence)

of us who in his presence and)

in the presence of each other ascribed)

their names as Witnefses theirto.) his

Chosel x Weeks (SEAL)

mark

Ezra J. Pugh

Nelson Griffin

John J. Miller

Recorded Will Book D-2, Page 418

Recorded Jan 24th, 1853

W. Lewis, Ordy

Bundle 134, Package 20-A