It's clear from his 1807 will that my fifth great grandfather Abraham Heath had prospered during his lifetime. If my count is correct he named 30 enslaved persons he bequeathed to his wife, children and grandchildren. (Only his wife, two of his sons and a grandson merited the epithet "beloved".)
["Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893T-8QSY?cc=1999178&wc=9SBQ-W3V%3A267818601%2C267885001 : 20 May 2014), Warren > image 104 of 362;
county probate courthouses, Georgia.]
In the name of God, Amen, I, Abraham Heath
of the County of Warren & State of Georgia, planter being
weak in Body but in perfect mind & memory, thanks be given
to Almighty God calling to mind the mortality of my Body and
knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to die, do
make & ordain this my last Will & Testament (That is to say
principally and first of all I Recommend my Soul to God that
gave it and my Body I Recommend to the Earth to be buried
in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors
nothing doubting that at the General Resurrection I Shall receive
the Same again by the mighty power of God, and as touching the
worldly goods wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in
this life I Give devise and dispose of in the following Manner
and form (Viz)
First I Give and bequeath to my Son John Heath one Negro Man
named Isaac, one woman named Dice and one Negro Boy Named
Tillman with their Increase to him & his heirs forever.
Item I Give to my Daughter Sally Chapple, the following Negroes one
woman named Fanny Girl Mary Girl Lydia, Girl Ambry & Boy
Henry with their Increase to her and heirs forever
Item I Give to my Son Benjamin Heath three negroes Viz Mymsy
and her two Sons Henry & Charles with their Increase forever
Item I Give to my beloved Son William Heath two negroes Viz Jeffrey
and Turner to him and his heirs forever
Item I Give and bequeath to my Grand Daughter Polly Clower one
negro Girl named Sarah
Item: I Give to my beloved Grandson Stephen B Clower one Negro
Boy Isaac
Item I give to my Grand Daughter Linney Clower one Negro
Boy Sam
Item I Give to my Grandson Green Clower one Negro Boy Charles
Item I Give to my Grandson Abraham H Clower one Negro Woman
Milley with her Increase
Item I Give to my beloved Son Adam Heath one Negro Man
Ranger, two hundred Acres of Land which he has titles
for one Black Gelden and one Gray also one Bed and
furniture
Item I Give ^and bequeath^ to my Daughter Elizabeth Heath two Negroes Beck
and Child Clary
Item I Give to my Daughter Polly Heath one Negro Girl Hannah
also one Bed & furniture with Bed Sted to her and her &
her heirs forever
Item I Give to my Daughter Frances B Highfield one Negro Woman
Named Silvia with her Increase to her & her heirs forever
Item I Give to my Son Richard Heath, One Negro Boy Named
Jacob, one Sorrel Filley and one Bed & furniture with Sted
Item I Give to my Son Abraham Heath One Negro Boy Nathan
and one Bed and furniture with Bed Sted
Item I Give to my Grandson Abraham Heath Chappell
one Negro Boy Ephraim.
Item I Give and bequeath to my beloved wife Winnyford
Heath two Negro women Anckey & Amy to Enjoy the same
free from any Incumberances forever I also Lend
my Wife all the Rest of my Estate both Real and personal
during her Natural Life or Widowhood and after [?]
[?] marriage, it is my Request that my Sons Richard
and Abraham jointly should heir my Real Estate
and that Richard should have Big Negro Charles and
Big Jack, and one Negro Girl Patience to be equally shared
betwixt the afore mentioned Richard & Abraham, and the
Rest of my personal Estate after my wifes death or Widowhood
to be equally divided among all my children
and I nominate and appoint my Son Adam Heath
Solomon Slatter and Elisha Hest Executors to this my last
will and Testament and futhermore I disannull and revoke
all former will or wills by me heretofore made.
Signed Sealed published pronounced and declared by --
the Said Abraham Heath as my last will and Testament
in the presents of us whose names are hereunto ? -------
this 23'd day of November in this Year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and Seven
his
Stephen W Burnley Abraham X Heath
Britain Blunt mark
her
Mary X Garrett
mark
Probate
Georgia
Warren County } Personally appeared Stephen W Burnley
and being duly Sworn and on the holy Avangelist and
God deposeth and Saith that he Saw Abraham [Heath]
make his mark and publish and declare this ?---------
of writings his last will and Testament [and at]
the time of his So doing he was of Sound disposing
mind and memory being then in his presence
And in the presence of the other Subscribing [witnesses]
and at his Request they all became witnesses
to the Same. Sworn to in open court this ?----
of January 1808
Stephen W Burnley
Septimus Weatherby
C.C.O.W.Co.
Next I'm going to see if I can find an inventory of his will.
© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.
