Will of Thomas Stapler

                                                                   23 April 1823

State of Georgia

Jackson County

In the name of God Amen.  I Thomas Stapler being old & crazy but in proper sound mind and memory calling to mind the mortality of my body, knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and appoint this my last will & testament as follows, viz.  First of all I recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it & my body to the dirt to be decently buried by me hereafter named executor and as touching my worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with I give & bequeath it as follows, viz

First it is my will and desire that all my just debts be paid by my executors.

Item - I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Ruth Stapler the plantation I live on with all the appurtenances during her natural life, then to be sold & equally divided between the legatees, & I bequeath unto her one Negro woman named Chloe, one Negro man named Benjamin & one Negro girl named Maria to be at her own disposal, with one bed of furniture, also her house hold & kitchen furniture, one farm horse, one plough & gear, one axe & hoe, two cows & calves & two heifers & two steers during her natural life, then what is to be found of said furniture & stock to be sold and equally divided.

Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Sarah Owen two Negroes, one named Abram and one Negro girl named Sally, valued at eight hundred & twenty five dollars, to be left with my executor to dispose of & make the money for my said daughter Sarah Owen.

I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Mary Hutchinson two Negroes, one named Chloe & one named Lark, valued at six hundred fifty dollars.

I give and bequeath to my beloved son Amos Stapler two Negroes, one named David & one named Alek, valued at eight hundred dollars.

I will & bequeath to my beloved son John Stapler one named Frank and one named Fillis, valued at seven hundred dollars.

I give and bequeath to Joseph M.C.H. Norman five dollars.  I give and bequeath to the children of my deceased daughter Elizabeth Norman two Negroes, one named Mary & one named Henderson, valued at six hundred & forty dollars.

I give and bequeath to my beloved son Robert Stapler three Negroes, one named Margaret, one named Henry and one named Tom, valued at seven hundred & twenty five dollars.

I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Frances Rogers one Negro woman named Hannah valued at six hundred & ten dollars which is to be at her discretion during her natural life & to the heirs of her body after her death.

I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Rachael Strickland two Negroes, one named Jane & one named Rose, valued at six hundred & thirty dollars.

I give & bequeath to my beloved son Thomas Stapler two Negroes, one named Charity & one named Washington, valued at six hundred dollars.

I give & bequeath to my beloved son William Stapler two Negroes, one named Dixon & one named Becky, valued at eight hundred & seventy five dollars.

I give & bequeath to my beloved daughter Nancy Rogers two Negroes, one named Judith & one named Jackson during her natural life, & after her death to be retained in the hands of my executor to be hired ‘till the youngest living heir of her body comes to the age of twenty one years & then to be equally divided between her three children, Elizabeth C. Rogers, William S. Rogers & Sarah J. Rogers, & the hire to be equally divided also between said children.  Judith & Jackson is valued at seven hundred & twenty five dollars.

And the property of the children of my deceased daughter Elizabeth C. Norman be retained in the hands of my executor or hired ‘till the youngest living heir of her body arrives to the age of twenty one years, then equally divided between them all or such as may be living, viz, William L. Norman, Sarah C. Norman, Polly S. Norman, Thomas S. Norman and Joseph G. Norman.

I give and bequeath to my grandson James P. Rogers one Negro boy named Madison.

I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Mary Rogers one Negro girl named Irena.

It is my will the balance of my estate be sold & those who have the lesser portions is to me made equal with the rest & if the property that is sold be not sufficient to make all equal, then those who have the larger portions shall pay to the rest what they have more than their equal part, which money shall be paid when the sale money is due.

I do hereby ordain, constitute & appoint my beloved sons Robert Stapler & Thomas Stapler my lawful & sole executors to this my last will & testament & all other heretofore made by me to be null & void to all intents & purposes & I do hereby solemnly declare, ratify & affirm this my last will and testament.  In witness whereof I have this day hereunto set my hand & seal this 23^rd day of April 1823 & in the 47^th year of American independence.

Signed, sealed & acknowledged

in presence of witnesses -

James Wilson

Thomas M. Wilson

John Sankey Rider

Zachariah Lay, Jr.

 

 

his

           Thomas X Stapler (Seal)

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