Will, 1818
Submitted
by H. C. Arthur carthur@bbno.com
Date: May 21, 2001
Source: Original Will at Georgia State Archives
State of Georgia} I, James Gatlin, of the State and
Greene County} County, Off. , Knowing that this is appointed unto all men once to die, and believing it to be to prepare for this great event by making my peace with God and arranging and disposing of my worldly property being weak in body but sound in mind and to weak as far as possible any disagreeable consequences from arising in the settlement my estate after my decease. In the name of God, I make this my last will and testament in this manner and form following:
Item 1st I commit my Soul to God who gave it and my body to be decently buried.
Item 2nd - It is my will, that after my decease my executors pay off all my just debts
Item 3rd - It is my will that all the property I got with my beloved wife shall be return to hers to wit Four Negroes; Bret, Sal, and her two children Mariah & Auston -with all the cattle and a sufficient number of hogs with all the beds I got with her and one extra, all the horses I got with her and one extra to wit a Sorret. It is also my will that she should have a sufficiency of corn & fodder for support out of the present growing crop when it is sowed. It is likewise my will that my Mill shall be completed & made ready for grinding together with the plantation whereon it stands. I return to my wife the cost and expenses of rebuilding said mill to be paid by Executors after deducting the amount of certain notes, which I received with my wife. To wit one note upon Moses Campbell for one hundred and fifty dollars and one other note to Arch Swans for seventeen (Dollars) from the net cost of said Rebuilding.
Item 4 - It Is my will that the remainder my property both real & personal be equally divided among my beloved children (viz.) Radford, Gilbert, Garrett, Sidney, Nancy and Betsy Gatlin & Polly Arnold (Note: should be Mary (Polly) Ernul - re: estate papers GA State Archives.) I do not wish my Negroes sold if a fair division can be made without doing so.
Item 5th It is my wish that my property should be kept together as long as my Executors think it would be advantageous & profitable for my dear children.
Item 6th I hereby appoint and ordain Richard Asbury and my son Radford Gatlin Executors of this my last will and testament.
In testimony that the above is my last will & testament. I hereby subscribe my name and affix my seal this 25th day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and Eighteen.
Made and signed in the presence of
Stephen Pearse /S/ James Gatlin {seal}
John Powers
Simon Morris
A.C. McKinley
[Will Probate]
Georgia, Green County Court of Ordinary January Term 1820
Personally appeared in open court; John Powers, Arch. McKinley, & Simon Morris Subscribing witness to the within will who being duly sworn say that they saw the within named James Gatlin sign, seal and heard him acknowledge the foregoing instrument to be his last Will and Testament and that they each believe him to be of perfect sound mind and memory at the time of his so doing that they together with Stephen Pearse subscribed their names as witnesses thereto in the presence of the Testator
Sworn to in Open Court } /S/ A. C. McKinley
3rd January 1820 } /S/ Jno Powers
Ebenezer Torrener, Clk} /S/ Simon Morris
Recorded 7th January 1820 Ebenezer Torrener, Clk
Probate continued until 1823.
Transcribed by 3rd grandson Hubert Carroll Arthur rev. 5/21/01 {James Gatlin, Jr., Sidney Gatlin Arthur, Harvey Arthur, Ephraim H. Arthur, Hubert E. Arthur, HCA}
Note: The first transcribed copy (2/21/00) of the will was from a
reduced size copy of the Will provided by the Greene County Clerk of Court
office in Greensboro, GA. Some of the areas were not legible or too blurred
to read. This revised transcribed copy has been made from a good
quality copy from the original Will provided by the Archivist from the
Georgia State Archives and depicts the most accurate account.