1796 Will/Testament of John Rousseau
In the name of God Amen: I, John Rousseau of Columbia County and
State of Georgia being low and weak in sickness but in perfect senses and
sound in memory and calling to mind it is appointed for all men to die, do make
this my last will and Testament in the manner following: In the first place I leave
my soul to God who gave it to me and as for what worldly estate it hath pleased
God to bless me with, I do give and bequeath in the manner following,
Item: I do lend unto my wife Jane, during her widowhood one negro
wench named Patience and one negro fellow Will the said fellow it is my will and
desire that my executors sell him and the money of such sale to the amount of
forty pounds to take it to Jacob Castleberry to redeem a negro boy pawned by
me for forty pounds to the said Castleberry which time is out the 10th of January
next, and if the said boy should be redeemed, I lend him the said boy named
Jacob to my wife Jane during her widowhood.
Item: I also lend unto my wife Jane during her widowhood two feather
beds and my household furniture that belongs to me, and my cattle, hogs,
horses, working tools and plantation tools and utensils.
Item: I do will and bequeath to my daughter Margaret one negro girl
named Bett and one feather bed and furniture.
Item: I do will and bequeath to my daughter Nancy one negro boy
_______ to be delivered at any time after three years from this date.
Item: I do will and bequeath to my daughter Betty one negro boy named
John to be delivered to my said daughter any time after she arrives to the age of
seventeen years old. I do will to my said daughters after the decease or
marriage of my said wife Jane, negro woman named Patience and her child
Fanny and what increase the said wench Patience may have for the future to my
four said daughters, to be equally divided between them.
Item: I do will and bequeath to my sons James, George and Thomas and
a child in the womb after the decease or marriage of my said wife, one negro boy
named Jacob if redeemed, if not a negro fellow named Will with two feather beds
and all my stock of cattle horses, hogs and what household furniture that
belongs to me, and plantation utensils and one old wagon to be equally divided
between them.
Item: It is my will and desire that if any of my four said daughters should
depart this life without any lawful heir or issue of their bodies then for want of
such heirs it is my will and desire and bequeath for what I have willed them to be
equally divided between my said daughters that may survive, and as for a
feather bed that I willed to my daughter Margaret, I made a mistake in willing it
for the said bed is her own right and property. It is a bed she has made and
earned since she has been her own woman and ____ herself therefore the said
bed is not to be appraised as my estate. Also be it remembered that my father
William Rousseau in the year 1784 did lend me one negro fellow named Peter
during my said father’s pleasure which my father was to have him any time he
pleases to call for him which said negro is none of my property and it is my
desire that the said negro Peter work on this plantation I live on to help raise my
children until my father shall call for him or until my said father’s pleasure be
known if he shall please to give him to any of my children.
Item: I do give and bequeath to my son William 1.00. Item: I do leave,
constitute my trust friends Ignatius Few and Col. Wm. Few my sole executors to
this my last will and testament as witness by hand and seal this fifth day of
September 1796.
John Rousseau
signed, sealed and acknowledged to be his last will and testament
witnesses:
A. St__gis
H. Pri__
Brebecca Stevens

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