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Page 317
WILL OF
WILLIAM BETHEA
In the name of God Amen I William Bethea of the State of South Carolina
Marion District being of Sound disposing mind and memory and Knowing I must
die (in body) do make and ordain this Instrument in writing to be and
contain my last Will and testament revoking all others by me made and
ratifying this as my last as aforesaid and this only in the words following
viz Item |
| {Body} | first it is my will that after my death my body be buried in a
civilized manner at the discretion of my Executors herinafter mentioned And
as to my worldly goods which God has given me this is my will and I give and
bequeath |
| {Item} | as follows My will is that my Executors hereinafter named do collect
as |
| {Second} | Soon as pofsible all dues to me or my Estate and that they
(Executors) do |
| {Debts} | apply the aforesaid dues. when collected to the payment of all my
Just debts and if there be not enough to Satisfy them (My Just debts) as
aforesaid then my will is that they pay them out of the property which I may
have unnoticed in this my last will and testament as the law direct after my
decease and if the dues to me or my Estate be more than Sufficient to Satisfy
my debts my will is that my Wills Executors do give the remainder of my dues
after such collection and disbursement as aforesaid to my beloved widow Mary
Bethea for the Support of the family living with her at my death to be
applied by her (my Widow) according to her discretion-- I give and bequeath
to my beloved |
| {Item 3rd} | son Levi Bethea a tract or parcel of land containing Six hundred
and thirty |
| {Son Levi} | four acres being part of Two tracts to wit the part bounded on
Buck Swamp {Land} is part of a tract Surveyed for James Gladny Sept. 2nd
1784 for 100 Acres the other is part of a tract Granted to Heron Herring for
800 Acres April 5 1799 the above tract I now give to my son Levi begins on a
Cyprefs Stake 111X from thence (the above named Cyprefs Stake 111X on Buck
Swamp run) running N E 70 D 30d to Stake 111X. thence N E 21d 12 to Stake
3Xo from thence near the road to pine Stump 3X one thence N E 52d 90 to pine
3X0 thence N W 15D 25 ch to pine 3Xo thence S E 59d 41ch to Stake and pine
3xo thence S W 31.64ch to Gum 3xo n pr Run of Buck Swamp thence along Said
Run to the begining further refference to this tract may be made to a Plat &
Certificate made by John Harlee on the first day of Decembr 1829 and marked N
X I further give to my Son Levi a right to turn his Stock in my pasture
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WILLIAM BETHEA'S WILL PAGE 2
the lands thereof being given to my other Legatees as may hereinafter be |
| {Pas- ture} | named but my son Levi for this privilege shall be bound to Keep
the pasture fence in good repair which is in the lower part of said pasture
But should |
| { ri- vi- lege} | my Son Levi ever sell this land given above /to him/ the
right he has to the pasture after such sale shall (by such sale) be forfeited
and shall not be enjoyed by the purchaser this privilege shall be to him
(Levi) and the heirs of his body so long as they retain pofsefsion of the
above given land. And my Will is that my Son Levi Bethea shall have after my
decease the following negro slaves viz Jenny & Dinah her child and Isaac
which Slaves he has had |
| {Slaves} | and may now have in his pofsefsion And if my beloved son should die
without lawfully begotten children then and in that case my will is that the
above named negroes and their increase be equally divided between his
Surviving brothers (my sons) or the heirs of there bodies lawfully begotten
but if my son Levi shall live the above named Negroes viz Jenny and her
daughter and Isaac above named shall belong to Levi and the heirs of his body
law- |
| {Item} | fully begotten I give and bequeath to my son William Bethea the
following |
| {4th} | tract of land found by Survey to contain Eight hundred and forty three
ac- |
| {W Bethea} | res being part of Several tracts of land as will more fully
appear by a refference to a plat made by John Harlee first Decbr 1829 and
marked No 4. Said Land beginning a oak pr Run of big Reedy Creek thence
running N E 85d 97ch to pine 3x near two Gum thence N E 35D 60ch to Small
pine 3xo |
| {Land} | thence S E 85d 20 ch to Lt Stump 3xo thence N W 35d 50ch to pine
3xo thence S W 58d 172ch 50o to large pine 3xo thence S W 85d 75ch to Cyprefs
3x0 pr Run of Creek thence thense (repeated) along along (repeated) said run
to the begining And I also bequeath to my son Willian the following negro
Slaves viz Mole |
| {Slaves} | Edmund and Peter and my will is that said negroes to son William
Shall be according to my will in refference to the Slaves given to my son
Levi with the same provisions my will is that my son William shall have after |
| {Bed} | my decease One feather bed and furniture necessary |
| {Item 5} | I give and bequeath to my beloved son Francis Bethea all that tract
con- |
| {F Bethea} | taining (by survey) Five hundred and Seven acres being part of
Several tracts of land as will more fully appear by a refference to a
Certified plat made by John Harlee 1st Decr 1829 and marked No 5 Said land
beginning on a Gum 3x on main run of Buck Swamp runs from thence N E 42d 8ch
to 2 |
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WILLIAM BETHEA'S WILL PAGE 3
Bays 3xo thence N W 50d 9ch to Small Cyprefs 3xo pr Holly 3xo m down thence
N E 31d 45ch thence to pine 3x thence 59d 25ch to pine 3x thence N E 68d
{Land} 89ch to to (repeated) Stake 3x pr pine thence N W 59d 32ch to post Oak
and Stake 3x thence S W 68d 88ch to lt pine 3xo thence S W 88d 25ch to pine
3x thence S W 70d 25ch to Cyprefs 3xo pr run of Buck Swamp thence along the
main run to the beginning and besides I give and bequeath to my son Francis
the follow- |
| {Slaves} |
ing slaves viz Dave Dorcas and Crise which negro Slaves shall be
subject to the same provisions as in case of slaves given to my son Levi then
it my will is that he shale his choice of two Cows and calves and also one
yoke of oxen and also one feather bed and the necefsary furniture I give |
| {Item 6th} | and bequeath to my son James Bethea the upper part of all of all
(repeated) that tract |
| {James Bethea} | of land on which I now live being of Several tracts as will
more fully appear by refference to a Plat and Certificate made by John Harlee
on the first day of Decr 1829 the whole of which tract contains 1100 acres
and lies as follows begining at a Cyprefs corner 3x at main run thence N E
70d 35ch to a pine 3x thence N E 88d 28ch to stake per Post oak 3x thence N W
59d 52ch |
| {Land} | to pine 3x thence S W 31d 20ch to Stake 3xo thence N E 25d 71ch to
pine 3x thence S W 85 97ch to a oak pr run of Buck Swamp thence along said
Run to the beginning the upper part of this tract I give to my son James and
his lower line shall commence at the sixth corner from the begining which is
the Stake (being the Sixth including the begining) then runing 9 Deg S of W
for 71 chains of 11 yd each to pine 3x thence 30 Deg S of W 21 1/2 chains to
Stak 3x thence 33 Deg W from N 6 chains to Stake 3x thence 21 Deg S from W
22 chains to Gum 3x thence 20 Deg S from W 61 chains to large Cyprefs 3xo m
the run of Buck Swamp the above lines were made by me from the above named
Sixth stake 3x down to the Large Cyprefs (chain 11 yds long) that it might be
the lower line for the upper part of all the above described land in the 1100
Acres which upper part that I give to my son James I Judge to contain (550)
Five hundred fifty acres amd if my son James should die this land now given
(550) acres /to him/ shall then belong to my son Evander Bethea provided my
son James has at his death no lawfully begotten children or child and it is
my will also that my son James after my death have the following |
| {Slaves} | negro slaves viz Joe Riese Maney said Slaves to be Subject to the
same provisions as made in case of slaves given to my son Levi in this my
last wile
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WILLIAM BETHEA'S WILL PAGE 4
and testament I also Give and bequeath /to my/Son James one yoke of oxen and
two cows with their calves and also one feather and furniture I do give and
be- |
| {Item} | queath to my dear son Avander all the lower part of land described in
{7} gift to my son James in the part marked item Sixth son James letting
James lower line which I made and described be Avanders upper line containing |
| {Land} | in this lower part as I Judge Five hundred and fifty acres. and if he
Avander die without lawfully begotten child or children the land in this
bequest shall go to James and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten this
provision shall be reciprocal between James and Avander and my Son Avander
shall enjoy this in conjunction with his mother during her life or widowhood
and Also I give and bequeath to my son Avander after my decease the following |
| {Slaves} | negroes viz Het Jeph and Charity these last named Slaves to be
subject to the same provisions as slaves given to my son Levi And also one
yoke of Steers Two Cows with their calves and one feather Bed & furniture.
I give |
| {Item} | to my son John C (besides land deeded to him) the following tract of
land |
| {8th} | containing Fifty eight acres by survey being part of a tract of land
granted to John Bethea Second day of April 1792 for 620 acres lying on the S
W side of the Little Peedee River on Big Reedy Creek begining with 2 Gums in
run of |
| {Land} | Creek thence N E 32d 30ch to Red bay Stake 3x then N W 31D 26ch to
Sasafras stk 3x thence S W 36D 14ch to Cyprefs 3x below the road on the run
of Creek thence along the run to the begining I refer you to plat made by
John Harlee 1 Decr 1829 marked No 1 Also I give to my beloved son John C one
Slave viz |
| {Slave} | Sophy subject to the same provisions as with my gift to Levi my son
Also |
| {Item 9} | one bed and furniture I give and bequeath to my daughter Rebecca
the follow- |
| Rebecca} | ing negroes Slaves viz Nan Cloe and Harry and if my beloved
daughter Rebecca die without lawfully begotten children these negroes last
named Shall be equally divided between her surviving Sisters my daughter but
if she lives these negroes shall belong to her and the heirs of her body
lawfully begotten also I give to my dauthter two cows and their calves One
bed and furniture I also give to my daughter Rebecca as above named. I give
and bequeath |
| {Item 10} | to my daughter Apley Campbell the following negroes slaves viz
Grace Jacob |
| {A.Campbell} | and Dinah these last named negroes shall be under the same
provision as |
| {Item 11th| | those given to my daughter Rebecca. I will and bequeath to my
daughter Mary |
| {M. Bethea} | Bethea the following negroes viz Bet Stephen and Hapy these
negroes to be
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WILLIAM BETHEA'S WILL PAGE 5
under the same provision as those given to my daughter Rebecca. After my |
| {Item 12} | death I will and bequeath to my daughter Catherine the following
negroes |
| {Kath- arine} | to be under the same provisions as made and provided in case of
the negroes given to my daughter Rebecca viz Hannah Bob and Alick and I also
give to my daughter Catherine two Cows and their calves Also One Bed and
furniture |
| {Item 13} | I will and bequeath to my beloved daughter Sarah Ann Bethea the
following |
| {S Ann} | negroes (Subject to the same provisions as the negroes given to my
daughter Rebecca viz Little Jack Aley and Peggy also I give to my daughter
Sarah Ann Two Cows and their calves with a Bed and furniture |
| {Item 14} | I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Mary the use of the House
in which |
| {Wife} | I now live and all the plantation tools Blacksmith Shop household and
Kitchen furniture plantation of land in conjunction with my sons Francis
James and Evander on which the house stand Also the use of the negro man Has
till my brother Elisha death and also the use of the forllowing negroes |
| {Widow} | for and during the term of her life or widowhood Viz Jack Nero Sam
Rachel Lucy Simon & Daniel and at her death or expiration of her widowhood the |
| {Item 15} | last named negro Shall go to my children as followes viz Simon I
then will |
| {Francis} | and bequeath to my son Francis Nero to my son Evander Daniel to
my son |
| {Evander & James} | James and the rest with all their increase shall be
equally divided among all my children share and share alike and subject to
the same provisions made in my separate and specified Gifts to each under
their respective Items |
| {Item 16 | And I further will that the increase from this day the (third day
of July |
| {Increase} | one thousand Eight hundred and thirty eight) born (blanked out) |
| {7 Negroes} | to whom I have as above bequeathed and willed them |
| {Item 17} | I will also (at my death - crossed through) If there be found at
my death (any - crossed through) money in my |
| {Money} | pofsefsion it shall belong to my wife Mary also my single horse
carriage |
| {Carriage} | and also all my stock of sheep and cattle for the use of all the
family |
| {Cattle} | who shall live with her and remain on this plantation for James
Evander |
| {Horses} | and Francis Horses to be disposed of in the Same way excepting
those which may have been given in a former part of this my will which
exceptions is in cattle and oxen and steers hogs will will go as the cattle |
| {Item 18} | And all that may not be noticed or Specifically above must at my
death |
| {unspecified} | be equally divided among my children share and share alike my
property |
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WILLIAM BETHEA'S WILL PAGE 6
|
| {property} |
in any wise noticed or provided for above is excepted |
| {Item 19} | And I do hereby nominate my well beloved sons John Bethea, Levi
Bethea, William Bethea, & Francis Bethea Executors to this last Will and
Testament hereby revoking and Nulifying ale former Wills made by me and
establishing and confirming this to be and contain my last Will and testament
as aforesaid In Witnefs whereof I the said William Bethea of as aforesaid do
sign my name and affix my Seal in the presence of us who at his request and
in the presence of each other do sign our names as witnefses of and to the
same this the fourth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and thirty eight and in the Sixty second year of the Independence of
the United States of America Th above is interlined twice at 15 line from
the beginning "To" next 17 from bottom of first side Red Bay
William Bethea
Witnefs Signature
Samuel J Bethea |
| {Witnefs} |
Wiley Bridges
William Rodgers
John R. Bickett
Recorded in Will Book 1, Page 317
Original Will Missing
Sworn to Septr 17 1860
Ed. B. Wheeler, Ordinary Marion District
Roll No. 64
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[Copied verbatim (as closely as possible!) from copy of "Reproduction of
Microfilm in South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, S.
C." - Marion Co Will Vol. 1 Bk. 1 p.317-322 Wm. Bethea]
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