[from St Helena Parish, Louisiana, Successions Drawer D-4]
In the name of god amen I George Roberts of haukins county
[interlined:]State of tennice
Being in perfect health and memory at present thanks be to
god for it calling unto mind the mortality of my Body and
knowing that it is appointed once for men to die do make and
ordain this my last will and testament that is to say
principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul unto
into the hand of almighty god that gave it and my Body
I recommend to the earth to be Buried in a decent christian man[ner]
at the discretion of my Executors hoping at the general resurrection
I shall receive the same again by [four words illegible]
and as touching such worldly estate where with it hath
pliesed god to bless me with I give devise and dispose of
the same in the folliwing manner and form.
first I give to my dearly Beloved wife Rhoda Roberts
the land and plantation where I now live with all
the moveables there to and stock of horses cattle hogs
and sheep during her widowhood and if she should marry
then let her Be put to her thirds and if the children
should mary then I give them some things to Begin
to keep house with and keep accompt of such things
my daughter anned Lee I give to her one doller
my son George Roberts I give him also one doller
my son John Roberts I give him likewise one doller
my son William Roberts I give him one doller
my son Elisha Roberts I give him one doller
my son samuel Roberts I give him one doller
my daughter milla schism one doller
I give to my son Isaac Roberts one hundred and twenty
five acres of land it Being the place where he know
lives and the rest of the land to Be divided between
Thomas Roberts and Absalom Roberts and James Roberts
an Equal division Betwen them three to the same
Equal division of the whole at there mothers death and
as for my negro woman lettis and her child Catherine to Belong
to my wife as long as she lives and at her death Both to be free
If my wife should dy before the child is twenty seven years of age
she may give it to one of the children to have til she is of that age
and then to Be free I have not left the other children one
doller for anything I have against them I have given to them there
part Before ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my
last will and testament in witness where of I have set my hand
hand and seal this nineteenth day of november in the year of our
lord God one thousand eight hundred and five George Roberts {seal}
Samuel Smith [followed by another signature, illegible]
Wm Paine
[The following document was folded with the will.]
Whereas William Roberts left a will in the Hands of the Comandant that George Roberts Snr. made in his lifetime, we have By our Consent agreed to Recawl the sd. will Back in to our posession as we have Come on the termes, and agreed to Settle in Regard to the Estate amongst our Selves
Given under our hand this 29th day of Septembr 1809
Thomas Roberts
James Roberts
Isaac Roberts
her
Milla Chisum
mark