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Abraham Ayers Will

In the name of God Amen the 6th Day of July 1783. I Abraham Ayres of Georgia, Richmond County, being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God. Therefore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is once appointed for all 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 the hands of God that gave it, and for my body, I recommend it into the earth to be buried in a Christian manner at the descretion of my Executor nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the power of God. And as leaving my wordly estate where with it hath pleased God to give me in this Life, I give and dispose of the same in the following manner:

Imprimus: It is my Will and (?) that in the first place, all my just debts be paid and satisfied.

Item: I do give unto my well beloved son Thomas Ayres, my land on which I now live on together with a tract of land lying on the other side of Little River. Only my well beloved wife Elizabeth is to live on the plantation I now live on, during her life or widowhood.

Item: I do leave to be sold by my executor to be sold a certain tract of land lying on the Kiokee River to be equally divided between my well beloved daughters, Rebecca and Gene [Jane] Ayres.

Item: I do give the remainder of my Estate to my well beloved wife Elizabeth Ayres viz all my household furniture, together with all my stock and moveable estate during her natural life or widowhood and at her decease, to be equally divided between my children.

Item: I do appoint my well beloved wife Elizabeth Ayres and Mr. James Mathews, Executors of this my Last Will and Testament and do make null and void all other Wills either written or verbal as witness my hand, seal the day and date above written.

Signed, Sealed, ...?..., Pronounced and Declared by the said Abraham Ayres as his Last Will and Testament in the presence of the Subscribing Witnesses: Shadrach Mims, James Cartledge, Barnas Pace

Abraham Ayres (seal)

Note: Abraham Ayres states in his Will that his wife Elizabeth can live on his plantation during her widowhood. She married Shadrach Mims several years later, and thus ended her entitlement to live on the plantation.

Estate appraised Mar 29 1784 by John Germany, Reuben Blanchard and Samuel Pain. A memorandum of old book accounts remaining of Abraham Ayers, dec’d, that the people are dispersed, some run away, some dead and not be come at. Debtors: Isaac Wood, Josiah DLun, James Smith, John Hatton, or Holton, Richard Johnstone, George Parks, Samuel McCarty, William Standly, Daniel Wallowhorn(Walecon?) Job. Smrith Sr., Absolom Horn, William Mangram, Doctor York, John Jackson, Edward Upton, John Cobb, Robert Mims.