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Kershaw District, SC Probate, Apartment 56, Package 1858

" In the Name of God, amen, I Benjamin Peary of the State of South Carolina planter being in perfect Health of body and of perfect mind and memory Thanks be giving unto god, Calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once 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 into the hand of Almighty god that give it and my body I recommend to the earth, to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my executors; nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the Same again, by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate werewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise, and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.

First I lend unto my beloved Mary wife one Negro Wench named Bridget and one Negro boy Named York During hir life and then they and their Increase to be divied betwixt my two youngest daughters Winiford and Elizabeth also I give to my well beloved son Zadoch Peary one Negro wench Named hagor. also I give to my well beloved son Rigdon Peary one Negro boy Named Toney also I give unto my said sons Zadoch and Rigdon Peary Three Hundred acres of Land freely to be possessed and Injoyed to be Equally divied betwixt them both also I give to my well beloved Son Benjamin Peary one Negro boy Named Robert and also a Tract of Land of Three Hundred acres were on I know live freely to be possessed and injoyed only my wife Than to have hir thirds in it also I give to my three grnd children Peary Rodes Alecy Rodes and Henry Rodes one Negro Girl Named Venas She & hir Increas when Henry Rodes Comes at Age (TLC Note: an unreadable insertion, typed copy reads "Equally to be devied) Freely to be possessed and injoyed by the them, also I give to my Well beloved Daughter Mary Peary one Negro girl Named Zelpha freely to be possessed and injoyed; also I give to my well beloved Daughter Sarah Peary one Negro boy Named Sepes freely to be possessed and injoyed. Like wise it is my desire That Each of my girls Mary Peary Sarah Peary Winiford Peary and Elizabeth Peary at the age of 15 Shall have a young horse or a mare the size of thirteen hands and a hald high freely to be possessed and injoyed by them also I Desire that what money I have Due after Collecting it and Setling matters Should be Equally Divided betwixt my Daughters Mary Peary Sarah Peary Winiford Peary and Elizabeth Peary to be injoyed by them Also Is My Desire that mary Peary my dearly beloved wife Should have all my Movibles with my stock of horses Cows and Hogs freely to be injoyed by hir and I do hereby utterly disallow Revoke and disannul all and every other former Testament wills Legacies bequests and executors, by me in any Wise before named, willed and bequeathed ratifying and conforming this and no other, to be my my Last Will and Testament. in witness whereof, to be I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal, this twenty third Day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred and Seventy Nine

Signed, seal, published pronounced, and declared by the Said Benjamin Peary as his Last will and Testament in the presence of us, who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto Subscribed our Names
(signed) Jeremiah Burge
(signed) John Raines Burge
(signed) George Peay"

TLC Note: Benjamin Peary's signature is not on the will. The place for the signature and seal appear to be removed from the document. My copy of the original was cropped and did not include George Peay's signature. However, it was on the typed copy of the will in the package.

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