1752 Will of Richard Baker

Richard Baker (II) died in 1752. He owned a total of four plantations: Archdale Hall, Jack Savanna, Cow Savanna, and Baldrick. His son Richard received the first three plantations, and his grandson George Logan received half of Baldrick. Richard Baker's (II) will is 10 pages long, however, only excerpts have been transcribed below. A complete transcription will be added soon.

In this transcription abbreviations, spellings, and punctuation marks have been preserved. Line breaks also remain intact, as well as column structure. Indentations and spacing are difficult to replicate on the Web and may be distorted or omitted. [?] represents an unknown word.

                                    WILL OF
                        RICHARD BOHUN BAKER

In the Name of God Amen this twentieth day of May in the year
of or Lord one thousand seven hundred and Fifty two I Richard
Baker of the Parish of S.^t George Dorchester in Berkeley County
and Province of South Carolina Planter being in good and perfect
health as well as of sound mind and memory thanks be to
Almighty God therefore and calling to mind the Mortality of
my Body that it is appointed for all Men once to Die do there-
fore make constitute ordain and appoint this my last Will and
Testament renouncing Revoking disannulling and making void
all and every other and former Wills Testaments Legacys Gifts
and bequeathments whatsoever Ratifying pronouncing and De-
claring this and this only to be my last Will and Testament
And in the first place I give & Recommend my Soul unto the
Hands of Almighty God who gave it and my Body I Recommend to
the Earth to be buried therein at the discretion of my
Executors hereafter named nothing doubting but in the General
Resurrection I shall Receive the same again by the Almighty
Power of God and as touching such temporal or Worldly Interest
as it has pleased God (far beyond my Deserts) to bestow upon
me I do hereby order and Dispose thereof in manner and form
following this is to say Imprimis In the first Place my Will
and desire is that all such Lawful Debts as may at my Decease

Will of Richard Baker     Page #2

be found justly due so any Person or Persons may in all con-
venient time be fully discharged and paid out of my Estate by
my Executors hereafter named Together with my Funeral charges
&c.     Item My Lawful Debts, &c, being first discharged as above
I give and bequeath unto Sarah my beloved Wife (upon the
conditions and Provisoes hereafter mentioned and intended and
not otherwise) The sum of One Thousand Two Hundred Pounds
Current money of this Province to be paid unto her out of
the Produce of my Plantation as soon as conveniently
it can be raised after my Lawful Debts are dis-
charged as above I also give and bequeath unto my said Wife
one Negro Wench named Phebe to her her Heirs and Assigns
forever and my Will is that if my said Wife choose it she
shall have one Room in my House at Ashly River with the use
of a Bed and Furniture with such sufficient provisions
and Negro attendance as my Executors shall think proper
during her Widowhood and no longer but to have no charge
Power or authority over my Estate Plantations house Children
or Slaves farther than my Executors hereafter named shall think
proper to allow her but if she should think proper not to
continue in my said House as aforesaid but removes to some
other habitation my Will in that case is that she be allowed
no separate maintenance out of my Estate nor atendance
farther then the above Legacy of Two Thousand Two Hundred
Pounds and Negro Wench .....

.................................................................... Item I
give and bequeath unto my beloved son Richard (upon the Proviso
and conditions hereafter mentioned and not otherwise my
Plantation or Tract of land situate on Ashly River where I
now live and that other Tract containing three Hundred Acres
more orless situate on Jack Savanna and all my Right and
Title which at my Decease I may or shall have in on to that
Tract belonging to my Brother Josiah Deceased commonly called
old Cow Savanna containing Two Hundred Acres more or less to
him his Heirs and Assigns forever Provided he arrives to the
age of Twenty one years or have issue of his body Lawfully be-
gotten but in case that he should Die either before he arive
to the age of Twenty one Years or before he have issue as
aforesaid my Will in that case is that my said Tract of Three
Hundred Acres on Jack Savanna and whatever part I may have in
that other Tract of Two Hundred Acres called Cow Savanna may
be equally divided among the rest of my Children .....

.................................................................... Item my Will is
that my Tract of Land situate on Cooper River in the Parish
of S.^t James Goosecreek containing by estimation Five Hundred
and Forty Acres moreorless may be divided into two equal parts
by a line running parellel with that line bounding on Mr.
Strighters Land which Tract being so divided I give and
bequeath that moiety or half part lying Eastward toward
Cooper River to my beloved Grandson George Logan to him and
the Heirs of his Body Lawfully begotten (if such he have)
forever but if my said Grandson should die without Lawful
Issue of his Body in that case I give and bequeath the said
moiety or half part of my said Plantation to be equally divi-
ded among all my said Children in like manner as my Tract on
Jack Savanna is disposed of in case of my Son Richards Death
without Lawful Issue as aforesaid .....