Julie transcribed the will as promised and sent it to us but had trouble posting it so I am going to try to post it for her. Here is a copy of what she sent to us via email today
Benjamin Beeler’s
Will February the 28th 1827
In the uncertainty of life and a certainty of death always as it were present and I at this time labouring under disease that may eventually terminate in death. I having a wish to my affairs should be transacted in a manner to the best advantage have determined me to make my last will l& testament; particularly as I am now of sane minded and as I think perfectly capable of so doing. In the first place bequeath my soul to God who gave it and my Body to its mother earth from whence it came. I wish that the property I hold in Alexandria to be sold to the best advantage for the purpose of raising money to pay my just debts & after ascertaining the amount of debts against me & money due me aided by the amount of money that my loose property will bring at home on a credit of twelve months then if my grain, loose property &c will not cover my just debts then I wish as many of my slaves sold on a credit of twelve months as will raise money enough to effect that purpose however at all events I wish my black man Dennis to be disposed of on the terms above specified & old Milly likewise.
In the second place I give & bequeath to my dear wife Sarah the following servants and property the black boy Lewis that her father gave her and the black woman called little Milly & her [husband] Richard & her increase & little Mariah & the amount of money that I got by her from her father’s Estate for herself & her children independent of their equal part in the balance of the Estate & as for their part my object is to secure to her what she & I inherited from her father’s Estate. In the third place as to my Daughter Sarah Caroline Carter I give & bequeath to her & her children the property that I hold in Winchester which property belonged formerly to her mother &c the black woman which she now has in her possession called Becky & her children Charlotte & Martha & her increase &c &c for her part.
In the fourth place I give & bequeath to my 2nd Daughter Adaline my Mulatto girl Emily for her part & for her to take charge of her on my decease & a Mahogany bureau & two dining tables formerly the property of her mother. In the fifth place my riding horse Marquis saddle & I have agreed to let J. R. Hayden have for one hundred dollars towards the payment of his bill for medical services – In the sixth place in the event of my Negroes that are not mentioned particularly heretofore being saved that is my debts &c all being paid without selling any more of them than what are specified I wish them to be promised and kept to work on the place for the purpose of raising my children & supporting my family & as my children comes of age [vide licit] Adaline, Benjamin Franklin, William Wallace, Mary Warden & Sarah Warden & my posthumous child are to have their part as they come of age of those negros that may be kept to the Estate for the benefit of my children that are hereby named all of them are to become equal heirs except my daughter Sarah Caroline Carter who has been theretofore provided for by giving her my Winchester property &c theretofore particularly specified – In the seventh place I wish my carding machine mills &c &c to be put in order for the benefit by children that is to raise cloth &c all of them that are at home to enable my wife to support herself & children that are now in the [ ? ]. In the eighth place my real estate I wish for my children that is Adaline, Benjamin Franklin, William Wallace, Mary Warden, Sarah Worden & my posthumous child are to be joint heirs in my real Estate as well personal. In the ninth place I give & bequeath all my house [ ? ] kitchen furniture J.E. Beds & bedding & bedsteads &c &c to my wife for the use of my family its children that are all minors only & the under wood & dead timber &c is to be cut & disposed of in the best way for the benefit of my family. In the tenth place I give to my Dear wife likewise 1 dozen silver table spoons & 1 dozen & a half of tea spoons. Likewise silver and sugar tongs & 1 large silver soup ladle – In the eleventh place I give to my daughter Adaline 1 set of silver tea spoons that I got for her – I also give to my son William Wallace 4 silver table spoons & 1 half dozen tea spoons (silver) & 2 brass candlesticks left to him by his grandmother & my pistols I also give to him & Bay mare – I also give to my son Benjamin Franklin my shot gun and Sorel mare. In the twelfth place I give & bequeath to my Dear wife my [French?] horse for her own use half dozen good milk cows my hogs & sheep for the use of my family. I also wish the fox mare the Dun mare the bay mare the large roman nosed bay mare the Hardy bay mare & two yoke of my best oxen for to work my farm for the use of my family - this is my last will & testament given under my hand & seal this day & year first above written.
Teste G. A. Hayden
her
Mariann x Whetstone B B (seal)
mark B. Beeler
John R. Hayden
Jefferson County,
At a court held for Jefferson County the 19th day of March in the year 1827 This Last Will & Testament of Benjamin Beeler, deceased was proved by the oaths of George A. Hayden, Mariann Whetstone and John R. Hayden three witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and it appearing to the court that Sally Beeler widow and relict of the said Benjamin Beeler hath relinquished her right to administer upon the estate of her deceased husband administration with the will annexed of the said Benjamin Beeler was in due form of law granted unto John R. Hayden, upon his complying with the Law whereupon he together with George Hagley, Michael Kidwiler, Henry Buckles and Valentine Dust his securities entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of twenty thousand dollars conditioned for his due and faithful administration of the said decedents Estate.
By the court
Teste
L. J. Cramer, CJC
