Will Of Thomas Chapman 

In the name of God, Amen!

I THOMAS CHAPMAN of the State of Georgia and County of Taliaferro being of sound and disposing mind and memory and being duly impressed with the uncertainty of life do make declare and publish this my last will and Testament touching all the property I may die possessed of hereby revoking and declaring nul and void all other wills heretofore made by me.  

ITEM 1st. It is my will and desire that all my just debts be first paid out of any ready money on hand at the time of my death or out of the proceeds of such notes as may be on hand or any demands that may be due me.  

ITEM 2nd. It is my will and desire that MY BELOVED WIFE SARAH CHAPMAN shall keep all my property both real and personal after the payment of my debts, have, hold, use and enjoy the same as long as she shall live and I do hereby will and bequeath all my aforesaid estates and property of every kind whatsoever to her for and during her natural life- It being my wish that she shall keep the Negroes together and cultivate the land and have the absolute control and use of all that is made. 

ITEM 3rd. At the death of my wife I wish all my property then disposed of as follows- that is to say I wish my Executors hereinafter named to take charge of all my estates both real and personal that may be left at the death of my wife and out of such property to raise the sum of fifteen hundred dollars in cash to be handed over at the end of twelve months after the death of my wife TO MY SON NATHAN CHAPMAN to have and use during his natural life and at his death TO GO TO HIS DAUGHTER ELIZABETH provided he will give bond and security to be approved of by my Executors to pay to his daughter Elizabeth the said sun of fifteen hundred dollars at his death which sum of fifteen hundred dollars in case my son Nathan shall give such bond I will and bequeath to him for and during his natural life and at his death to his said daughter Elizabeth but in case his said daughter Elizabeth should die leaving no child or children living at her death then it is my desire and will that the said fifteen hundred dollars at the death of my son Nathan or at her death as the case may be shall revert to and be equally divided between THE CHILDREN OF MY SON WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN, JAMES R. CHAPMAN AND NANCY REYNOLDS per-stirpes -  And in case my son Nathan shall refuse or fail to give the bond as herein set forth then it is my wish that my Executors shall take and hold said fifteen hundred dollars in trust for my said granddaughter Elizabeth Chapman daughter of said Nathan until she marries and has issue living and if she then die leaving no child or children living at her death then the same disposition is to be made of the said legacy as aforesaid.  

ITEM 4th. It is my will and desire that all the balance property both real and personal be equally divided into three parts - one of these parts I give TO MY SON WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN one of these parts I give TO MY SON JAMES R. CHAPMAN and the other I give TO MY DAUGHTER NANCY REYNOLDS during her natural life and at her death to be divided between her children and so divided AS TO GIVE GEORGIA ANN HER AFFLICTED DAUGHTER two hundred dollars more than either of the others- all the rest to be equally divided.  

ITEM 5th. In the division of my negroes I wish my negro woman Luna and her child Henry now a man grown to go together and also to have the privilege of choosing which one of my children aforesaid she may prefer to belong to. 

ITEM 6th. In case any accident should happen so as to depreciate my present estate or in case of the death of any of my negroes so that the value of my estate at the death of my wife shall be less than nine thousand dollars then I wish the said sum of fifteen hundred dollars mentioned in the third clause of this will to be lessoned in the same ratio. And I give my Executors full power to raise the said fifteen hundred dollars either by sale or in any other way that they may think best- they have full discretion. 

ITEM 7th. The part of my estate that I have given to MY DAUGHTER NANCY REYNOLDS in the fourth clause of this will during her life I hereby so qualify as to give it to her for her natural life as widowhood. In case she marries it is my wish that the property left her be immediately divided between her children as before specified. 

ITEM 8th. In case it should be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this my last will I constitute my executors trustees to hold my property in trust from my death to the death of my wife and until all the provisions of this will are executed- they are to hold all my estates in trust for the use of my wife as long as she lives giving her all the rents issues and profits and at her death are to execute all the other provisions of my will. 

ITEM 9th. Lastly I nominate Constitute and appoint my son WILLIAM H. CHAPMAN AND ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS THE EXECUTORS to this my last will and testament. ( The word "dollars" on this page interlined before signing) - This 25th Oct. 1852.

/s/ Thomas Chapman 

Signed Sealed declared and

published as -his last will and testament-in

presence of John L. Bird

Petis G. Rhorne

D.A. Williams 

By way of Codicil to my last will and testament made the 25th Oct. 1852. and witnessed by John P. Bird, Petis G. Rhorne and D.A. Williams I now further declare it to be my will and desire that the portion left TO MY DAUGHTER NANCY REYNOLDS in said will shall be for her sole and separate use during her natural life and it shall not in any event be divided amongst her children as therein directed until after her death whether she marries or not but the same is not to be subject to the control of any future husband she may marry or liable for any of his contracts. And it is also my desire that the fifteen hundred dollars LEFT TO MY SON NATHAN as therein directed shall be held by him without interest during his natural life.  I make this statement and declaration that there may be no mistake on that point- the amount to revert to my estate on the contingency there in act fourth is the fifteen hundred dollars and no more - This 8th Nov. 1852

/s/ Thomas Chapman (Seal) 

This acknowledges and declared to be       

A Codicil to his will in our presence

this 10th October 1853.

     JESSE SPIKES

     Benjamin Jones

     Greene Baker