In the Name of God Amen - I Arthur Alford of South Carolina, Horry District, being weak in
body but of sound mind, memory & understanding, thanks be to Almighty God for the same &
calling to mind the mortality of man and that it is appointed unto all men once to die, I
do make and ordain and constitute this to be my last Will and Testament in form and manner
following that is to say first I of all I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God
that give it and my body to be buried in a decent Christian like manner at the discretion
of my executors and as to
what - worldly good it hath please God to bless me with I will the same in manner following
Viz:
I lend unto my beloved wife Clarky Alford all my Negros during her widowhood and should she
marry, I give and bequeath to her one Negro woman by the name of Jinny and her increase.
Item - I lend unto my son Levi Alford two hundred & twenty one acres of land called the Simon
land and one Negro man by the name of Harry - & also one mare & two cows &; calves and one bed
& furniture during my pleasure or his natural life and at his decease, I give the said property
to the lawful heirs of his body to be divided amongst them share and share alike.
I give unto my son Arthur Alford on dollar.
I lend unto my daughter Mahely Ludlum, wife of Thoms Ludlum one Negro woman by the name of
Hasty and her increase also one horse & three head of cattle and one bed and furniture during
my pleasure or her natural life and at her decease, I give the said property to the lawful
heirs of her body share & share alike.
Item - I lend unto my daughter Eliza Alford one Negro boy by the name of Jack during my
pleasure or her natural life and at her decease, I give the said property to the lawful heirs
of her body to share & share alike.
Item - I lend unto my son Warren Tress Alford my house and the land as the road runs, one half
of the land that I got from Benjamin Gause, the upper end where the field is, also one Negro
boy by the name of Fortin, during my pleasure or his natural life and at his decease, I give
the said property to the lawful heirs of his body to be divided amongst them, share & share
alike.
Item - I also lend unto my daughter Clarky Alford one Negro girl, Dinah and her increase
during my pleasure or her natural life and at her decease, I give the said property to the
lawful heirs of her body to be divided amongst them to share and share alike.
Item - I lend unto my daughter Unity Alford one Negro girl by the name of Hester and her
increase during my pleasure and her natural life and at her decease, I give the said property
to the lawful heirs of her body to be divided amongst them to share and share alike.
Item - I lend unto my son Meredith Alford one Negro boy by the name of Adam and also one by
the name of Isaac, son of Dinah, and also old plantation mill & orchard, also one plantation
that formerly belonged to William Alford, one half of the tract of land that I got from
Benjamin Gause, the lowerend....
I also lend unto my wife, Clarky Alford, Eliza Alford, & Clarky Alford & Warren Tress Alford
& Unity Alford & Meredith Alford that my stock of cattle, hogs & sheep, household & kitchen
furniture shall be equally divided amongst them as soon as they come of age or marry and not
before. It is also my will that if any of my children should die without leaving lawful issue,
that the property be equally divided among the surviving heirs of my family.
Lastly I do nominate constitute and appoint these my friends John Johnson and George Williams
executors to this my Last Will & Testament, revoking all other wills and deeds before this
date, ratifying and confirming this to be my Last Will and Testament in witness whereof I
have here unto set my hand and seal this the 17th day of April in the year of our Lord One
Thousand Eight hundred Twenty-seven and in the fifty-one year of the American independency,
signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of