I William Wells of the said Island of St. Christophers
Planter do make this my last Will and Testament in the following
manner viz. I do hereby give Freedom unto my house Negro women
Hannah Juggy Gotto and Kate and I do hereby release them from
Slavery and I do hereby give unto my said Hannah and Juggy
the annual sum of sixty pound Sterling to each of them during
their natural lives to be paid unto each of them half yearly
I also give to my said Hannah her Negro woman present and
all her Children I give to my said Gotto and Kate above mentioned
the annual Sum of twenty pounds Sterling to each of them during
their natural lives to be paid unto each of them half yearly
I do hereby give Freedom to my Mullatto woman Sue Wells and
I give her also twenty pounds Sterling to be paid her annually
during her natural life half yearly I do hereby give Freedom
to my Mullatto Man Simon to my houseboy Fill and to Christian
and I Coaser my two Drivers and I give to each of them the
annual Sum of twenty pounds Sterling during their natural
lives to be paid unto each of them half yearly I give unto
my natural Daughter Elizabeth whose mother was named Perrin
the annual Sum of one hundred and Fifty pounds Sterling during
her natural life to be paid her half yearly and I give her
also the sum of two thousand and five hundred pounds Sterling
I give unto my natural Daughter Ann the Child of Sue Wells
the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds Sterling during her
natural life to be paid her half yearly and I give her also
the Sum of three thousand and five hundred pounds Sterling
payable to her when she attains the age of twenty one years
I give unto my Natural Daughter Mary Ann whose mother is named
Sarah the Annual Sum of one hundred and Forty pounds sterling
to be paid half yearly during her natural life and also the
further Sum of one thousand pounds Serling [sic]
I give unto my Friend Henry Bakley Esquire the Sum of one
thousand Guineas as a token of my Regard for him I give unto
my Half Brother Miles Wells the Annual Sum of Eighty pounds
Sterling during his natural life to be paid him half yearly
I give unto my Brothers the Reverend Robert Wells of Glamorganshire
South Wales and Nathaniel Wells Esquire of London merchant
the Sum of Five thousand pounds Sterling to each of them I
give unto my Nephew Burham Wells of the City of London the
annual Sum of three hundred Guineas during his natural life
to be paid him half yearly the remainder of my Estate both
real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever I give unto my
Natural and Dear Son Nathaniel Wells whose mother is my woman
Juggy and who is now in England for his Education and at School
at Newington near London and under the care of his Uncle my
Brother Nathaniel Wells Esquire of London, and to his heirs
for ever on his attaining the age of twenty one years and
which will be on the the [sic] 10th. Day of September
in the year one thousand Eight hundred but should he not live
to the said 10th Day of September one thousand Eight hundred
I then give it to my said two Brothers the Reverend Robert
Wells and Nathaniel Wells and their heirs for ever to be equally
divided between them I recommend my Dear Son Nathaniel Wells
abovementioned to the particular Care and Attention of my
Executors hereafter named and that they will be pleased to
pay particular Attention to his Education and that when he
is fit and qualified they will send him him [sic]
to the university of Oxford and According to my Calculation
the remainder of my Estate (after the above Legacies are Satisfied
and complied with consisting of my three plantations and Money
due and at Interest in this Island and also the money I have
in the 4 per Cent Stake that my Dear Son Nathaniel Wells will
inherit and enjoy by virtue of this my last Will and Testament
at Least one hundred and twenty thousand pounds Sterling I
also hereby appoint my two Brothers above named the Reverend
Robert Wells and Nathaniel Wells of London merchant and my
Friend above named Henry Bakeley Esquire and John Julius Esquire
and doctor Adam Sprott my Executors and Guardians to the Bodys
and Estates of my Natural Children above named and I do again
recommend my Dear Son Nathaniel Wells to their particular
Care and attention Lastly I desire I may be buried in the
Church yard in Basseterre in the same Grave with my Dear wife
Elizabeth and my Son and Daughter over whose Grave there is
a marble Tomb Stone in the said Church yard witness my hand
and Seal to this my last Will and Testament this tenth Day
of July one thousand seven hundred and Eighty Nine I give
to my Son in Law John Taylor Esq[ui]r[e] of the Island of
Nevis Five thousand pounds Sterling W[ill ia]am Wells. Signed
and Sealed and acknowledged by the said W[illia]m Wells to
be his last Will and Testament in our presence Anth[on]y Percival,
Will[ia]m Stephen, Rob[er]t Deeble, Saint Christopher.
Before the honorable John Stanley
Esquire president of his majesty's Council of the said Island
and Commander in Chief of the Leeward Islands for the time
being Ordinary Within the same personally appeared Anthony
Percival of the said Island Planter and one of the Subscribing
Witnesses to the within written last Will and Testament of
William Wells late of the said Island Esq[ui]r[e] Deceased
who being duly Sworn upon the holy Evangelists of Almighty
God maketh Oath and saith that he was present and did See
the within named William Wells Sign Seal and as and for his
last Will and Testament deliver Publish and Declare the within
written paper writing containing in the whole three pages
of writing and that the said William Wells did deliver and
acknowledge the said within Paper writing purporting so to
be his last Will and Testament as and for his Act and I Deed
and Publish and Declare the same to be his last Will and Testament
in the presence of this Deponent and William Stephen and Robert
Dooble the other Subscribing Witnesses thereto who together
with this Deponent and in his presence and in the presence
of each other as also at the request of the said William Wells
and in his presence and in the presence of each other as also
at the request of the said William Wells and in his presence
did respectively sign their names as subscribing Witnesses
to the due execution thereof and this Deponent further saith
that the signature W[ill ia]m Wells set and subscribed opposite
to the Seal at the Foot of the within last Will and Testament
is of the proper hand writing of the said William Wells the
Testator named in the said Will and of none other person whatever
and that he the said William Wells at the time of so signing
his name to the within paper writing and at the time of his
delivering the same as his Act and Deed and Publishing and
Declaring the same as and for his last Will and Testament
was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and
further this Deponent Saith not Anth[on]y Percival Sworn to
before me this tenth day of July 1794 John Stanley St. Christopher's
Recorded in the Secretary's |