Ezekiel Stafford, my 6th great-grandfather on my father's side, is one of my more prominent Southern ancestors. In 1773 he was born in South Carolina as the son of Joshua Stafford, who served in the Militia in the American Revolutionary War. He was a 3rd great-grandson of the Reverend Hawte Wyatt of Jamestown, Virginia and Boxley, Kent, England; a documented Gateway ancestor to Medieval Royalty. Stafford was among the early settlers of the young Tattnall County, and became a prominent citizen there. He was County Surveyor, Captain of the Militia, and Justice of the Peace. He was a member of the Methodist Church and a trustee for one of Tattnall's first Methodist Churches. He was also a Freemason, as a member of Rising Sun Lodge. He made his will on July 5, 1853, and died later that year on August 17.
WILL
State of Georgia
Tattnall County
In the name of God, Amen.
I, Ezekiel Stafford of said County and State aforesaid, being of advanced age and knowing that I must shortly depart this life, deem it right and proper both as respects myself and family that I should make a disposition of the property with which a kind providence has blessed me with. I hereby make the following disposition. Blessed be the name of God.
Item 1. I desire that me old servant Ben and his wife Ann shall not become slaves to any person after my demise, and should Ben and Ann see proper to remove from place to place I wish and desire that there should be no constraint but to be allowed to go and make a subsistence for themselves.
Item 2. I give and bequeath to me two beloved sons, Joshua Stafford, and Nathaniel B. Stafford, their heirs and assigns, the following property, viz: Driss and her seven children, viz: Frank, Peter, Elias, Lucy Ann, Leonard, Ishmel, Wyatt. I also give to my son N. B. Stafford, my man Titus as a remuneration for his goodness to me in affliction.
Item 3. I give and bequeath and devise unto my daughter Martha Knight my negro woman Maria and her three youngest children, viz: Ben, Silvey, and Nancy, to be and belong to her as the property of the said Martha Knight, her heirs and assigns forever; not subject to any other person’s contracts.
Item 4. I give and bequeath to my daughter Harriet Reddish, wife of Isham Reddish, I give and bequeath to her and the heirs of her body my negro man Daniel in fee simple.
Item 5. Give and bequeath to me son Elijah E. Stafford in his heirs the following property, viz: I give and bequeath to him my negro boy Simon and my man Owen.
Item 6. I give and bequeath and devise unto my grand children Julius Pittman, Noah Pittman, and Ezekiel S. Pittman, the following property, to-wit: my boy Aaron, my girl Peggy.
Item 7. I give devise and bequeath unto my son William Stafford a full portion of my property both real and personal with the other heirs heretofore mentioned to be made up of the estate not herein given of devised.
Item 8. I give and bequeath to my daughter Dorinda Townsend the sum of Five dollars to be pait by my Executors out of my estate after my decease.
Item 9. I furthermore give, bequeath and devise unto my beloved son Elijah E. Stafford two certain tracts of land lying and being in Tattnall County containing eight hundred and five acres more or less. Provided he, the said E. E. Stafford, shall see cause proper to take said lots of land at its appraised value, said lands lying near said E. E. Stafford.
Item 10. I furthermore will and devise that all my lands, tenements, stock, either hogs, cattle and property of any description be sold by my executors and the proceeds equally divided so as to comply with the foregoing will.
Item 11. I hereby constitute and appoint Isham Reddish of the County of Appling in said State; Elijah E. Stafford, Tattnall County & Nathaniel B. Stafford of the same place Executors of this my last will and testament.
In presence of said testament at his special request & of each other this 5th day of July 1853.
Witnesses:
R. C. Surrency
Jacob Howard
R. H. Peacock E. Stafford (L. S.)
Ezekiel's first bequest stands out- that his old servants Ben and Ann shall not become Slaves to any person after his death, and basically frees them. He must have had an affection for the two to make this bequest, especially as the first one he makes in his will. He then goes on in his will to name 18 Slaves, who he distributes to his children and grandchildren. In the 1850 Slave Schedules he owned 21 Slaves, which goes well with the 20 named in his will. He later mentions hogs and cattle as well, meaning that the Stafford lands had livestock on them. He must have owned a fair bit of land, because he leaves a tract of land that's around 805 acres large to his son Elijah.
His probate must have gone on for a while, as there are extant estate vouchers dating to 1856 for his property, three years after his death, including for sale of timber and "division of the negroes".
Overall, the will of Ezekiel Stafford gives an important insight into the life of this early Tattnall settler and citizen, one of my most recent Slave owning ancestors. In his will he leaves Slaves to my 4th great grandfather, Noah G. Pittman, who was still a young boy at the time, along with his siblings. If it wasn't for the Civil War, where Noah fought as a Confederate soldier for around three years, the institution of Slavery may have endured in the South until even more recently in my family tree. That would be a true horror. May the Slaves of Ezekiel Stafford rest in peace and happy memory.
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