Source: Island Record Office, Registrar General’s Department, Spanish Town, Jamaica, Wills Liber 2, folio 203, will of George Booth, 16 July 1676.
Last Will of George Booth
In the name of God I George Booth senior of the parish of Clarendon in the Island of Jamaica Gentleman being sick of body but of sound mind and perfect memory praises be therefore unto Almighty God doeth ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say First and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty hoping the merits death and passion of my Lord and Saiviour Jesus Christ and to have full and sure pardon and forgivness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried according to the diretion of my executors hereafter as it hath pleased God Almighty to bestow upon me first my funeral charges and debts being payed I give and bequeath unto well beloved wife Frances Booth the whole plantation at Withewood being by estimation a hundred acres or thereabouts as long as she lives and half of the said plantation to be at her disposing to give it to whom she pleases when she dyes Item I give and bequeath unto my said wife Frances Booth more to have the choice of four of my best negros to wit two men and two women and also I will my said well beloved wife the fourth part of all my negroes here and that shall come from Barbados Item I give the one half of my household stuffs to my said wife Frances Item I give to my well beloved wife Frances one fourth of all my stock to wit horses and mares and horne beasts and sheep and hoggs to be equally divided Item I give and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Frances a thousand pounds of sugar yearly to be paid unto her of from this plantation as long as there is sugar made in this plantation for her life time and no longer Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife one hundred gallon of rum to be paid yearly out of the plantation at Santiago as long as she lives and no longer Item I give and bequeath unto my son George Booth and my son Benjamin Booth and to my son William Booth all my land in Clarendon parish and the half of that at ithewood after my wife’s decease and the savanna ground lying in Withewood Common after my wife’s decease I do will that my three sons to have equal shares of the land that is before mentioned Itme I give and bequeath three parts of my negros which I have here and which shall come from Barbados to be equally divided betwixt my three sons Item I give and bequeath the three parts of my horses and mares and horne beasts sheep and hoggs to be equally divided betwixt my three sons I will and ordain that what goods that is due to me in Barbados shall be sent to this island in negroes Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Browne the first negro either man or woman that shall be both of a board for the plantation Item I give and bequeath unto my two grand children George Sellby and William Sellby one heifer with calf to be delivered unto them when the stock shall be divided Itt I give unto Ealse Edmonds daughter to Catherine Edmonds one heifer when the stock is to be divided to her Itt I give and bequeath to my daughter Katherine Edmonds three good ewes to be delivered to her when the stock is divided Itt I give and bequeath unto my Grand child Sarah Sutton a gold ring of twenty shillings a piece to be payed her a month after my decease Itt I doe give and bequeath unto my well beloved friends Mr Thomas Sutton and Mr Philip Edmonds both of them one good negro each to be delivered them three months after my decease and a also doe constitute and appoint the said messrs Thomas Sutton and Philip Edmonds my full an sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament to see all the fore mentioned equally divided as witness my hand and seal this sixteenth day of July one thousand six hundred and seventy six
Witness Thomas Roaden (his mark) and Richard Symson
Proved 3 August 1678
Entered 12 June 1679.