John Kerie EDMEAD [12730]

  General Notes:

John Kerie Edmeads, his will - dated 20 July 1779
St. Christopher Register Volume T, Series 2
Document Number 10167
Saint Christopher's
In the Name of God Amen I John Kerie Edmeads of the Island of Saint Christopher Esquire being in perfect health and of sound mind memory and understanding but intending to Depart on a Voyage to Great Britain Do make publish and declare this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say

First I desire that my Just Debts and Funeral Expences be fully paid and Satisfied, Then I Give and Bequeath unto my Godson Theophilus Merac son of Moses Laporte Merac the Sum of Three Hundred Pounds Current money to be paid him in Six Months after my Decease

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Kinsman Jedediah Kerie of the said Island of Saint Christopher Gentleman the Sum of Four Hundred Pounds Current money to be paid him in Six Months after my Decease

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Kinswoman Elizabeth Franck the use labour and service of my Negroe Woman named Charlotte together with her Three Children commonly called or known by the several Names of Penny Johnny Cudjo and Tom Mima [or Misma?] together with the Future Issue and Increase of the Female of such Slaves during her Natural Life

Item I do manumitt release and forever set free from Servitude and Slavery my Mulatto Girl commonly called or known by the name of Elizabeth together with her Future Issue and Increase and I do also Give and Bequeath unto my said Mulatto Girl named Elizabeth whom I have hereinbefore manumitted my Negroe Woman Slave called Indiana* together with her future Issue and Increase forever, And I do charge my Real and personal Estate with the payment of Ten Pounds Current Money to be paid to the above named Mulatto Girl Elizabeth yearly and every year during her Minority

Item I give and bequeath unto the poor of the Parish of Saint Thomas Middle Island the sum of Twenty Pounds Current Money to be distributed amongst them as my Executor and Executrix hereinafter named shall think proper

Item I give and bequeath unto my Kinswoman Miss Edith Franck the sum of Ten [or Four? thousand pounds current money--ink smear makes it difficult to decipher] to be paid her in Six months after my Decease

Item I give devise and bequeath unto a Mulatto Boy named Jedediah son of a Negro Woman named Harriott* belonging to my said Kinswoman Miss Edith Franck and whom I have hereinafter requested to make Free the Use of my House and Land commonly called or known by the Name of the Sugar House Spott together with the Rents Issues and Profits thereof during his Natural Life. And I do also charge my Real and Personal Estate with the payment of Twenty Pounds Current Money to be paid to the above named Mulatto Boy named Jedediah yearly and every year during his Minority

Item I give devise and bequeath unto my said Kinswoman Miss Edith Franck all the rest Residue and Remainder of my Estate both Real and Personal on condition that she Manumitts Releases and forever setts Free from servitude and Slavery the said Mullatto Boy named Jedediah together with his Mother Harriott and also a Negroe Wench named Jenny and her Mullatto Child named Franck together with the future Issue and Increase of the said Harriott and Jenny. But my Express will and desire is that the said Edith Franck do as soon as possible (as it is my Earnest Request) Manumitt the said Mulatto Boy named Jedediah and his said Mother Harriott together with the said Wench named Jenny and her said Mulatto Child named Franck together with the future Issue and Increase of the said Harriott and Jenny, But should she so refuse to do so then and in that case I give Devise and Bequeath unto my said Godson Theophilus Meric all the rest Residue and Remainder of my Estate both Real and Personal (which I have hereinbefore given devised and bequeathed unto my said Kinswoman Edith Franck) To Hold to him his Heirs and Assigns forever

And Lastly I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint William Burroughs Junior of the Island of Saint Christopher Esquire and the said Edith Franck Executor and Executrix of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Will or Wills by me heretofore made Declaring this only to be my last Will and Testament

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Twentieth of July in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and Seventy nine

[signed] JOHN KERIE EDMEADS

Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the within named John Kerie Edmeads as and for his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed Our Names as Witnesses thereto in the presence of the said Testator and in the presence of each other
[signed] BEN. JOHNSON BURROUGHS
[signed] DANIEL SKILLING
[signed] WILL MAILLARD
[signed] CHA^S. S MARKHAM

Saint Christopher. Before the Honourable Anthony Johnson Esquire President of his Majesty's Council of the said Island and Deputed Ordinary within the same Personally appeared Charles Spooner Markham of the said Island Gentleman who made oath upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he was present and did see the within named John Kerie Edmeads the Testator in the above written will mentioned Sign Seal Publish and Declare the same to be his Last Will and Testament And this Deponent further sayth that Benjamin Johnson Burroughs of the said Island Attorney at Law Daniel Skilling and William Maillard both of the said Island Gentlemen and this Deponent did in the presence of the said Testator in the presence of each other and at his Request subscribe their names as Witnesses to the due Execution and publication of the said Last Will and Testament by the said Testator John Kerie Edmeads

Lastly Deponent sayth that at the time of the Execution of the said Last Will and Testament by the said John Kerie Edmeads the said Testator he the said John Kerie Edmeads was of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding to the best of Deponents belief
[signed] CHARLES SPOONER MARKHAM

Sworn the fourteenth day of September 1780 before me

[signed] ANT. JOHNSON

Entered in the Registers Office on Friday the twenty second day of September 1780 about twelve o'clock at Noon[Exam.^d]

*Typist's Note: St. Kitts Deed Registry Vol. T series 2 contains the following documents: No. 10412 "Franck, Edith, to Nancy (Mulatto), Manumission" and No. 10413 "Franck, Edith, to Indiana and Priscilla, Manumission"; also, Deed Registry Vol. V series 2 contains this document: No. 10496 "Franck, Edith, to Harriott & others, Manumission".

[Transcribed July 18, 2014 by Ruth Case, Perry, Utah USA from a photograph taken of the hand-copied document as it appears in the above named Deed Registry Book on file at the St. Kitts National Archives, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.]
Ref: St. Kitts National Archives, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.

  Research Notes:

Baptism details Caribbeana volume 4A page 13.

John married.