[001] 
 
State of Georgia 
Hancock County  
 Know all men by 
these presents that I 
Malcolm Johnston of said state and 
County for and in consideration of the 
love and affection which I bear unto 
Willie Edwards Bonner the daughter of 
the late Seymour Bonner of Columbia in 
said state hereby give unto the said Willie 
Edwards Bonner the following property to 
wit. Modena a negro woman about thirty 
Six years of age, Horace her son about fourteen 
years of age Charlotte her daughter about five 
years of age. Amy another daughter about 
two years old and Caroline, Modena's daughter, 
about sixteen years old, and her two child- 
dren to wit Sidney a boy about two years old 
and Abram a boy about three months old. 
Also one piano, mahogany bureau and work stand, 
a pair of gold spectacles, one gold 
thimble. 13 volumes of [title unknown] book, 2 volumes 
Every Body's Album [?] Scarce History of the Bible [?], 2 volumes 
of Wesley's Sermons, Miss Leslie Ried's Book, one 
small and one large family Bible 13 [unknown] 
types, one ambro [?] type, 4 small pictures of 
Europe, [Asia], [Africa], and [Amerique?] 2 boxes of 
shells, 1 pair of small flower vases, some glass 
mantel piece ornaments one pair film plated [?] 
 
[002] 
 
[left page] 
 
candlesticks our pair brass andirons [?] and finder [?] 
the feather bed, 3 wool matrasses two 
bedsteads four pairs of sheets two 
quilts, four orjured [?] bed covers and  
one knit quilt, and two conch shells, unto the said Willie Edwards, 
Bonner for her sole and separate use during 
her natural life, free from the liabilities and 
marital rights of any husband whom she 
may marry, and at his death the said 
negro slaves with their increase to be equally 
divided among any children whom the 
said Willie may have, and the 
interpretations [?] of such as may be deceased [?] 
said representations taking per stripes [?] 
and in case the said Willie should 
die having no child or children or 
representations [?] of such, then the said 
negroes with their increase to be equally 
divided among such of the following 
persons as shall at her death be living. 
To wit. Nora H. Minnis [or Mims]. Sula B. Slade, 
Rosa H. Bonner, and Mary J. Bonner, Sisters 
of the said Willie, and Lucy S. Metcalf, 
Maggie P. Metcalf, daughters of Mrs. 
Mary Metcalf, and Lucy G. [?] Shaffer daughter 
of Mrs. Henrietta M. Shaffer, the said 
Nora H Minnis [or Mims] to have one hundred dollars 
the advantage for keeping the said 
Willie Edwards Bonner for this present 
 
[right page] 
 
year, hereby reserving for my own use until 
my death, the family Bible, andirons 
and finder [?] and the bedsteads & furniture of 
the beds. 
And I the said Malcolm Johnston, hereby 
appoint, as I am about to remove from 
the county, my friend Ezekiel F. Cothern [Cawthon ?] 
as the trustee of said property together with 
a gold watch and chain, which is the 
only property of the said Willie which I [unknown] 
[unknown] as her guardian, the said Ezekiel 
F. being hereby authorized to turn over the 
said property watch and chain, negroes and the rest except 
such as I have reserved to whomsoever 
may be appointed the guardian of the 
property of the said Willie 
 
 In testimony whereof I have hereto set my 
hand and affixed my seal this 27th day 
of December 1859. 
  [signed] Malcolm Johnston 
 
Signed sealed and delivered 
in presence of us, the words 
"and two conch shells", "watch 
and chain" and "property of the" 
are interlined before signing 
[signed] L. S. Stewart 
 Jno. T. Berry J. I. C. 
 
[003] 
 
Malcolm Johnston 
to  
E. F. Cothern [Cawthon ?] 
trustee 
 
Georgia 
Hancock County 
Registered in 
the clerks office of 
the Superior Court 
of said County in 
Book R pages 377 and 
378. This 18 day 
January 1860 
 
[signed] [?] Andrew