Amanuensis Monday~The Will of Charity Johns

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.

His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s subject is the Chesterfield County WILL of Charity Johns, 1902. ¹



Transcription:
 
(State of South Carolina}
(County of Chesterfield}
 
I Charity Johns of Mt. Croghan township State and county above mentioned, make this my last Will: that is to Say:
I give unto the heirs of my son
1. Wesley Johns, dec’d $15.00
Also
2. Unto my daughter Mary Jane Jordan $15.00
Also
3. Unto unto <sic> my daughter Sarah Elizabeth Watkins $15.00
Also
4. Unto the the <sic> heirs of my daughter Eliza Baker $15.00
Also
5. Unto my daughter Matilda Meyers $15.00
Also
6. Unto my grandson Willie Whiteford John $15.00
The above amounts to be paid unto the heirs or their legal representatives in three annual installments of five dollars each by my son Smilie and my daughter Martha Ann, without interest which shall become due and payable on the 15^th day of December each year, in the office of the probate Judge of the County.
And unto my son, Smilie Johns and my daughter Martha Ann Johns I give all my estate both real and personal, consisting of household and kitchen furniture and two tracts of land, situated in this township, containing respectively 57 and 85 acres, to hold and enjoy during the term of their natural lives, share and share alike, and at the death of either, without heirs, to go to the heirs of the other.
In witness whereof I sign, seal and publish this as my last will, at my home, on this the 3^rd day of May, A. D. 1902.                                    Charity X (her mark) Johns {seal}
In the presence of
Witnesses
J. D. Watt
E. R. Robertson
T. M. Scruggs


Charity Johnson Johns was the wife of Eli Johns. Seven of their children, 2 sons and 5 daughters, are named within this Will. In addition to these seven, Eli and Charity had another son, called Levi, and according to the 1900 Census a daughter, Connie Johns.
In the 1850census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina we find the family listed on Line 28, Dwelling 1118, Family 1118:  ²



Levi John is not found after this entry and is presumed to have passed away as a young child. 

Then in 1900 we find, in the household of Charity, a female named Connie that is listed as a daughter. Also listed are 3 grandsons and a son. Connie, the daughter say she is a widow with 3 children, 3 living.  Charity also states that she is the mother of eight children with 4 living yet only 7 are listed in her Will with one of these seven identified as deceased. ³



Her Will states that “I give unto the heirs of my son 1. Wesley Johns, dec’d $15.00”

• Is Connie and the 3 grandson the heirs of her son Wesley?
• Is Connie a daughter or daughter-in-law; the census has her as a Single daughter.

___________________________________
[1] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Will Books:#2, pages 424 & 425 CHARITY JOHNS; Probate Office, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
[2] 1850 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, , page 171A(Stamped), Line 28, Family 1118, Dwelling 1118, Household of Eli JOHN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 6 March 2016); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[3] 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Mount Croghan, Chesterfield, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0024, Page: 2B/135 (stamped); Line 75, Dwelling 36, Family 37, Household of Charity JOHNS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 6 March 2016); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_1523.