Mims married Tiny Hatch. [Group Sheet]

Daniel married Mary Frances Mims on 5 Jan 1857 in Bibb, Georgia, USA. Mary (daughter of Williamson E. Mims) was born on 9 Feb 1838 in Ft. Valley, Houston [Peach] County, Georgia; died on 5 Jul 1896 in Georgia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

- Deed Records
Office of the Clerk of Superior Court
Warren County Courthouse
Warrenton, Georgia 30828
1794-1875:
William Mims
Seller
20 July 1799
bk A, pg 580

- Title: Will Records, Houston Co., GA
Transcript of the Last Will of Williamson Mims Houston County, Georgia 1863

In the name of God, Amen, I, Williamson Mims of the State of Georgia and county of Houston, being in feeble health but of sound and disposing mind and memory taking into consideration of the frailty of human and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do herby make, ordain, promulgate and establish this my last will and testament.

Item 1st My body I commit to the dust hoping that my family and friends will give it a descent burial and my soul and I answer to God who gave it trusting in the merits of Christ for happiness & bliss in the world to come.

Item 2 As soon after my death as possible I wish my Executors herein after named to pay all the just debts I may owe at the time of my death.

Item 3 I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Synthia Mims the place and plantation on which I live in Houston County including my mills on Mossy Creek, amounting to some 15 hundred acres through which plantation the South Western Rail Road ? except that part of said plantation which lies between Fort Valley & across which hollow or low ground there is a bridge on the road not far from the end my lane or the road to Fort Valley and all my household & kitchen furniture--all my farming utensils, horses, mules, hogs, cattle, & sheep, corn, meat, & everything else on said plantation & attached theron, also my man Carter (a miller) & his wife Biddy & their children Rilben-Georgia Ann & Fed--my negro woman Caroline and her four children Laura-Crusco-Anna-Victoria-my man John (a carpenter) my negro woman Harriet (called Hariet Hall) my man Alexander (my sawyer) my boy Arnold--my boy Anthony-my man Jack(stock hauler) my man big Benn & his wife Roda & their children George & Audirson--and my negro woman Martha (Jack's wife) and my old negroes to be taken care of by my wife. Tom, Violet, Creasy, & also my
old negro woman Susan (a cook) & my boy Billy, (workman John's son) old Lila-Hardy-Louisa Ann(weaver) big Dave (Peavy) little Alexander--little Ann Handy--Harry--John (Andirson)--Clem--little Patsie & Hines.

Item 4th I give to my beloved daughter Epsey Brown for & during her natural life & at her death to be equally divided among her children that my survive her the following property to wit: Lucindy--Mary--their children that they may hereafter have the two negroes Luncindy & Mary and Mary's children. she ow has being already in the possession of my said daughter Epsey--also little Jim, girl Melissa & my girl Adaline (M?) John.

Item 5 I give and bequeath to my grandson Drury Peavy my negro woman Jordina & her only child, an infant yet without a name & my negro boy Charly, having already given to my grandsons Charles Peavy & William Peavy eight hundred dollars each--I now give to Charlie Peavy my negro girl Hannah & to William Peavy, my girls big Adeline--and I give to my grandson Micajah Peavy my negro girl Matilda, my negro boy Hiram--and to my granddaughter Synthia Ann Pearce to whom I have before given a negro girl--I give & bequeath my negro woman, yellow Martha & her child Missoura & to my four last mentioned grand children I give my man Addison.

Item 6 I have ??given to my son Robert L. Mims a ?? portion of property & I therefore now give to his child Nina L. Mims one hundred dollars in cash only & my girl Catherine.

Item 7 I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Ann Braswell for & during her natural life & at her death to be equally divided between her children that may survive her the following property to wit: that portion of the lands and plantation on which I now live & not herein before given to my wife & which lies & is situated between Fort Valley & hollow or low grounds on the road from my house to Fort Valley not far from the end of the lane & where there is a bridge across said hollow or low grounds & which contains some three hundred acres of land more or less & on which my said daughter now lives--and also my negro woman Julia & her children Catherine, Edward--Brude & Susan--already in her possession & my negroes Simon, Burrel, & Allen--to the last two negroes I have heretofore made her a title which I now again herby, ratif, confirm I also give her my negro woman Harriet & man Augustus.

Item 8 I have heretofore given to my son James E. T. Mims a considerable portion of my property & I now give to his four children that survive him the following property only to wit: my negro woman Lotty & her child Louisa & ?? & man Addick

Item 9 I have heretofore given to my daughter Elizabeth Matildy Bryan & secure it to her by a deed of trust to Dr. Austin a considerable portion of my estate & I therefore make no further provs. for her in this my last will & testament except to express the wish that the said provision for my said daughter should be well taken care of for her & her use.

Item 10 I give and bequeath to my son William H. Mims my boy Henry, my woman Amanda & her two children Catherine & Emma already in his possession & little Bob and one half of my lands & mills in Dooly County , the other half of said mills & lands in Dooly County, I give to my son Seaborn S. Mims to be equally divided between my said two sons--and I also give to my son William H. Mims one thousand dollars in cash or my negro Bill soon as this my will is proven &??to record after my death & also I give him my woman Joannah and my negro John (Lockett) & little Sam.

Item 11 I give & bequeath to my son Seaborn S. Mims my negro Dave Johnson, Wesley, young Susan already in his possession & having heretofore given him three thousand dollars in cash & in this will half my Dooly lands & mills I make no further prov. for him in this item of my will except I give him little Ben & his negro woman Emily.

Item 12 ???????????????Francis for & during her natural life and at her death to be equally divided between her children that may survive her the following property to wit: my negro woman Martha & her three children Hardy--Calvin & Catherine & my negro woman Sally--her child Amanda, girl Melinda already in her possession & the land--some three hundred acres on which she & her husband now lives--this land to include the place on which John J. Bryan recently lived--my man Sampson and my negro woman Vicy & my boy Owan--my boy Green.

Item 13 I wish my executors to pay in cash as soon after my death as possible to Dr. Austin turn over to him as trustee of my daughter Elizabeth Matildy Bryan the property & money in which he already has a trust deed or to turn it over to whoever may be her trustee at the time of my death or thereafter appointed.

Item 14 All the money I may have on hand at the time of my death & all the money that may be due & owing to me at that time--after paying the legacies here in before provided & given together with all the negroes & other property & effects that I have not herein disposed of & which I may have or own at the time of my death together with all my railroads & other stock--I give and bequeath to my beloved wife--out of this money & these notes I wish all my just debts to be paid.

Item 15 If either of my daughters should depart this life leaving no child or children surviving them the property remains herein give to them I wish to be equally divided between their brother & sisters other children surviving them & my grandchildren of my deceased children each family of grandchildren representing their deceased parents.

Item 16 I do hereby nominated constitute and appoint my trust friend Miles L. Green & Peter W. Gray the executors of this my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have ????? my hand and seal this 24 April 1863

Williamson Mims

his mark

The following will of Williamson Mims signed by him freely voluntarily & of his own accord & when he was of sound mind & memory & in the presence of each of us & we & each of us subscribed the same as witness at his insistence & request & in his presence & in the presence of each other. 24 April 1863
Eli Warren
John Jackson
Josias R. Wright

- In 1860, Williamson was one of the largest slave owners in Houston County, Georgia with 81.

- Williamson invested in the Southwestern Railroad, that ran from Columbus to Ft. Valley, Georgia. His original stock made him wealthy, and the railroad helped save the lives of his son (Seaborn) and grandson (Robert Braswell) when they were trying to get home on furlough after surrendering at the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi in the summer of 1863. [Source: Hell's Broke Loose in Georgia by Scott Walker]

- "The Mims Place, as locals called it, contained fifteen hundred acres of corn and cotton fields, fruit orchards, pecan trees, pastureland, and dense woods bisected by meandering Mossy Creek. Williamson Mims had built an assortment of mills along the creek bank. It took all eighty-five of his slaves to plant and harvest crops, subdue nature, and master the skills and crafts needed to run a successful plantation." [Source: Hell's Broke Loose in Georgia by Scott Walker]

John married Ann Edwards. [Group Sheet]