Fourthly, I will and bequeath the following servants, to wit; Louisa, Jenny, Darkin, and Hannah to my four daughters by my pres

The Bobbitt Family In America

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Fourthly, I will and bequeath the following servants, to wit; Louisa, Jenny, Darkin, and Hannah to my four daughters by my present wife, as follows, to Martha V. Barton, I give Darkin, to Sardina P. McCrakin, I give Louisa, to Cassandra V. Bobbitt, I give Jenny and to Mary H. Bobbitt I give Hannah. I make this condition in the gift of Louisa to Sardina P. McCrakin to wit; that she give two hundred dollars to the benefit of her sister Mary H. Bobbitt.

I will and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth S. Bobbitt during her life or widowhood and to her bodily heirs, my servants Fannie and Henry; and I also will and bequeath to my wife my fine sorrel horse and buggy. Also, I give her my mule Winny and yoke oxen, sufficient number of milk cows, and meat and stock hogs and that the balance of my stock and perishable property, except such house furniture as my wife may want to keep, shall be sold on twelve months credit and the proceeds there of be given equally between my daughters by my first wife and all my sons.

I will and desire that my executor shall take charge and control my daughter Matilda A. Bobbitt's interest above willed to her and manage it for her benefit as long as she remains single, and in case of her marriage to be paid over to her; and in case of her death without heirs that her interest be divided equally between her full sisters.

I desire that my wife keep her, board, clothe and educate my two youngest sons Walter R. and Edward S. Bobbitt, for the proceeds of the labor of the servants and other effects above willed to her. And that in the division of the effects as above willed that Walter R. and Edward S. Bobbitt have one hundred and twenty five dollars more than the rest, in view of the fact that the other boys their brothers have already received that amount in a horse and saddle to each.

I appoint Robert Martin the executor of this my last will and testament and excuse him from giving personal security.

A codicil was written in an attempt to equally distribute the value of certain slaves to his daughters on October 24th, 1860. Major William Bobbitt was ill for a long time but more seriously so in the fall of 1860. An additional codicil was written on the 5th of November 1860 in an attempt to control the conduct of his son William C. Bobbitt, who at this time was 20 years of age and enjoying life beyond what would have been allowed by the firm hand of a father were he not ill.

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