Jane Adair Holland – 1830

Will of Jane Adair Holland
Laurens District, South Carolina
Written 23 August 1830 · Proved 9 November 1830

At a Glance

  • Who: Jane Adair Holland (30 May 1765 – 25 August 1830), daughter of Joseph Adair, Jr. and Sarah Dillard, and widow of Thomas Holland, Sr. (1762–1815). They are buried at Holland Cemetery (Old Zoar Chapel Cemetery), south of Duncan Creek.
  • Written: 23 August 1830, while she was “sick low condition.” She signed with her mark.
  • Proved: 9 November 1830. Recorded in Will Book F, page 287. The original will is not in the Probate Judge’s files.
  • Executors: her son Thomas Holland and her son-in-law John Leek.
  • Witnesses: John B. Kennedy, Thomas Wier, John Littel.
  • Heirs: her son Thomas (the home lands), her three daughters, and her grandchildren.
  • Enslaved people named: twelve (see the list below).

On This Page

The Will

Editor’s note: Transcribed from the typescript in the South Carolina Will Transcripts. The original spelling is kept. Words in [brackets] are letters missing from the typescript.

In the Name of God Amen I Jane Holland Of Laurens District & Carolina being sick low condition but in full Excuse of my Reason do make and Declare this to be my last will and testament — that is to say I do first give and Bequeath to my son Thomas Holland all the Lands lying betwen the Branches betwixt whare I live & henery Shells land & Henery Dunkens and all the Lands Lyiing on the other side said Branches to be sold and Equally Divided amounghest my other Children and grand children Thomas Excepted and Likewise all my clothing to be equally Divided amounghst my three Daughters and the Ballance of my household furniture to be Equally Divided amoungst my children I likewise that one negro man Named Will be Sold to pay my funaral Expenses & my lawfull debts I may owe & the rest of my servants to wit Anney Pheby Danniel Louesa Morten Edmond Anderson Alfred Charles Mare Ann & Sarah to be put into five lots and my children to chose men to appraise them and then Draw lots for them and then lot with eaich other according to the value set on eaich this Devishion amoungst my Children and should thare be any Debts or increse among the servants thay are to be Disposed of in the same way as above Directed & all the Rest of my Property Including Horses Catt[le] hogs waggon & Spinning utensials be sold and Equally Divided amounghst my Children and grand childred Equall[y] & this my last will and testament may be duly Executed I do hereby constitute and appoint my loving son Inlow John Leek and my son thomas Holland Executors to this my last will & testament & I do hereby Declare this to be My Last will and testament and Sign Seale and Declare it as such — in the presence of us the following witnesses — August 23th 1830

her
Jane (X) Holland (Seal)
mark

Witnesses: John B Kennedy, Thomas Wier, John Littel

Recorded in Book F, Page 287. Proven date Nov. 9, 1830. Recorded date not available. Original will not in files of Probate Judge.

Enslaved People Named in This Will

Jane Holland’s will names twelve enslaved people. Their names are given here as they are spelled in the will, so that descendants searching for them can find them.

Each name links to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History name index, which gathers every record that uses that name. The Archives indexes Mare Ann as two entries, “Marey” and “Ann”; both are linked.

The Appraisal and Division

Handwritten 1830 appraisal and division into lots of the enslaved people named in Jane Holland's will
The appraisal and division of Jane Holland’s estate, 1830.

As the will directed, five appraisers set a value on each person, and the heirs drew lots. According to this document, John Bryan drew the first lot, Thomas Holland the second, John Leak (?) the third and Charles Blakely the fourth. A fifth lot was drawn for the grandchildren.

Family Connections

Sources, Open Questions, and How You Can Help

Sources

  • Will of Jane Holland, Laurens District, Will Book F, p. 287. Typescript in South Carolina Will Transcripts (Microcopy No. 9), South Carolina Department of Archives and History (one frame; the index lists every person named).
  • Appraisal and division of Jane Holland’s estate, 1830 (image above).

Open Questions

  • Who were Jane’s three daughters? Sarah married John Leak, and John Bryan was also a son-in-law (he put up Thomas and Jane’s gravestones). The third lot-holder, Charles Blakely, was probably the husband of the third daughter. What were the other two daughters’ names?
  • Whose children shared the fifth lot, the one drawn for the grandchildren?
  • Was Morten, named here in 1830, the Martin Holland who later married Viney Adair (see the note on the Joseph Adair, Jr. will page)?
  • Mare Ann is thought to appear again in a later family will. Which one?

How You Can Help

If you descend from any of the people named in this will, or can answer one of these questions, please get in touch.

Family wills: Joseph Adair, Sr. – 1788 · Joseph Adair, Jr. – 1812 · Jane Adair Holland – 1830 · Jeremiah Leake – 1851