John Norwood's Last Will & Testament - 1858





"I was a slave right here in Simpson County on a big plantation, deir was about sixty or seventy udder slaves. Us lived in log cabins back ob Mars' big two story house which had a kitchen dat stood out to one side to feed the slaves in at dinner, dey had to cook deir own breakfast and supper, but Mars he gib 'em de stuff to cook. We toted it to de cabins in pans and goards. We drunk water out of goards too." Glasco Norwood, ex-slave of John Norwood in Simpson County, MS.

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JOHN NORWOOD
(Pertaining to Slave Property)
SIMPSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
DECEMBER 14, 1858

Extracted by Linda Durr Rudd
LRudd@aol.com

First, I give and bequeath to my grandson James M. Norwood the following negro slaves to wit: NELLY and her 4 children JUDY, VIOLET, ANN AND MAHALY and their natural increase.

Second, I give and bequeath to Catherine Norwood, my daughter, my negro woman CHANEY and her six children viz: PHILLIS, JUDY, FRANK, HARRIET, DICY, and FANNY and their natural increase . And further, I give and bequeath to my daughter Catherine Norwood the west half of tract or parcel of land got of William K. Easterling.

Third, I give and bequeath to my son George W. Norwood my negro man TOM and my negro boy CYRUS. And further I give and bequeath to my son George W. Norwood the east half of the tract of land or parcel of land got of William K. Easterling.

Fourth, I give and bequeath to my wife Catherine Norwood all of the remainder of my personal property, my stock of horses, cattle and hogs, my kitchen furinture and etc., and the following described negroes to wit, EASTER, MONERVA, NED, JERRY, TIM, OLD HANNAH, VIRIGINA, MOSES, CUDGE, RIAL, OLD GLASCO, YOUNG GLASCO, and EMILY and their natural increase for the term of her natural life...

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and seal this the 14th day of December 1858.

John Norwood (seal)

Signed, sealed and published and declared by the said John Norwood as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto set our names as witnesses this the 14th day of December A. D. 1858

G. W. Walker
A. Smith
L. W. Geiger

1870 FAMILIES FROM JOHN NORWOOD'S WILL

These families all lived in Simpson County, MS, except Riley Norwood who lived in Brandon, Rankin County, MS.

CUGE NORWOOD, 60, SC (Cudge on will)
MILLY, 50
ELLIC, 17
AMANDA, 14
THOMAS, 12
EMILY J., 6

GLASCO NORWOOD , 60, farmer, SC (Old Glasco on will)
ESTER, 50, keeping house (Easter on will)
GLASCO, 18 (Young Glasco on will)
SERENIA, 15
CALVIN, 13
EDWIN, 12
EMANUEL, 15

JACK WEATHERSBY, 50, MS, farmer
CHANEY E., 60, keeping house (found on will)
Frank, 16
Harriet, 3
Daniel, 1
Robert Weathersby, son of Jack and Chaney, stated that “my ma was raised by her ole Marse Norwood what lived close to Marse Weathersby, an' when pa an' ma fell in love wid one another an' was a wanting to git married. Den pa's master bought or traded an' got ma an' dey married an' lived deir till de surrender in '65.

JERRY NORWOOD, MS (found on will)
RHODA, 24
AMANDA, 6
ELLEN, 4
NANCY, 2
JAMES, 6 months

NEDD, 27, farmer, MS (found on will)
LINCY, 23, keeping house
EASTER, 6
AMANDA, 25
CAROLINE, 4

RILEY NORWOOD, 60, blacksmith, SC (Rial on will)
AMY, 25, keeping house
IDA, 5
SHERMAN, 2

THOMAS NORWOOD, 36, MS (found on will)
ALCY, 28
EDMON, 12
STORM B., 10
MARTHA, 8
NANCY, 4
GEORGE W., 2
MICHAEL, 1 month
NOTE: Alcy, Edmon, Storm, and Martha are found on Owen Weathersby's 1865 Freedmen Bureau labor contract.

JOHN NORWOOD of Darlington, South Carolina moved to Mississippi about 1812 to what was to become Simpson County. Before leaving South Carolina, John married Catherine Powell. Their first children were born in South Carolina. Their move to Mississippi was made by horse and ox-drawn wagons. (The Norwood Family, Compiled by John and Carroll Bolton, 1999, page 42.)

John and Catherine were among the prosperous families of Simpson County. On the 1850 Simpson County Slave Schedule Census, John owned 26 slaves. On the 1860 Simpson County federal and slave schedule census, John owned 33 slaves, six slave houses, real estate valued at $8000, and personal property was valued at $36,000.

The Norwood family attended the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Simpson County. John and Catherine were charter members.

SOURCES

1850 Simpson County Slave Schedule
1860 Simpson County Slave Schedule
1860 Federal Census - Simpson County, MS
1870 Federal Census - Simpson County, MS
1870 Federal Census - Rankin County, MS
Slave Narrative of Robert Weathersby
Slave Narrative of Glasco Norwood
"The Norwood Family, 1999" Compiled by John and Carroll Bolton
John Norwood’s Simpson County Will A, page 16, Microfilm Number: 5380
All records may be found at Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Remembering Their Names