Actual Images of Wills vs. Abstracts
By Jeannette Holland Austin

It used to be the former style for genealogist to abstract old wills because of the tedious and almost impossible task of reading and digitizing it. Hence, there are many books which have been written with abstracted county wills for every State. This is convenient. However, a great deal of information is lost by not having every word of the document. When someone died, the will was brought to the county court house where the decedent resided. The clerk then recorded the document in his own hand-writing, followed by the date of probate. There are lots of goodies recorded by the clerk. You get names of witnesses, codicils, petitions of heirs, surrogate courts where the will was also recorded, inventories, sales, annual returns, receipts and vouchers of heirs, and on and on. "The devil is in the detail." No truer statement applies than in genealogical research. So what happened to the original will? It was filed in a special place at the court house. These documents ended up in basements and storage areas until they mildewed and died. The handwriting of the clerk represented the style of the era, with all of its flourishes and dots. Best to learn that a character which resembles a p was probably a double s. Wills were filed in the order they were presented to the court. In other words, by deaths. So, what you are viewing is the deaths of friends, neighbors and relatives during their own particular era.

Map of Richland County South Carolina

Richland County South Carolina Wills

Richland County was formed in 1785 as part of Camden District. In 1791 a small portion of it went to Kershaw County. The county seat is Columbia, which is also the state capital. In 1786 the state legislature decided to move the capital from Charleston to a more central location. A site was chosen in Richland County, which is in the geographic center of the state, and a new town was laid out. During the War Between the States General William T. Sherman captured Columbia and burned the town and parts of the county on February 17, 1865. Early Settlers: Richard Adams, Casper Coon, John Belton, Benjamin Everitt, John Dodd, Christian Kinslery, Samuel Jackson, William Partride, Mathias Libecap and others

Richland County Records Available to Members of South Carolina Pioneers

Indexes

Will Book 1787-1853
Will Book C (1787 to 1805)
Will Book G (1806 to 1823)
Will Book H (1823 to 1834)
Will Book K (1834 to 1839)
Will Book L, Part 1(1840 to 1858)
Will Book L, Part 2 (1854 to 1864)

Transcripts of Richland County Wills (1787 to 1796)

Names are listed here : Adams, Richard; Allison, Andrew; Belton, John; Blanchard, Benjamin; Braswell, Hannah; Coon, Casper; Coosmaul, Henry; Daniel, Richard; Dodd, John; Duncan, Mathew; Everitt, Benjamin; Faust, John Henry; Gill, John; Haswell, Robert; Heath, Ethel; Hill, Robert; Hollis, Edward; House, Thomas; Howell, Arthur; Howell, Thomas;] Huggins, William; Jackson, Samuel; Kinsler, Christian; Libecap, Mathias; Mack, Conrod; McKinstra, John; McLemore, Joel; Miers, John; Partridge, William; Pembleton, John; Reese, Joseph; Ross, James; Rowan, Samuel; Shirling, James; Sledde, Seten W.; Taylor, Mary; Westcott, David; Westcott, Ebenezer; Whitaker, William Jr.; Whitaker, William Sr.; Wimberly, Mary

Transcripts of Richland County Wills, Bk C (incomplete)

Curry, Jane; Faust, Jacob; Hay, William; Hinson, William; Hunt, James Green; Kelly, Alexander; Kinsler, Daniel; Rives, Herbert; Rives, Robert; Salisbury, Pettigrew; Strange, Henry; Waggoner, Robert

Transcripts of Richland County Wills, Book G, 1806 to 1827

Baker, Jesse;Blain, Joseph;Brown, Mary;Burginer, William;Carey, Ann;Chandler, Jesse;Davis, Mary Ann;Delahunt, Robert;Delezeair, Ann;Donlevy, Francis;Egan, Thomas;Ellis, William;Fitzpatrick, William;Fox, William;Frost, Keziah;Gill, Agnes;Goodwyn,Elizabeth;Goodwyn, Sarah; Guignard, John; Hamiter, Adam Frederick;Harris, Barton;Herron, Samuel; Howell, Lucy;Howell, Malachi;Hutchinson, Thomas; Killingsworth, Jesse;Kinsler, Elizabeth;Legran, Oliver;Livingston, William; Lucas, John;McCawley, James;McClellan, James;McDonald, Alexander; McIlwain, John;Montieth, William;Mulder, Abel;Myer, William; Parker, Lucy;Phelps, Mary;Reese, James;Rivers, William; Romanstine, George;Scott, William;Smith, Edward D.;Smith, George;Smith, Richard;Souter, George;Spigner, Frederick; Stanley, Samuel;Thompson, Mary; Tucker, Wood; Turquand, Catharine;Walshe, John, Dr.;Ward, Henry D.;Watson, Effa; Watts, Thomas;White, Mary Susanna;Wood, Sampson C.

Transcripts of Richland County Wills, Book H, 1823 to 1834

Abbot, John;Adams, Joel Sr.;Barrillon, Christopher;Bell, Benjamin Ficklin;Bolton, Robert;Brevard, Alexander; Brown, John B.;Brown, John D.;Brown, William;Carey, Lemuel; Carter, Gracy;Clifton, Claiborne;Coalter, David;DeChampmanoir, John Louis Raoul;Deleon, Jacob;Diseker, Jacob;Edmunds, Thomas; Fannin, Elizabeth;Faust, Peter;Freeman, Benjamin;Gandy, Uriah; Goudy, Andrew;Green, Robert L.;Hall, Ainsley;Hall, James; Harris, Elizabeth;Heath, Thomas Jr.;Higgins, Benjamin;Hinton, Micajah;Hopkins, John;Howell, Mary, widow of Robert;Huggins, Samuel;Jamison, David;Jones, Matthew;Kinsler, Herman;Leadingham, William;Lightner, George;Martin, Francis;Martin, Joseph Sr.; Martin, William;McDowell, Alexander;McLaughlin, John;Moody, Joseph;Neal, Benjamin;Nutting, Mary;Oliver, Mary Ann;Partridge, John;Pearse, John;Polock, David;Pullig, Anthony;Purvis, William; Raynal, Mary Martha;Scott, Samuel;Seay, John;Sistrunk, Jasper; Spelling, William;Stark, Robert;Sturgeon, William Sr.;Taylor, Thomas Sr.Taylor, William;Tidwell, O. G.;Tucker, Joel A.; Turnipseed, John;Tyson, Mason;Wade, Georgia;Ward, Henry Dana; Watkins, Samuel;Weston, Robert Jr.;Whitecotton, Axton; Williams, Ely;Williamson, Chestian;Woodward, Mary;Wootan, Mark

Transcripts of Richland County Wills, Book H, 1834 to 1839

Adams, Harry;Adams, Margaret;Boyle, Cunningham; Brizna, Elizabeth;Bynum, Drury;Carroll, William;Chapman, Gersham;Chappell, Hicks;Clifton, Mary;Cline, Henry;Cooper, Thomas;Davis, James, Dr.;Dubard, William;Duggins, William; Farrow, Daniel;Faust, Daniel;Faust, Jane;Fisher, Edward;Fleming, Mary;Green, Samuel;Harrison, Benjamin;Herbemont, Caroline; Herbemont, Nicholas;Holliday, Mary;Hollis, John;Hopkins, David; Howell, Grace;Howell, Jesse Malachi;Hugg, Stephen;Hughes, John; Levy, Samuel;Marshall, Martin;McGuire, Peter;McLemore, John; McMillan, William;Munson, Maria;Myers, David;Myers, William; Nixon, Stephen Sr.;Parr, John;Patterson, Samuel;Raoul, Caroline; Reese, Timothy;Thompson, Gracy G.;Threewits, Joel; Turnipseed, George; Walsh, Thomas;Yates, Robert;Young, James;Zanony, John

Transcripts of Richland County Wills 1840 to 1858 Adams, Anna; Adams, James;Adams, Joel Belton; Adams, Robert;Adams, Robert J.; Adams, Sarah; Adams, Sarah H.; Arthur, Benjamin; Arthur, Rebecca; Bailey, Samuel; Beard, William; Black, Margaret; Bougle, Sarah; Bowers, Charlotte; Bryce, John; Bryce, Peter; Bynum, William; Caldwell, Davis; Carner, Sarah; Chanlon, John; Davis, James; Davis, Mary; Dial, James; Dubard, Katharine; Edgar, Adam; Ellison, Joseph; Ellison, Margaret; Entzminger, Peter; Faust, Jasper; Fitzsimons, Catherine; Forshaw, William; Gibson, Sarah; Girardin, Margaret; Graddick, John; Gray, Peter; Green, Henry C.; Green, Selina; Harris, Philip; Hart, Benjamin; Hayes, Lavinia; Heath, Thomas; Henry, James; Higgins, William; Hodge, Nancy; Hogan, Rosannah; Hood, Frederic; Hopkins, Amy; Hopkins, James; Hopkins, Sarah; Howell, Harriet; Howell, Martha; Howell, Matthew R.; Jones, Mathew; Kennedy, John; Kirk, Susannah; Latts, Robert; Law, William; Lightner, Jacob; Lipman, Mary; Lott, John; Lowe, Pleasant; Lykes, Frederick Sr.; Lyons, Isaac; Malone, Mary; Marks, Frances; Marshall, John; Martin, Mary; Marshall, Sarah; Maxwell, Janet; McCormick, Samuel; McCormick, William; McDonald, William; McLauchlin, B. L.; Medlin, Joel Jr.; Medlin, Robert; Morris, Mary; Morrison, Mary; Munson, Robert; Nelson, Joseph; Nerts, Mary; Neville, Clement; Nipper, Temperance; Parr, Mary; Patterson, James; Pemberton, Alton; Player, Sarah; Porcher, Augustus; Prescott, Jesse; Purvis, Mary; Quilter, Timothy; Reese, John; Reese, Sarah; Roberts, Philip; Romanstine, John; Rogers, O. B.; Rowan, James; Rowan, Robert; Sharp, John C.; Singleton, Matthew; Smiley, Dorothy; Smiley, William; Snowden, Gilbert; Solomon, Phineas; Stack, Elizabeth; Stack, William; Stanton, Joseph; Stark, Grace; Stevens, James; Suling, John; Taylor, Benjamin F.; Taylor, Margaret; Taylor, Mary; Taylor, Sarah, Mrs.; Thompson, Sarah; Trapp, John; Tucker, Sarah; Turnipseed, Nancy; Tyler, Mary; Vinson, Arthur; Wages, Dawson; Wages, Rebecca; Wages, William; Weir, Samuel; Wessinger, Penelope; Wilson, John Dubose; Wilson, Olivine; Woodward, Isom; Young, Mary
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