Will of Christopher Fitz Simons of Charles Town, tallow chandler — body of the will, 23 September 1782 (page 1 of 2)
Book 4, Page 1 ·1782
Transcription
The typewritten transcript is paginated as p. 198 of the source volume. The page bears the header WILL OF CHRISTOPHER FITZ SIMONS at top center.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
11 H } In the Name of God, Amen. I Christopher Fitz Simons N .10 } of Charles town, in South Carolina aforesaid, Tallow Chandler and Soap Boiler, being sick in Body but of sound Memory, do make this my last Will and Testament in Manner following, that is to say. I will and direct that all and singular my Estate real and personal, whatsoever and wheresoever be, as soon as conveniently may be after my Decease, sold by my Executors herein after named, or such of them as shall qualify and will act, or the Survivors or Survivor of them, and the Money arising from such Sales and my Choses in Action or Debts due to me, after Payment of my Debts, I will may be divided into eighteen equal Parts or Shares, six of which I give and bequeath to my Nephew Christopher Fitz Simons, Son of Cashel Fitz Simons late of Dundalk in the Kingdom of Ireland; two other Shares thereof I give to my Neice Mary, Daughter of the said Cashel Fitz Simons, and two other Shares to my Neice Ann, another Daughter of the said Cashel Fitz Simons. Also I give to the children of my Brother in Law James Handlin of the Kingdom of Ireland to be equally divided amongst them, four other equal Parts or Shares of the said eighteen; and one other of the said Shares I give to my Neice Esther Dillon Daughter of Edward Murphy; and the remaining three Parts or Shares, I give and devise to the three Daughters of my Brother William Fitz Simons, deceased, to be equally divided amongst them. And it is my Will in Case any of the Legatees before named should die before me, and my said Nephew Christopher Fitz Simons survive, I give the Shares of him, her or them so dying to my said Nephew Christopher. Lastly I nominate constitute and appoint William Valentine of Charles town Gentleman, Thomas Fuller the younger of St Andrews, [and my] Nephew Fitz Simons Executors of this my last Will and Testament,
Source: Charleston, South Carolina probate Will Book A, 1783-1786, page 166. Typewritten transcription reproduced from FamilySearch image 939L-JXS1-PB, in the public domain.
AI Notes
Body of the September 23, 1782 will of Christopher Fitz Simons of Charles Town, the bachelor uncle whose Charleston property was inherited by his nephew Christopher Fitz Simons of Dundalk — the future Charleston emigrant. The will is referenced multiple times in the bound albums (pages 003, 014, 018, 019, 023, 025) but the document itself sits outside them. The page is a typewritten transcription preserved in Charleston probate Will Book A, p. 166; the original handwritten will was partly destroyed at some point before the typewritten copy was made. The continuation, with witnesses, probate dates, and the source note, follows on document 2.
The will continues onto document 2, beginning with “hereby revoking all former Wills by me made.”
This is the source document for the bachelor-uncle Christopher referenced throughout the family memoranda — most directly the W. Huger FitzSimons memorandum on page 003 and Mabel FitzSimons’s 1960 chart on page 014, both of which cite this will by date (23 September 1782) and probate book (“Will Book A, p. 166”). Until now its content was known only through the family’s paraphrases; the eighteen-share scheme, the five named Irish nieces and nephews (Mary, Ann, Esther Dillon, and the three unnamed daughters of brother William), and the bequest to the children of brother-in-law James Handlin are all visible here for the first time in the archive. The typewritten transcription was prepared from the partial record in Charleston probate Will Book A; the original handwritten will had already been damaged at the time the transcription was made (see the note on document 2).