An Act for Making the Negroes, Coppors, Mills, and Stills of Intestatos Estates Chattles.

Whereas in and by a Certain Act made in this Island the Eight day of May, which was in the Two and Thirtieth year of the reign of his late Majesty King Charles the Second and Confirmed by his said Majesty in Councill, Intituled An Act for Aportaining Lands As also for Affixing slaves, Coppors, etc to the Freehold (It was amongst other things) therein Enacted and Ordained (that for preventing Demolishment, wast, and great Detriment to the Estates of Freehold in this Island) what all Negroe Slaves and other slaves whatsoever belonging or appertaining to any plantation or plantacons of Freehold in this Island as likewise all Sugar Mills, Coppors, and Stills once fastened or fixed thereon for service of Grinding Sugar Canes or Sugar Boyling etc. should to all intents and purposes remain on the Freehold, and not be thence removed or alienated unless for payment of Debts, As in and by the said Act more largely appears And for as much as since the making of Said Act many persons have Dyed Intestate, leaving many Children with a Compotant Estate of Lands and Negroes to maintain them, but for want of suitable provision made in this Said Act, their plantacons, Lands, Negroes, Coppors, and Stills Descended and Came to the Eldest sons and heirs and the other children had nothing left them to subsist withall Mat it therefore please your Most Gracious Majestys to Enact or Ordain and it is hereby Ordered, Enacted, and Ordained by the President and Councill of this Island of Nevis (Executing the office of Lieutenant Generall and Commandor in Chief of all his Majesty’s Leeward Charribbee Islands in America) together with the Assembly of the same Island, That if any person of Persons who now or hereafter shall or may have any Estate or Estates of Lands, Slaves, Coppors, Mills, or Stills, situate, lying and being in this Island and being thereof seized Shall dye Intestate That then in such Case all Slaves, Coppors, Mills, and Stills, as such Intestate shall Due seized, possessed, vested, or Interested of or in, shall and are hereby made Chattles in Law and shall be parted, shared, and Divided as Chatlles, to and amongst such [illegible] Children in such manner, way, and form, as the Law directs the before recited Act, or any therein therein contained to the Contrary thereof in any waies notwithstanding Provided always nevertheless and it is the true intent and meaning of this Act, That if the heire or heires of all, every, any, or either of such person or persons that soe Dye Intestate as aforesaid, Shall be willing and desirous to keep such Estateor Estates as Shall Descend to him or them, with all the slaves, Coppors, Mills, and Stills thereon Intire and not to separate and divide the same That then in such Case such heire and heires or their Guardians, are hereby Impowered and Enabled to hold and keep the same Intire accordingly for and during the full Terme and space of seaven yeares to commence from the Death of the Intestate such heires (or Guardians) first giving in good security to the ordinary, not only for providing and giving their other Brothers and Sisters a Competant Maintenance with Education and Apparoll suitable to their Degree in the Interim, out of the produce of such plantation and slaves for his use and Imploy of their share of such Intestates Estate and shall belong to them as aforesaid. But alsoe at the End and Expiration of the said Terme to [illegible] or cause to be paid to each and every of them or their Assignes the full value of their said several and respective shares of such Intestates Estates, as shall belong to the (in Current Money of this Islands, or in good Muscovado Sugar) according as the same shall be appraised and valued in the Inventory to be taken of such Intestates Estates, at the time of the Intestates Death (All such [illegible] debts and Funerall Expenses being first deducted to the payment of which the Lands shall be accountable proportionably to its value with the Chattles) 

Dated in Nevis this Second day of February in the Tenth yeare of his Majestyes reigne. Anno Dm 1698/9

                        John Dovey 

Editorial Note: Any abbreviations found in the original of this law have been spelled out in full for clarity.