Amelia County Virginia Will Book 4, Page  118, Will of Christopher Ford

Submitted by Gayle Austin

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In the name of God, Amen, I Christopher Ford of the county of Amelia,
being in sound and disposing mind and memory do make this my last will
and testament.  I, first recommend my soul unto the hands of Almighty
God that gave it, and my Body to the earth to be buried in such Decent
Christian like way as my executors, hereafter named, may think proper,
and as to what worldly goods it has pleased God to bless me with, I will
dispose of as follows:

First, I will and desire that all my just Debts be paid & Satisfied. I
give unto my beloved wife, Lucy, all my Estate both real and personal,
not otherwise disposed of by this, my will  so long as she continues my
widow in order to enable her to Educate and bring up my two youngest
children in as good a way as the rest of our children who are already
grown up  have been and to Support her and those of my Children that
hath been already provided for and my unmarried Daughters that may live
with her in as comfortable a way as the circumstances of the estate will
admit of during the time they live single-But not to sell or dispose of
any part thereof or the profits only for the uses aforesaid.

Item:  I give and bequeath to my said wife, my negro Woman, Jenney and
her Future increase to her and her heirs forever.

Item:  I give unto my son Milton, my Negro boy Roland after myself and
my estate shall be cleared of all securetyships and other engagements
that I be under for the said Matthew, but if that cannot be done and of
his Estate, then the said Rowland must go to make up the deficiencies
and the overplus if any to be to Milton.

Item:  I give to my Daughter, Mary Overton the two Negroes she has in
possession named Betty and Lydia.

Item:  I give unto my son Samuel my Negro Boy named Moses.  I also give
him the Boy named Joe that I formerly allotted for my son Lewis.  The
reason of this gift is because at my Instigation, my son Samuel lent his
Brother Lewis more money than the said Joe is worth.  But should Lewis
return from the Great distance he is gone and make up all his accounts
and balances that he owes his Brother Samuel, in that case I desire that
Lewis may have the said Joe.

Item:  I give and bequeath to each of my four Daughters at their
marriage or is case of their not marrying in their mother's  life time
yet before the general division takes place that I mean to direct at my
wife's decease two negroes each, one to be between 10 & twelve years old
or there abouts-the other from 5 to eight or there abouts as nigh as the
circumstances of the estate will admit & if there should not be negroes
of these ages for them, then to be made up to them other ways.  I
likewise give each of them a Feather and Furniture of eight pounds value
hard money.  The four Daughters, I have just mentioned and given each of
them a Legacy are my Daughters Lucy, Doratha, Anna and Elizabeth Ford
that I mean.

Item:  I give unto my son Waller Ford all That part of my land that lies
over my mill and Mill pond adjoining John Chappell, William Jackson &
John Booth.  I also give him a  Negro Boy when he arrives to the age of
twenty years old.  I also give him a Feather Bed and furniture of Eight
pounds Value hard money.

Item:  I give unto my son Zachary as much Land joining my upper clearing
towards the Church as may    in the opinion of my executors and
two       freeholders of the neighborhood to be chose by my executors be
of equal value  with what I have given Waller.  To begin at Ham's Line
and thence along my present clearing to the road thence up to the road
until a decreed parallel line back to Hamm's line will include Land to
the aforesaid Value.  I also give him a Negro Boy about 8 years old or
his value to be given him when he arrives to twenty years of age.  I
also give him a Feather Bed and Furniture of eight pounds value.

Item:  It is my will that at my wife's decease all the residue of my
estate not already disposed of by this my will both real and personal
including my Water Grist Mill and all the utensils thereunto belonging
be sold for the most that can be got for it and the money arising from
the sale of the land and Mill I give to be equally divided among my four
sons Milton, Samuel, Waller & Zachary Ford, But out of this money
arising from the said Sale, I order Mr Bartholomew Dupry to be repaid
all that money with lawful Interest thereon that my son Lewis borrowed
of him.     and gone out of reach that he cannot get it of him, But
should Lewis return and make the said Dupry ample satisfaction then I
give the same to Lewis.  I also order Mr. Richard Phillips to be repaid
all the money that he has or will be oblige to pay for my son Lewis as
being his Security for raising a man in a District bid. I don't mean to
go on Interest as it was a Voluntarily act of Mr. Phillips own.  I also
direct that Mr. Joshue Chaffin be repaid in like manner all the money he
shall be oblige to pay for my said son on acct of his being Security for
the Payment of money for Negroes he loaned of Pride's Estate but should
my said son Lewis return & pay up to all-Mr Phillips and Mr. Chaffin the
different sums mentioned afore that time then I direct that my Executors
pay Lewis what it would have taken to pay Phillips and Chaffin and all
the residue of the money arising from the sale of my Personal Estate I
give to be equally divided among my nine children, Milton, Samuel, Mary
Overton, Lucy, Doratha, Waller, Anne, Zachary & Elizabeth Ford which I
give to them and their heirs & Legal representatives forever and all
that I have given to any of my children by this my will I give them in
like manner and if any of my children should get femail Negroes, I give
the future increase in the same manner that I give them the mothers, But
hear it is to be observed that all that I have hither  to said in this
Will I give to my sons Lewis and Milton. I only lend it during their
natural lives and at their decease, I  give the same to be equally
divided among their Lawful Issue if any & for want of such Issue to be
equally divided among my Eight other children herein before mentioned or
their legal representatives.  But should my Wife again marry, then I
direct my Estate to be divided and one third part of my personal Estate
I direct to be allotted her (Including the young Negro woman Jenny)
during her natural life and also one third of my land and Mill she to be
her proportion of the necessary repairs, and Immediately after her
decease, I give the same to be equally divided among all my children
before mentioned except Lewis and their legal representatives.  But
Milton's part to be under the same title and reservations as before
mentioned.  And the other two third parts I give to be equally divided
in the same way and in the same proportions as I have directed at my
wifes decease and here I mean the third part of the Land and Mill  to be
divided among my sons as is directed in case she dies my widow and
whereas I have purchased on my son Milton and Mr. Richard Booker all the
land they bought of David Jones of Warwick County whereon Doctor John
Peaches Store is now kept & the Tavern and all the appurtenances
belonging to the said Land I have given my Bonds to Mr. Richard Booker
for the payment of the same in order to secure it to Milton if the same
could be done without distressing my Estate & doing injustice to my
children.  Now in case I die before the said Booker is paid and my Bonds
to him taken in  and the place cleared of all Encumbrances, and Milton
cannot do the same himself then I direct my Executors or whom of them
may take upon them the execution of this my will to sell & despose of
all the said Land and Premises for the most that can be got for it and
when all debts I secure to help are paid out of the sale of the said
Land wherein I stand bound for my said son and all repairs paid for that
I  have or may make on the said land a copy of which account I purpose
to have stated on my Book of Accounts, then I say when my estate is
cleared of all engagements that I am under for Milton on acct of the
said land and premises and all other accts whatsoever then the overplus
of the money arising from the sale I order to be paid to Milton for his
own proper use and behave forever and should the place & appurtenances
be paid & cleared out as above mentioned by Milton in my life time & my
attorney Estate lie under no Encumbrance on his account & I die with
matters so circumstanced thus I direct my executors to recover the said
Land & premises to him when ever he requests it to him and his heirs
forever.

And lastly I constitute and appoint my beloved wife Lucy and my son in
law Thomas Parkins Overton Executrix and Executor & also my son Samuel
Ford of this my last Will and Testament revoking and making void all
former wills by me made as Witness my hand and seal this thirteenth day
of May 1787.

                                             Christopher Ford   (SEAL)

NB before Signed I had omitted appointing my son Samuel Ford one of my
Executors to this my last will but have underlined him as one before
Signed & published and always intended him to be so from the first
Beginning of this Writing.
Signed Sealed & Published
in presence of
Jacob Seay
Rawleigh Gossett