Amelia Co., VA Wills Hightower Wills The Will of John Hightower, Sr. Amelia County, Virginia - Will Book 2X, Pages 72 & 73 In the name of God Amen I John Hightower, Senr of the Parish of Nottoway and County of Amelia being of a very weak and low constitution of Body but in perfect sence & memory of mind thanks be to almighty God do make and Ordain this my last will & Testament disanuling all other Wills whatsoever; and I do appoint my two well beloved Sons William Hightower and John Hightower to be my Executors of this my last Will & Testament; And all that it hath been in the lords will to endow me with I Give and dispose of in manner following. Item first of all I give and bequeath my spirit into the hands of Almighty God that give it & my Body to be buried in a Christianlike manner at the discretion of my Executors. Item I lend my dearly beloved Wife Mary Hightower during her life four Negros (Viz) Cate old Sarah Fanny and Adam and the rest of my Estate that I do not dispose of in my will. Item I give and bequeath to my beloved Son Wm Hightower and his Heirs forever one negro wench named Nann and her increase and also one negro man named Dick. Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Elenor Dodson & the heirs lawfully begotten ofher Body one negro wench named Winney and her increase all but Harry, & one Negro man named Adam after the death of my Wife. Item I give and bequeath to my Son John Hightower and his Heirs forever one negro Wench named Ales & her increase also one negro man named Charles and also the land & Plantation whereon I now live as also a small Tract of land lying between George Hightowers line & the land that he bought of Charles Williams. Item I give and bequeath to my Son Joshua Hightower & his Heirs forever one negro wench named Eve and her increase and one negro man named Harry and the land that I bargained with William Croucher for. Item I give and bequeath to my Son Thomas Hightower & his Heirs forever on negro wench young Sarah & her increase and one negro man named Kitt. Item I give & bequeath to my Son George Hightower & his Heirs forever one negro wench named Judy & her increase and also one negro lad named Andrew. Item I give and bequeath to my Son Richard Hightower and his Heirs forever my riding Horse & Saddle & two Cows & Calves & two sows & pigs & after the death of my Wife three negro wenches (Viz) Cate old Sarah & Fanny and if either of my Sons George & Richard Hightower die without Heir their part or parts to be equally divided amongst the rest of my Children. Item my desire is that all the rest my Estate real and personal may be Equally divided amongst all my Children at the death of my Wife as Witness my Hand this 16th Day of October 1761. his Test John Manire } John I Hightower (Seal) his mark John B Kirkland } mark George Connally } his Hugh HK Kirkland } mark At a Court held for Amelia County the 27th Day of September 1764. This Will was proved by the oaths of John Manire John Kirkland & Hugh Kirkland three of the Witnesses thereto sworn to by John Hightower the Executor therein named & ordered to be Recorded and on the motion of the said Executor he entered into and acknowledged Bond with Joshua & George Hightower his Security as the law directs certificate was granted unto him for obtaining a probate in due form. Teste T G Peachy R: Cur _____________________________________________________________________ The Will of Joshua Hightower Amelia County, Virginia - Will Book 2, Pages 23, 24 & 25 In the name of God Amen I, Joshua Hightower of the Parish of Nottoway and County of Amelia being aged and Infirm but of perfect memory and sences thanks be to Almighty God for the same calling to mind the Mortality of my body and knowing that it is ordained for all men to die & after that the Judgment I do in my proper sences and deliberately make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following Viz I lend to my loving Wife Susannah Hightower during her life the Plantation & the use of the small room in my House and also lend the following Negroes during her life Viz George Sarah & old Mary and the Tools they work with I also lend her during her life all my Household and Kitchen Furniture except the Bed & furniture my Son Charnel commonly lies on Item I give and bequeath to my loving Son Charnel Hightower the Tract of Land I now live on and all the appertinances thereunto belonging to him and his heirs for ever ( only his Mother is to have during life the Plantation & the other things before bequeathed her) I also give and bequeath to him the following Negroes and their Increase to him and his heirs for ever Viz Winney & Sarah after the death of his Mother I also give him a Feather Bed with all the Furniture belonging to it I give and bequeath to my loving Son Joseph Hightower two Negroes and their Increase Viz Abba and James to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Son Robt Hightower two Negroes and their Increase Viz Simon and Judah to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Son Tavenor Hightower two Negroes Viz Patt & Jacob and their Increase to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Son Epaphroditus Hightower three negroes and their Increase Viz Adam Lucy and Nann to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Grandson Joshua Hammond a Negro Girl Abba (the daughter of the wench Winney) and her Increase to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Grandson John Hammond a Negro Girl named Betty and her Increase to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Grandson Joshua Thorn a negro Boy named Charles to him and his heirs for ever Item I lend the use of a Negro Wench named Cris and her Increase to my Daughter Katerine Thorn during her life and after her decease my will and desire is that Cris and her Children be then equally Divided amongst the Sons of my Daughter Thorn except Joshua who is to have Charles the son of Cris I give the said Negroes to them and their heirs for ever I give and bequeath to my Son in Law William Jones two Negroes Viz John and Jenny & her Increase to him and his heirs for ever I also give him the wench old Mary after the death of my wife to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Gran Daughter Katerine Hammond a Cow and Calf to have and to hold to her and her heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Son Joseph Hightower after the decease of my Wife the fellow George to him and his heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to my loving Gran Daughter Agness Hightower a Negro Boy named Ned to her and her heirs for ever My will and desire is that if either of my Children die without an heir of thier body lawfully begotten that what I give them be equally divided between the rest of my Children that are living to them and their heirs for ever Item my will and desire is that if either of my Gran Sons John or Joshua Hammond die without heir of their body Lawfully that then their Estate that I have bequeathed them be equally divided amongst their Sisters the Daughters of Ann Hammond Item my will and desire is that if any of my Children die without an heir of their body lawfully begotten that then what I have given them be equally divided amongst the rest of my Children that are alive and to their heirs for ever Item my will and desire is that no part of my Estate be appraised and that there be only and Inventory there of returned to the Court & I do by these presents appoint my loving Son Charnel Hightower & my Son in law William Jones, my whole and sole Exrs of this my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this Twelfth day of May 1770 Signed Sealed & } his acknowledged before } Joshua I Hightower (Seal) mark Stephen Cocke Thomas Clarke Henry Clarke At a Court held for Amelia County the 27th day of February 1772 This will was proved by the oaths of Stephen Cocke and Henry Clark two of the witnesses thereto sworn to by Charnel Hightower and William Jones the Executors therein named and ordered to be Recorded and on the Motion of the said Executors who entered into Bond as the law directs Certificate for obtaining a probate in due form was granted them Test John Pride DC File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Jones Crawford - powder@cysource.com or powderhorn@hotmail.com USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation.