Bedford Co. VA will: Thomas Pollard, 1826 contributed by Bill Hunt ****************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ****************************************************************************** Bedford County Virginia Will of Thomas Pollard signed 18 February 1826; proved 24 August 1835 Know all men by these presents that I Thomas Pollard being of sound mind and memory but aged and considering that life is of uncertain duration Do make publish and ordain this as my last will and testament vizt 1st I devise the tract of land on which I now live as well as all other lands of which I may die seized of or which I may have any right in any way or in which I may have any manner of interest to my two sons George and John equally to be divided between them to them and their heirs forever provided that my three daughters Jane Keziah and Rebecca or those of them who may survive and shall any or all of them as suits their interests or convenience respectively be permitted to remain in and to keep exclusive possession of the house in which I now live and to have the use of the same, and to keep possession and to have the use of the garden adjacent to the said house and also the lot of land about the said house accounting in all that is including the garden & at least one acre, during the life of the survivor of them if they or she should not marry and I hereby direct and require my two sons George and John to keep the said lot sufficiently and well fixed. But whenever any one of them shall marry by which she will probably be provided with a house, she from that time shall be considered as having relinquished all rights and title to her share of the use and possession of the said house and lot. But they or she who may remain single and unmarried shall retain right of possession during her life or until she marries__ 2nd I give and bequeath to each of my said three daughters Jane Keziah and Rebecca, one Bed, bedstead, bedding, and one cow and calf to each of them. This bequest is intended to equalise their respective Shares with the other of my children to whom I have already given similar property__ 3rd For the same purpose I bequeath to my two sons George and John each a cow and calf__ 4th I desire that the residue of my personal estate be divided equally amongst my children Betsy, Sally, Judith, George, John, Jane, Keziah and Rebecca to them and their heirs__ 5th That it may not be supposed that my other children have been omitted through forgetfulness, I think it proper here to mention that I give to my daughter [Sucy?] nothing more than I have already given her, My daughter Polly received from me in her life time more assistance than I ever have been able, or than I probably ever shall be able to afford to any of the rest of my daughters, I therefore give nothing to her children__ 6th & lastly I hereby appoint my said Two sons George & John Executors of this my last will and testament, Dated at Bedford County and Commonwealth of Virginia this eighteenth day of February 1826. signed, Sealed & acknowledged. Thomas Pollard {Seal} in presence of Jesse A Pollard Alfred E. H. Edgar Benjamin H. Franklin Ben J. Campbell ______________________ At a Court held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the 24th day of August 1835. This last will and testament of Thomas Pollard Decd was produced in Court and proved by the oath of Benjamin J Campbell and Alfred E. H. Edgar two subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded__ And on the motion of George Pollard one of the executors in said will named who made oath and gave bond & Security in the penalty of $400 conditioned according to law, certificate is given him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form. John Pollard the other executor in said will named appearing in Court and refusing to qualify. Teste Rob. Mitchell CBC _________________________ Bedford County Will Book 9, pp. 76, 77, 78, transcribed by William M. Hunt from xerographic copy from Bedford Circuit Court, Bedford, VA. Notes: 1. general format & spelling retained in transcription 2. some punctuation retained but an abundance of dots written in place of commas have been eliminated to improve readability 3. the daughter which appears to be written ìSucyî is bracketed with ? by WMH, and might be ìLucyî because old handwriting of L and S often look alike 4. the Bedford County Marriage Bond for Thomas Pollard and Chizia(sic) Hunt, with Crispin Hunt as surety, is dated August 1, 1778. Chizia (Keziah?) was probably the mother of most or all of the children named in the will.