Caroline Co., Va. 
WILL OF JOHN ESTES  
Dated 6 Apr 1778 & Probated May 1778.

In the name of God amen I John Estes of the County of Caroline 
& parish of saint Margerette and being of perfect sences and 
memory and calling to mind the uncertainty of this Life knowing 
it is appointed for all men once to die & Being willing to give 
such worldly good as it hath been pleased the almighty God above 
my assests to bestow on me do make this my Last will & Testament 
in manner and form following. I first give my soul to almighty 
God and my Saviour Jesus Christ who gave it me hoping it may 
rest with them in eternal Happiness & my body to be decently 
buried by my executors, My will is tht after my just debts & 
funeral charges are Paid there being a bargain made between 
my Loving wife Elizabeth Estes and myself which bargain allows 
to stand to that is for each to keep their own estate & to claim 
no part or parcel of any thing belonging to the one or the other 
any more than is in the bargain or Contract my wife being with 
Child has agreed to give that Child or Children the sum of ten 
pounds annually as long as she my wife live the money to be 
paid every year to my executors she has four negroes if any of 
them dies before her she is only to Pay in propation at the 
rates of ten Pounds which money must be put to Interest and 
when there should be anough to buy a negro girl the executors 
are to buy one for the child or children & all the money & 
Interest that comes from her is for the use of the child or 
children & if the child or children should die before it comes 
of age or has a lawful heir the money is to return to my wife 
& that the child or Children is and are to be educated as far 
as to learn to Read and write and Sypher at the expense of my 
estate without being charged any thing for it, my wife in her 
contract gave me a gray mare which mare I lend to her during 
her natural life but as she is now with fold I do not give or 
lend that shall is to belong to my estate which mare and her 
increase is at her death to return to that child or children 
she is now big with if deliverd to be I the possession of my 
Executors for the use of my child or children if the said 
child or children are dead then my wife to keep both mare and 
increase except the colt she is now with fold I do not give or 
lend that shall is to be belong to my Estate which mare and her 
increase is at her death to return to that child or children 
she is now big with if delivered to be in the possession of my 
Executors for the use of my child or Children if the said child 
or children are dead then my wife to keep both mare and increase 
Except the colt she is now with fold with, also also I lend to 
my wife the feathe Bed and its furniture we now Lie on during 
her natural life & that Bed and furniture or as good a one as 
it is now at her death I give to the child or children she is 
now with Child with if alive if it is dead it is to return to 
my estate as to my daughter Elizabeth Durrett I have given a 
negro girl and her increase to her and her heirs for ever  by 
the name of Lel a bed and furniture a cow big with calf and 
three head of sheep as to Ann Yates my daughter I have given a 
negro Girl named Hagar and her increase to her and her heirs 
for ever a bed and furniture and three head of sheep and a cow 
calf and all that I have given her and what she is to receive 
from my estate it is my will that is shall all be equally divided 
among her heirs Lawfully begotton of her body at to her daughter 
Mary Butler if she dies without one heir lawfully begotten it is 
my will that it shall return to her children she has had by Michael 
Yates as to my son John Estes I have given him a negro fellow by 
the name of Frank and bed and furniture and a cow big with calf 
three head of sheep & a horse and saddle. as to my son Marshall 
Estes I have given him a negro fellow by the name of Bob a bed 
and furniture a cow big with calf & three head of sheep and a 
horse and sadle as soon as it can be made convenient and as to 
my son Thomas Estes I have given him a negro boy by the name 
of Joe a bed and furniture a cow big with calf three head of 
sheep a horse by the name of bottom and a saddle and as to my 
daughter Mary Estes I have given to her a negro Girl by the 
name of Peggy and her increase to her and her heirs for ever 
a bed and furniture a cow big with calf three head of sheep as 
soon as it can be made convenient and as money can be raised it 
is my desire they shall have one hundred Pounds a piece my six 
eldest children my three last children by my first wife William 
Marshall Estes, Littleton Estes and Peter Estes is to be mentioned 
and educated out of the rest of my Estate withou being Charged 
any thing for it except my son Peter Estes Hundred pound which 
is to be laid out for his going to the Latton School and as soon 
as either of these three children is educated they are to be bound 
out except Peter Estes who is to be sent to the Latton School if 
my executors think he will take it if not he is to be bound out 
after he receives one education neither of these three children 
is to be bound out if my executors think they are not able to 
undergo hardships of apprenticeship - after the youngest son of 
these three come of age It is my will and desire that the remaindor 
of my estate is to be equally divided among my children then living 
or their heirs lawfully begotten except my John who is to have only 
my land that came by my father, and my still after three last children 
comes of age and it is made use of as the rest of my estate, the one 
hundred acres of Land that I bought of Thomas Bancks is to be sold 
at public auction, when the rest of my estate is sold the place of
Land obtained of Murphy in the General Court in Halifax County is 
to be sold by my executors John Estes and half of the money is to 
go to Peter Rogers and the rest is to be equally as before mentioned, 
leaving out my son John Estes, when my estate is sold off it is 
my will and desire that the child or children my present wife 
Elizabeth Estes is big with to have two hundred pounds current 
money of Virginia to be paid out of my estate and if in case the 
child or children should die without one heir the whole I give to 
the child or children to return and to be equally divided among 
the rest of my children my will and desire is that my son John 
Estes is to remain on the plantation where he now lives to take 
care of estate till such time as my youngest child comes of age 
and to work both plantations for the use of both my children and 
to work his own lands upon the same and to receive such a part of 
the crops that is made for looking after it.  And lastly I appoint 
my son John Estes and my son in Law George Durrett to be my 
executors of this my last will and testament dis annulling all 
others wills heretofore made. Given under my hand and seal in the 
year of our Lord one thousand and seven hundred and seventy eight 
being the 6th day of April

John Estes {seal}

Signed sealed in the presence of us
William Yates
George Yates
Nancy Estes
Elizabeth X Davis

At a court Holden for caroline county on Thursday the (blank) 
day of May 1778 This will was proven by the oaths of William 
Yates and George Yates & ordered to be recorded on motion of 
John Estes who having taken the oath prescribed by Law certificate 
is granted to him the oath prescribed by Law certificate is granted 
him for obtaining a probate thereof bond acknowledged and ordered 
to be recorded At July Court following the said Will was further 
proved by the oath of Elizabeth Davis.

Teste William Nelson Clerk


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