CULPEPER COUNTY – WILL: WILLIAM RUSSELL, 1750 Contributed by: Von Mings Stachon ******************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) 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. http://www.usgwarchives.net ******************************************************************************** Will: William Russell, Culpeper Co, VA (1750) IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I William Russell of Orange County being in perfect health & sound memory and knowing the certainty of death do make & ordain this my last will & testament. Imprimis: I bequeath my soul to God who gave it me and my body to the earth to be decently buried by my Executrix in hopes of a sure and perfect resurrection by the merits of our blessed saviour & redeemer Jesus Christ. Item: I give all the remainder part of my estate both real & personall to be equally divided between my loving sons William Russell & Henry Russell & my daughter Katherine Russell & their heirs forever. Item: I constitute & appoint my loving wife Mary Russell Executrix of this my last will & testament. WITNESS my hand & seal this 18th day of April 1743.                                                    William Russell  (L.S.) Sign'd, seal'd, & pronounced before: Joseph X Phillips William X Holladay I impower my wife to sell any of my lands to pay debts either patent land or entries or to buy negros to be divided amongst my said children. Item: I appoint my sons William Russell & Henry Russell joynt Executors with my loving wife Mary Russell. I have raised out four lines of the inside bequeaths. WITNESS my hand & seal this 16th day of October 1750.                                                    William Russell  (L.S.) Signed, sealed & pronounced before: William Watts William Ball           his John Dixon X Wright          mark                         At a Court held for the County of Culpeper                           Thursday, the 17th day of August 1758 The Last Will and Testament of William Russell, gent., dec'd, was exhibited into court by William Russell, one of the Executors therein named & proved in the following manner: Joseph Phillips swore that he saw the decedent write, sign, seal, & declare the writing exhibited in court to be his Will before any erasment was made therein & that he was then in his perfect sences.  William Green, gentleman, swore that the decedent two daies before he died requested this deponant to write his Will telling him that he had an old Will by him which he wanted altered but this deponant could not conveniently undertake it 'till he returned from Fredericksburgh with which he seemed satisfyed but before he could return the deceased dyed.  William Perfect swore that after Col. Green left the deceased two daies before he died he ordered his son William to erase several lines in his Will which being done he acknowledged it to be his Will & said he had ordered his lands to be sold to pay his debts and the rest of his estate to be divided among his children & that he was then in his proper sences.  Thomas Wright swore that the deceased two daies before he died called upon this deponant to take notice that he had erased several lines in his Will & that he desired it should now stand as it was which was to sell his estate to pay his debts & what was left to be divided among his three children & that he was then in his perfect sences & it is ordered William Watts, William Ball & John Dixon Wright, be summoned to give further proof at the next Court. And                      At a Court held for the County of Culpeper                           Thursday, the 15th day of February 1759 This said Last Will and Testament of William Russell, dec'd, was fully proved by the oaths of William Watts & William Ball, witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded, Mary Russell, widow one of the Executors therein named came into court & refused to take the burthen of the execution thereof and at the same time renounced all benefit & advantage thereof. And                       At a Court held for the County of Culpeper                           Thursday, the 17th day of May 1759 This said Last Will & Testament of William Russell, dec'd was sworn to by William Russell, an Executor therein named and on his motion, Certificate is granted him for obtaining a Probat thereof in due form having first entered into bond with security according to law (liberty being reserved for Henry Russell, the other Executor in the said Will mentioned to join in the Probat when he shall think fit).                                                       Teste:                                                       Roger Dixon, Cl.Cur. Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book A, 1749-1770 Culpeper Co, VA Reel 31, pages 190-192 Note: Spelling errors were not corrected.  Paragraphing and some punctuation were added by transcriber for ease in reading.  There are no paragraphs in the original.