CULPEPER COUNTY – WILL: THOMAS STUBBLEFIELD, 1757 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: Thomas Stubblefield, St.Mark Parish, Culpeper Co, VA (1757) IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I Thomas Stubblefield of the Parish of Saint Mark in the County of Culpeper, being sick and weak in body but in mind and memory as sound as usual, and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life and the certainty that it is appointed for all men once to die, I do therefore, make and ordain this my last will & testament in manner following, viz: My soul I recommend to almighty God who gave it, humbly hoping that thro' (through) the merits of my mercifull savior I shall enjoy everlasting felicity; my body I commit to the earth therein to be decently interred at the discretion of my beloved wife whom I appoint Executrix of this my Will.  And as for such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give & dispose of in manner & form following (to wit): It is my will and desire that my funeral charges & just debts shall be paid out of my estate and the remaining part of my estate, real & personal, I leave to the care of my beloved wife, Ellin Stubblefield, to be by her kept for the support and education of my children, and it is my desire that she bring them up and educate them in such manner as my estate will afford until my eldest son George Stubblefield shall come to lawful age, and then it is my desire that he shall receive his share of my estate (my lots of land excepted) in proportion to the number of my children including my wife with them, and the remaining part to continue in my said wife's possession till my next child shall arrive at lawful age, and then a division to be made as before, & in like manner it is my will that each of my children shall receive their respective shares of my estate as soon as they shall come to lawful age, and that then my said wife shall retain the remainder & enjoy the same during her life & after her decease to be equally divided between my children; but in case my said wife should die before my son George Stubblefield should come to lawful age, then it is my desire that my brother in law Sat Hackley shall execute this my will and take care of my children in the manner above directed until my said son George Stubblefield shall arrive at lawful age, and then it is my will that my said brother in law's Executorship shall cease & determine, and my said son George Stubblefield shall take upon that Executor of this my will in the same manner as my wife is directed in case she should live to perform the same.  And it is my desire that my estate shall not be appraised, nor my wife obliged to give security for the execution of my will. I leave to my beloved wife Ellin Stubblefield during her natural life my two lots of land and after her decease, I give the lot whereon I now live to my son George Stubblefield & the other lot which lies in Orange County I give to my son James Stubblefield & his heirs & assigns. And it is my desire that in case any of my children should marry before they are to receive their part or parts of my estate & should die & leave a child or children lawfully begotten, then such child or children shall have such part or share of my estate as the father or mother would or might receive in case he/she or they were living at the time such division is to be made. And lastly, I do declare this to be my Last Will & Testament revoking other Wills by me formerly made. IN TESTIMONY whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 28th day of May in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred & fifty seven.                                                    Thomas Stubblefield  (LS) Sign'd, seal'd, publish'd & declared in presence of us: William Green William Ball George Wetherall                          At a Court held for the County of Culpeper                           Thursday, the 16th day of February 1758 This Last Will & Testament of Thomas Stubblefield, gentleman, deceased, was this day exhibited to the court by Elin Stubblefield, widow & Executrix threin named which was proved by the oaths of William Green, gentleman, William Ball & George Wetherall, witnesses thereto, ordered to be recorded and on her motion certificate is granted her for obtaining a Probat thereof in due form he having first taken the oath directed by law, the said Testator directed that she should not give bond & security & that his estate should not be appraised. Ex'd (examined)                                                       Teste:                                                       Roger Dixon, Cl.Cur. Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book A, 1749-1770 Culpeper Co, VA Reel 31, pages 174-177 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. Viz & vizt are abbreviations for videlicet which means "that is to say, namely".