CULPEPER COUNTY – WILL: THOMAS WATTS, 1748 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 Watts, St.Thomas Parish, Culpeper Co, VA (1748) IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, December 22nd day 1748, I Thomas Watts of St.Thomas's Parish in Culpeper County, planter, being in sound and perfect health of mind and memory, thanks be to almighty God for the same and calling to mind the mortality of mankind and that it is appointed for all men once to die and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with, I do hereby make and ordain this my last will and testament allowing this and only this to by (be) my last will and testament utterly revoking, disallowing and disannulling all former Wills, Testaments or Bequeaths and allowing none but this my last will as in manner following: Imprimis: I give and bequeath my soul to almighty God that gave it me and my body to the earth to be buried at the discretion of my Executor. Item: I will and desire that my wel beloved wife Esther shall live on the plantation I now live on if she be the longest liver and have one hundred acres of land adjoining with timber and wood for the use of the plantation for and during the time of her widowhood and no longer and at the time of either her death or day of marriage that then the said plantation to return to them as shall be herefter mentioned. Item: I give to my son Edward Watt, the plantation he now lives on with the tract of land thereto belonging, estimated two hundred acres to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath to my son John Watts the plantation he now possesseth with the land bounded accordingly, estimated two hundred acres be the same more or less to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give to my son Benjamin Watts the plantation commonly called the School House with the tract of land bounded on James Barbour and John Watts, to up the grerat branch including the land between them Bounds and Bland Ballards line, estimated two hundred acres more or less to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give to my son Thomas Watts the plantation known by the name of John Mories plantation with the tract of land adjoining thereunto containing by estimation one hundred eighty three acres, be the same more or less and bounded on Bland Ballards line, James Barbours line and Dixon's line to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath to my son Jacob Watts a tract of land containing by estimation one hundred and fifty acres, be the same more or less, and bounded between Bland Ballards, Watts, to him and his heirs forever. I give to my daughter Sarah Watts a tract of land containing by estimation one hundred and fifty acres, be the same more or less,and bounded between James Barbour, Joseph, Roger Dixon's line to her and her heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath after my decase and the decease or day of marriage of my wife Esther the above mentioned plantation I now live on with one hundred acres of land thereunto adjoyning and bounded on the river and running to Benjamin Caves line on the river, thence along Captain Benjamin Caves line to my back line so far as to include one hundred acres which said plantation and land I give to my son William Watts after my decease and the decease or day of marriage of my wife Esther, to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Esther Watts a tract of land containing by estimation one hundred acres and bounded between the land belonging to the Manner Plantation and John Watts land, to her and her heirs forever. Item: I will and desire that after my decease my still shall be to the use of my wife Esther during her widowhood and all my children in general, that is to say, my son Edward, my daughter Ann, my son John, my daughter Elizabeth, my son Benjamin, my son Thomas, my daughter Sarah, my son Jacob, my daughter Esther, my daughter Mary, my son William, my daughter Frankey which said still shall be to their use and if any benefit in income shall accrue by the said still the same shall be equally divided amongst my above mentioned wife and children and if my wife should either marry or die _____of the above ____________  die then the still shall be amongst the remainder of my children and their income of the said still shall be equally divided between such of my above mentioned children as shall remain alive. Item: I constitute and appoint my beloved son John Watts and Benjamin Watts to be my Executors of this my Last Will and Testament. IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.                                                        his                                                  Thomas  X  Watts (LS)                                                        mark Signed, sealed, published and pronounced in presence of: Robert Sherman William Troymann George Troymann                    At a Court held for the County of Culpeper                       Thursday, the 15th day of March 1749 This last will and testament of Thomas Watts was this day exhibited into court by John Watts and Benjamin Watts, the Executors therein named. And                 At a Court continued for the County of Culpeper                       Friday, the 16th day of March 1749 Edward Watts, the heir at law of the Decedent appeared in court and declared he had no objection to make against the proof of the said Will whereof the court proceeded to examine the witnesses uponoath to wit, Robert Sherman, William Troymann and George Troymann who ______prov'd and are herein annexed and ordered to be recorded with the said Will.  And on the motion of the said Executors, Certificate is granted them for obtaining a Probate thereof in due form, they having sworn to the same? and given security in the penalty of one thousand pounds according to law.                                                     Teste:                                                     Roger Dixon, Cl.Cur. Robert Sherman, William Troyman & George Troyman, the __us____ being witnesses to the Will of Thomas Watts, dec'd, being examined k______ing the said ______Will of the Testator at his request and by his directions left a large blank space therein and that the Testator executed the same in the presence of all the subscribing witnesses as leaving the same space blank, and that about thirteen months afterwards the Testator directed the Deponent to insert the two last clauses in the said Will, to wit: a devide of one hundred acres of land to his daughter Esther Watts, and a bequest of the profits of this still to his wife and children, and that he believes the two other subscribing witnesses were ignorant of the said two last mentioned clauses being inserted they that being present at the time.  And the said William Troyman & George Troyman severally depose that they saw the Testator execute the Will produced and that he was then in his perfect sense and memory, but they believe the two last clauses were not inserted when they became witnesses, but say there was a blank space left and were informed that the said two last clauses were inserted afterwards by Robert Sherman, the then subscribing witness & farther (further) they say was? sworn to in court March the (ink blot over year).                                                    Teste:                                                     Roger Dixon, Cl.Cur. Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book A, 1749-1770 Culpeper Co, VA Reel 31, pages 10-14 Note: Spelling was not corrected.Paragraphing and some punctuation were added by transcriber for ease in reading. There are no paragraphs in the original.