Will of Josiah Briant, 1888 - Floyd County, VA Floyd County, VA Will Book F Page 229 I, Josiah Briant, being of sound mind and disposing memory and calling to mind the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death and being well advanced in years, and being anxious to provide for the comfortable support and maintenance of my wife, should she survive me, during the residue of her natural life and at the death of my said wife to dispose of all my estate both real and personal so that there cannot be litigation or controversy concerning the law do make and publish this my last Will and testament. 1st I give, grant, devise, and bequeath to my wife, Mary Briant, (should she survive me) all my estate, both real and personal, of every kind and description for and during her natural life. 2nd At and after my death, or the death of my said wife, should she survive me, I devise that my real estate be disposed of as follows: I give and devise to J. O. Dallas Thomas the land I live on, being in several tracts, and adjoining each other, and containing some 100 acres, more or less, on condition that said J. O. Dallas Thomas shall pay the sum of $800.00 as herein after named, to wit: $100.00 thereof to be paid to Caroline wife of J. O. Dallas Thomas, and in the event my said wife should survive me, then he is to pay her the residue of said $800.00 or so much thereof as she desires, for her support and maintenance, and then at her death, the residue if any to be paid to the heirs of myself and wife as herein after mentioned. I give and devise to J. B. Wood my mountain tract of land, containing 36 acres, on condition that said J. B. Wood shall pay the sum of $400.00 as herein after named, to wit: $75.00 thereof to be paid to his three children to wit J. J. Wood, Green Wood, & Ellen Wood, $25.00 each and in the event my said wife should survive me, then he is to pay her the residue of said $400.00 or so much thereof as she desires for her support and maintenance, and then at her death, the residue if any to be paid to the heirs of myself and wife as herein after mentioned. The said J. O. Dallas Thomas and J. B. Wood are to have one, two & three years without interest to pay the said amounts and if they fail to pay same during that time they may have two years longer in which to pay same by paying interest on same after the said three years. 3rd After my wife disposes of such personal property as she sees proper the remainder if any is to be sold by my executors herein after named and the proceeds thereof together with the residue of the land money if any then be due by said J. O. Dallas Thomas & J. B. Wood is to be divided equally among the following persons in the following manner, to wit: 1/7 to Daniel Howell, 1/7 to Aron Nester, 1/7 to Thomas Howell & children, to wit Josiah Howell & Amanda Thomas, 1/7 to John B. Wood's children, to wit: J. J. Wood, Green Wood, and Ellen Wood, 1/7 to John Bryants children to wit Mary Briant, Susan Briant, Sarah Brammer, Martha Jefferson & Nancy Hall, 1/7 to John Sammons children, to wit: Green Sammons & Mark Sammons & 1/7 to the children of Henry Thompson Dec'd. 4th I hereby nominate and appoint J. O. Dallas Thomas and Green Wood as executors of this my last Will & Testament, but they are not to have any appraisement or inventory of my estate nor to be chargable with any part of my estate until after the death of my said wife should she survive me. For testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand and seal this the 30th day of June 1888. Josiah Briant (seal) Signed sealed and acknowledged by Josiah Briant as his last will and testament in our presence & when we were present at the same time and witnessed by us in his presence and at his request. A. W. Lancaster John A. Weeks Virginia, In Floyd County Court, May Term 1892. A paper purporting to be the last Will & Testament of Josiah Briant deceased was produced in Court, proven by the oath of A. W. Lancaster & John A. Weeks his subscribing witnesses thereto-admitted to probate & ordered to be recorded. And on motion of J. O. D. Thomas and Green Wood the executors therein named who made oath thereto and together with J. A. Thomas & J. A. Wood then Securities entered into and acknowledged a Bond in the penalty of $1000.00 conditioned according to law a Certificate is granted them for obtaining probate of said Will in due form - And on the motion of the said executors ordered that Henry Lawrence, J. A. Weeks & C. Moran being first duly sworn for that purpose do appraise the personal estate of Josiah Bryant dec'd at a fair value and make a due return of their appraisement. Submitted by Ron Bryant **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************