HENRICO COUNTY – WILL: JOHN PLEASANTS, 1783 Submitted by Peggy Hooper (hooperhous@earthlink.net) 12 Oct 2003 ******************************************************************************** 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 ******************************************************************************** John Pleasants Valentine Papers page 1116 At a meeting of the commissioners appointed to restore the Henrico Records destroyed by the enemy - Held May 8, 1783. A copy of the will of John Pleasants decd. was laid before the commissioners and Joseph Pleasants a Quaker solemnly affirmed that the writing now produced here is a true copy of the decedents will - And John Brooke swore to the copy - Thereupon it was allowed, and as the record of it "had been destroyed by the Enemy, It is ordered that the above be certified. And which will follows in these words." I John Pleasants senr. of Henrico County, third in the name in Virginia bearing in mind my mortality, do make this my last will and testament concerning my real and personal estate which Almighty God in his great and gracious bounty hath bestowed on me, to prevent all manner of disputes concerning the same that otherwise might happen or arise after my death - I do hereby revoke and make void all other wills by me made or hereafter published, and do declare this in writing to be my last will and testament in manner following. (What follows is an eleven page will too lengthy to transcribe at this time so I have listed some highlights of the will of John Pleasants) "My eight slaves, to wit Joe Cooper, old Suckey, Fanny, old Robin, Carpenter Will, old Nat, old Caesar, and Aggy shall be at their liberty to live with any of my children they shall choose and not to be controlled, and to enjoy the benefit of their labour as fully as if (they) were free, and if it should be the will of Providence any of them live to an age they cannot maintain themselves they shall have a maintenance from my estate, which is all the freedom I can give them consistent with the law of the land". "...my man Charles White shall at the end of the year 1776 take with him to work on water his two sons, Jack and Charles belonging to me, and my man Charles to have one third part of what they all three earn, ..." "My man Phil I desire may live with any of my children or wife he chooses to live with that will pay him 4% pr annum over and above his working apparel so long as he is capable to earn it &c." "My man Sharper and his wife Biddy, I think not capable of getting their livelihood therefore I think it best not for them to be at their liberty. I therefore order that they shall have forty shillings each of them paid annually over and above their working apparel in suitable clothing - such as they shall choose, and that they are well used is my desire." "Item - All the rest and residue of my estate of whatsoever nature and kind soever, not herein mentioned, I give and bequeath unto my sons Robert, Samuel, Jonathan and Thomas and to their heirs. Lastly I appoint my sons Robert Pleasants and Jonathan Pleasants, Charles Woodson, Jun. and Thomas Pleasants Junr. executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking and annulling all other will by me heretofore made. In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this eleventh day of August in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and seventy one." Signed, sealed, Published and declared to be the last will and testament of John Pleasants in the presence of Peter Strathan, Robt. Pleasants Jr. John Pleasants, S. S. John __X__ Downs. Named: Jonathan Pleasants, son Robert Pleasants, son Samuel Pleasants, grandson Thomas Pleasants, son Jane Pleasants, granddaughter (sister to Samuel) Mary Pleasants, daughter Samuel Pleasants of Philadelphia, son Elizabeth Langley, daughter (husband Robert Langley) Dorothy Briggs, daughter (husband Gray Briggs) Ann Atkinson Charles Woodson, grandson Tarleton Woodson, father-in-law John Pleasants (father of Jane Pleasants, decd.) Margaret Pleasants, granddaughter Elizabeth Pleasants, wife of Joseph Pleasants Ursula Johnson Slaves named: Cuffy Gabe Rachel and her child And Patts four children Jenny Children of Fanny namely Moll Suckey, Hampton, and Ned Pender and all her children Mulatto woman named Tabb and her youngest child called Syphax Sam Ciss