Lunenburg County VA - will of John Nance, 1761

Submitted for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Sonia NANCE Kinback <sonia@gate.net> on Sat, 10 Jul 1999



IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN:
I, JOHN NANCE, OF LUNENBURG COUNTY, AND PARISH OF CORNWALL, BEING OF PERFECT
HEALTH, SOUND MIND AND MEMORY, BUT CALLING TO MIND AND DULY CONSIDERING THE
UNCERTAINTY OF HUMAN LIFE, DO MAKE AND ORDAIN THIS AS MY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.
FIRST; I DO COMMIT MYSELF TO GOD, MY CREATOR AND PRESERVER, TRUSTING TO HIS MERCY, BY
THE MERITS OF HIS BLESSED REDEEMER FOR THE REMISSION OF ALL MY SINS, MY BODY TO BE
DECENTLY INTERRED AT THE DISCRETION OF MY EXECUTOR HEREINAFTER NAMED.
AND AS TO THE TEMPORALS IT HAS PLEASED GOD TO BESTOW ON ME I GIVE AND DISPOSE AND
BEQUEATH THEREOF, IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY SON, JOHN, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY SON, THOMAS, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY SON, RICHARD, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY SON, WILLIAM, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY SON, FREDERICK, THE LAND AND PLANTATION WHEREON I NOW
LIVE, BEING THREE HUNDRED ACRES (EXCEPT THE USE OF ALL THAT PART OF THE PLANTATION
THAT LIES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER WHERE I NOW LIVE, WHICH IS TO BE AND REMAIN IN
THE POSSESSION OF MY TWO DAUGHTERS, ELIZABETH AND MOLLY, DURING THE WHOLE TIME OF
THEIR REMAINING UNMARRIED, AND NO LONGER, AND THEN THE SAME WITH ALL THE PRIVILEGES
AND APPURTENANCES OF THE WHOLE THREE HUNDRED ACRES TO BECOME THE PROPERTY OF MY
SON, FREDERICK, HIS HEIRS AND ASSIGNS FOREVER.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY DAUGHTER, SARAH, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY DAUGHTER, JANE, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY DAUGHTER, PHEBE, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH TO MY DAUGHTER, SUSANNAH, ONE SHILLING STERLING.

I LEND UNTO MY TWO DAUGHTERS, ELIZABETH AND MOLLY, THE CLEARED LAND AND
PLANTATION HOUSES, ORCHARDS, ETC., ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER, TOGETHER WITH MY
NEGRO MAN, JACK, DURING THE WHOLE TIME THEY SHALL REMAIN UNMARRIED, AND THEN THE
SAME TO DESCEND TO MY SON, FREDERICK, HIS HEIRS AND ASSIGNS FOREVER.

I GIVE AND BEQUEATH ALL THE REST OF MY ESTATE BE IT OF WHAT NATURE SOEVER IT WILL
(AFTER MY JUST DEBTS AND LEGACIES BE PAID) TO BE EQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN MY TWO
DAUGHTERS, ELIZABETH AND MOLLY, TO THEM THEIR HEIRS AND ASSIGNS FOREVER. WHEN
EITHER OF MY TWO DAUGHTERS SHALL MARRY, SHE IS NO LONGER TO ENJOY ANY PRIVILEGES IN
THE LAND AND NEGRO, BUT THEN TO BE TOTALLY IN THE
POSSESSION OF THE ONE THAT REMAINS SINGLE, AND WHEN THEY ARE BOTH MARRIED OR DIE
WHICH SHALL HAPPEN FIRST, THE SAME IS TO DESCEND TO FREDERICK, AND NOT BEFORE.

LASTLY, I DO CONSTITUTE MY SON, THOMAS, WHOLE AND SLOE EXECUTOR OF THIS MY LAST
WILL AND TESTAMENT, MAKING NULL AND VOID ALL OTHER WILLS HERETOFORE MADE, AND DO
HEREBY ORDAIN AND DECLARE THIS TO BE MY LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT.
WITNESS MY HAND AND SEAL, THIS 28th DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1761.

John Nance (SEAL)
IN THE PRESENCE OF
Geo. Walton,
Ezekiah Jackson
Benj. Ship
CERTIFIED IN COURT, JULY 6, 1762.