Mecklenburg Co., VA Will and estate records of James Pennington Submitted on 7/20/1999 by Kevin T. Lett - ktlett@juno.com ************************************************************************ 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. ******************************************************************* Mecklenburg County, Virginia Will Book #5, page 58: "In the name of God amen I James Pennington of the County of Mecklenburg being lame in body but sound memory but calling to mind the uncertainty of human life do make and ordain this my last will and testament in the following manner to wit. Item I give and bequeath to my son James one Negro man named Daniel to him and his heirs forever. My desire is that the said Negro be hired out ten years if not called for sooner and the money and Negro devised therefrom to my son James and his heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my son Phillip one Negro woman Peg and everything I have lent to him to him and his heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Sarah one Negro man named Austin and one mare called Pall and one bed and furniture. My desire is if my daughter dies without lawful issue of her body that the said Negro Austin and mare shall belong to my son John Thomas and his heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Faitha Nance one Negro woman Judy to my daughter Faitha Nance and her lawful issue of her body and at her decease if no issue then living then the said Negro to be divided among all my children also one cow and calf, one bed and furniture now in her possession. Item I give and bequeath to my son Henry two Negroes named Edmund and Dilsey and what I have lent him before to him and his heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary one Negro man named David one bed and furniture and one woman's saddle also the third choice of my horses. If she dies without lawful issue of her body the said Negro to be divided amongst my children, except son John Thomas. Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Lewcy Smith one Negro man named Ben, one bed and furniture, one woman's saddle and one cow and calf as she has now in possession to her and her heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my granddaughter Pegga Pennington one Negro girl named Viney and one bed and furniture and if she my granddaughter Pegga should die without lawful issue the legacy left her shall belong to my son Phillip and his heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath to my son John Thomas six Negroes namely Jacob, Nancy, Antony, Moses and Aron and George, three beds and furniture my cart and wheels and one yoke of oxen, one mare and colt that's called now his to him and his heirs forever. My will and desire is that John Hall Junior may keep sixty five acres of land as he bought of me lying on the south side of Mitchell's Branch which is one line and my old patent line the other line and the balance of my land I give to my son John Thomas to him and to his heirs forever; also my plantation utensils and one third of my pewter. The balance of my pewter to be equally divided between my two daughters Sarah and Mary. Also I give my three children John Thomas, Sarah and Mary all kitchen furniture equally divided also I give Sarah one chest and Mary one chest also my chairs to be divided between John Thomas, Sarah and Mary. Also I give my son John Thomas one cow and calf. Also I give Sarah and Mary each of them one cow and calf all the balance of my cattle to be equally divided between my five children John Thomas, Faitha Nance, Lucy Smith, Sarah and Mary. Also my sheep to be divided between Lucy Smith, Sarah and Mary. Also I leave my stock of hogs and my crop to pay all my just debts and the balance to support my three children John Thomas, Sarah and Mary. Also all my fowls to support the plantation. Also my two horses not before willed I give Lewcy Smith choice and John Thomas the other horse with my saddle and gun. Also my wearing apparel to my son Henry. Also my will and desire is that Robert Pennington may keep two beds and furniture as I bought for him as he has them now in possession to him and his heirs forever. Also it is my will and desire that my two daughters Sarah and Mary may have the small room of my dwelling house during their natural lives or marriage. Also it is my will that my two daughters Sarah and Mary have free privilege of working their two Negroes on the said plantation during their natural lives or marriage. Lastly I appoint my son Phillip and my son John Thomas executors of this my last will and testament revoking and disannuling all former wills by me made. In witness I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty-seventh day of September in the year one thousand eight hundred and two. James Pennington. Signed, sealed and declared in presence of us: John Northington, William Ladd Taylor, Samuel Butter, Sterling Northington. At a court held for Mecklenburg County the 18th day of June 1803. This will was proved by the oaths of John Northington and William Ladd Taylor witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of John Thomas Pennington the surviving executor therein named who made oath thereto and together with John Northington and Jabiz Northington his securities entered into and acknowledge their bond in the penalty of ten thousand dollars conditioned as the law directs. Certificate was granted him for obtaining a probate of the said will in due form. Teste. William Baskervill, Cl. Cur." Mecklenburg County, Virginia Will Book #5, page 161: An appraisement and inventory of James' estate was taken on July 27, 1803 by John Hubbard, John Nance, William Bugg and John T. Pennington. Its total value was given at 998 pounds, six shilling and nine pence. It included such items as goats, cows, geese, a gun, four horses, various furniture, various plantation utensils and Negroes named Jacob, Edmund, Austin, Daniel, David, Ben, Anthony, Moses, Aron, Pegg, Dilsey, Viney, Nann and her child.