Last Will and Testament of Thomas Jordan I, Thomas Jordan, of the County of Powhatan being of sound sense and memory do make and ordain this writing to be my last will and testament as follows to wit. I wish all my just debts to be first paid and then I give and bequeath to my wife Martha Jordan during her life or widowhood one third part of my whole estate real and personal and I wish her to have her third of the land so laid off as to include in her portion my dwelling house and all the out houses and the spring now used by me and a sufficient portion of the wood land to furnish her with firewood and rail timber; and I wish her to have one third of the land in quantity, although that and the houses may amount to more than one third of the land in value and which I leave to my said wife as long as she shall remain my widow, and after her death or marriage I wish all the property real and personal loaned to her as above to be held by the trustees hereinafter named or either of them for the benefit of my son and grandchildren hereafter mentioned in the same way and upon the same conditions as the other two thirds of my estate are hereinafter directed to be held by them. After my wife's portion is laid off as above directed, I give and bequeath all the balance of my estate real and personal of every description to my friends Martin Tucker and William F. Tucker as Trustees for my son Alexander Jordan and my two grand children Thomas Richard Jordan and Sarah Jane Jordan, children of my son Alexander Jordan; to be held by the said trustees or the survivor of them for the use and support of my said son and his two children aforesaid, and for the education of the said children for and during the life of my said son, in such manner that the same shall not be liable to be disposed of by my said son, or be subject to any contracts or debts of him; and after the death of my son, I wish the whole of the property real and personal devised and bequeathed by this clause of my will to be conveyed to and divided between my two grand children aforesaid, in equal portions, if they should then be both alive; but if either of my said grand children should die before their father and without leaving any child or children living, then the whole of the property aforesaid to be conveyed to the other grand child aforesaid and in case of the death of either or both of my grand children before their father, leaving a child or children, I wish the portion to which such grand child or children would have been entitled to go to such child or children so left. And in case of the death of both of my said grand children in the lifetime of their father without leaving a child or children then I wish the trustees aforesaid or the survivor of them to convey the whole of the property aforesaid to such person or persons and in such manner as my son the said Alexander Jordan may by last will and testament direct, or in default of such direction then to such person or persons as may be entitled to receive the same by law. And I wish my trustees aforesaid after the death or marriage of my wife to hold all the estate _______ her by this will for life or widowhood in the same manner and for the same uses and purposes and for the same time and upon the same restrictions and conditions in every respect, and to be conveyed them in the same way and in the same proportions as the other two thirds of my estate herein before willed to them as trustees as aforesaid are directed to be held and conveyed. And I do appoint my friends Martin Tucker and Wm. F. Tucker to be the Executors of this my last will and Testament, hereby revoking all wills by me heretofore made. In Testimony whereof I have subscribed my name and affixed my Seal hereunto this 5th day of January in the year One thousand eight hundred and forty two. Signed by Thomas Jordan and witnessed by Peter E. Bentley and Peter Talbott. At a Court held for Powhatan County at the Courthouse thereof on Monday the 7th day of October 1844. The foregoing last will and testament of Thomas Jordan deceased was presented in Court and proved by the Oaths of Peter Talbott and Peter E. Bentley subscribing Witnesses to the same and Ordered to be recorded. And Wm. F. Tucker, One of the Executors named in the said will in open Court relinquished his right to qualify which is Ordered to be entered of record. And on the motion of Martin Tucker the other executor therein named who made Oath thereto according to law and with Wm. F. Tucker and Banister White his Securities entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of Two thousand four hundred dollars conditioned as the law directs, a certificate is granted him for obtaining a probat of the said will in due form. Recorded in Will Book 12, page 302, Powhatan County, Virginia. Contributed by Carol A. Morrison (morrison@apcserv1.apcnet.com) Uploaded to USGenWeb Archives by Carol A. Morrison Not to be copied by any commercial organization or used for any commercial purposes.