Will of Robert Martin, 1856 I Robert Martin of Pulaski County, Va. do make, ordain and publish this for my last Will & Testament-- Item 1st--I desire & direct that all my just debts & funeral, c/ burial be paid. Item 2nd--I give & bequeath to my wife Elizabeth--during her natural life all that portion of my tract or tracts of land purchased from William Campbell lying on the North Eastern side of the Va. & F??? Rail Road, and at her death to my son Robert--and in the event of his death--before my wife, to his children to be equally divided between them. Item 3rd--I give to my sons David & William the Tracts of land purchased of Robert Sproul, Henry Paton & Henry Hanes (the land bought of the last named being part of Rankin's land) to be divided according to a fence now standing and agreed upon between my son William and myself beginning on the line between Andrew Muirhead and myself and running nearly a South course with said fence to a cucumber and thence with said fence nearly an Eastern course to a black oak, and thence south east with said fence to a corner of same, thence with said fence N. East to a corner of same, thence nearly an Eastern course leaving the fence to a white oak & black oak on Peppers Road,--My son David to have all the land on the Western side of said line and up to the lines of the Campbell land & my son William to have all the land on the North Eastern side of said line and which he is now in the possession of. Item 4th--I give to my son William one hundred acres of land, to be laid out & taken off Mr. Campbell's land at the Western end thereof adjoining his Harbinson land & Mrs. Bentley beginning at a white oak on a Roadway bluff, corner to my landPage 2 and Mrs. Bentley's and running a North east course to Mr. Harbinson's land so as to make out one hundred acres. Item 5th--I give to my son David a small tract or parcel of land Patented to me many years ago adjoining the Sproul land herein before given to him. Item 6th--I give to my son Robert all that portion of the Campbell land which lies on the North East side of the Va. & F??? Rail Road. Item 7th--I give to my son Robert two tracts or parcels of land which were Patented to me some years ago lying on the Western end of the Campbell land and adjoining the same. Item 8th--I give to my son Robert my Negro man Josiah. Item 9th--I give to my three sons David, William & Robert my interest (being the one-half, the other half belonging to my son Robert in his own right) in the Mountain territory or tract of land purchased of William Hill & known as the Blanchard land--to be equally divided between them. Item 10th--Having in the last few years obtained an inclusive Patent in my own name including and covering all my lands (except the Mountain tract) I aim and direct that the division line between my son David, my wife, & son Robert shall be run by the Campbell & Sproul areas of record in Wythe & Pulaski counties--if not now sufficiently known and certain. Item 11th--I desire & direct that all my Personal property except money on hand and debts due me shall remain on the land given to my wife for life, for her use & benefit, and at her death to be equally divided among my four sons David, William, John & Robert--yet--to remain after the death of my wife one year on the plantaion for the use and benefit of my son Robert, unless my four sons can agree among themselves to Page 3 Item 11th--divide the property within the year. Item 12th--I give to my wife Elizabeth (after the payment of debts) the one fourth in amount of all moneys on hand, debts due me, absolutely and for her own property; and the remainder I give to my four sons David, William, John & Robert to be equally divided between them. Item 13th--I constitute and appoint my two sons William & Robert executors of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking all other wills heretofor made by me. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal, this 26th day of June, 1856. (signed) Robert Martin (seal) Signed, sealed & published by Robert Martin for his last will & Testament in our presences, who were present together at the time. (signed) P. S. Woolwine (signed) Wm. J. Wall (signed) Thomas Pouge Virginia: At a Court held for the County of Pulaski the 5th day of May 1859. The last will and Testament of Robert Martin /deceased was presented in Court--proven by the oaths of T. S. Woolwine, William J. Wall and Thomas Pouge describing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded, And on the motion of William J. Martin & Robert D. Martin the Executors named in said Will with Eitivin Watson, Uriah Vermillion, Sr. and William M. Miller as their securities entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of $40,000 with such conditions as the law requires and Page 4 having qualified according to law, certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate of said Will in due form.         A Copy             Teste                 S A. Cunin (Cover:) Robert Martin's Will ____ Recorded in Will Book No. 1 Page 504 Black man willed to children. Jus? /P /Di/ Transcribed by Jim Sulcer 12/16/1998 Submitted by The Wilderness Road Regional Museum http://www.rootsweb.com/~vapulask/wrrm/ **************************************************************** 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. 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