SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, VA - WILLS AND ESTATES - John Dawson Harris, 6 Apr 1796 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I John Dawson Harris of Southampton County & state of Virginia are at present very sick & weak of body but of sound mind & memory, thanks be to God, therefor do make this my last will & testament in manner & form following, to wit: Imprimis: I give unto John Edmunds Dawson one negro man known by the name of William, to him & his heirs forever. Item: I gie unto Edmund Turner one neg. man known by the name of Joe, to him & his heirs forever. Item: I give unto Polly Dawson one neg. boy known by the name of Jacob, to her & her heirs forever. The above legacies I give to John E. Dawson, Edmund Turner & Polly Dawson I mean as full compensation for what negros I had from my father & state but if legatees will not receive them as such, I do hereby revoke the gifts and for the, my above given, be sold & satisfaction to be made with cash. Item: I give unto William Philips my grinding stone & all my saws of all kinds together with all my carpenters & joiners tools of all kinds & sorts whatsoever. And my desire is that my people continue to work with William Philips untill Christmas next and that he , the said William Philips, have the benefit of there labour untill then at full compensation of what money I am owing of him. Item: My desire is that John Edmund Dawson may not charge my estate with the hire of Anthony for the present year as I think the neg. given sufficient satisfaction. Item: My desire is after paying my just debts is that all the residue of my estate not heretofore given (except my bay horse Jact ball) be equally divided between John & Bailey Barnes, sons of Bailey Barnes, to them & their heirs forever. Item: I give unto William Philips my bay horse Jact Call (or Jact Ball?), as I before excepted to him and his heirs forever. I do nominate and appoint my friends Edmund Turner & John E. Dawson Executors of this my Last Will & Testament. IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this 6th day of April 1796. John D. Harris (seal) Sign'd, seal'd publish'd and deliver'd to be my Last Will in presence of: Henry Smith William Sturgeon Henry Brantly At a Court held for the County of Southampton on Friday the 15th day of April 1796 This Will was presented in court by Edmund Turner, one of the Executors therein named (time allowed for the other to qualify), prov'd by the oaths of Henry Smith, William Sturgeon, two of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of the said Executor who made oath according to law, Certificate is granted him for obtaining a Probat thereof in due form giving security, whereupon &c. Sam Kello, Cl. (clerk) Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book 4, 1783-1797 Southampton Co, VA Reel 17, pages 737-738 Note: Paragraphing and some punctuation was added by transcriber for ease in reading. There are no paragraphs in the original. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Von Mings Stachon vonstac@comcast.net ___________________________________________________________________