SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, VA - WILLS AND ESTATES - William Simmons, 21 Feb 1801 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I, William Simmons, of the county of Southampton being weak in body but of sound & perfect memory do make and constitute this my last will and testament in the manner and form following (vizt): Item: I give and beequeath unto James Browne, son of Elizabeth Browne, who at this time lives with me, two plantations namely, one I purchased of Newit Edwards containing by estimation one hundred & nineteen & half acres, more or less, & one I purchased of West Edwards containing, by estimation, sixty acres, more or less, to him and his heirs for ever. Also I give and bequeath unto the said James Browne after the death of my mother Olive Simmons the lands & plantations given to me by my fathers last will containing by estimation fifty acres, be the same more or less, to him and his heirs forever, which lands & plantations are bound by the well known lines; also one negro man named Dread, to him and his heirs forever, but if the said James Browne should die without heir lawfully begotten of his body, then the said land and plantations as above mentioned and also said negro man named Dread, I give to my nephew James Barrett to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath unto Simmons Browne, son of the said Elizabeth Browne, the lands and plantation I purchased of Thomas Boon containing by estimation, one hundred acres, be the same more or less, and bounded by the well known lines. Also one negro boy named Will, to him and his heirs forever. Item: I give and bequeath unto Fanny Browne, daughter of the said Elizabeth Browne, my negro man named Frank to her and her heirs forever. But if either or both, the said Simmons and Fanny Browne should die without heirs lawfully begotten of their bodies, the said lands & negroes I give to be equally divided between Lucy Joyner, Patsy Joyner & John Cook, son of Jesse Cook, to them and their heirs forever and my desire is that the remainder part of my estate that I have not already will'd away should be sold and the money equally divided between the said James Browne, Simmons Browne and Fanny Browne, to them and their heirs forever. But if either of the three or all should die without heir lawfully begotten, the said money arising from the said estate should be equally divided between the said Lucy Joyner and Patty Joyner and said John Cook, to them and their heirs forever. And I do appoint my trusty friend Benjamin Barrett my whole sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament utterly revoking and annulling all and every other Will testament or bequeath whatever. AS WITNESS my hand and seal this twenty first day of February eighteen hundred and one. William Simmons (seal) Signed, sealed & delivered as this my Last Will and Testament in the presence of: Charles Birdsong Benjamin Barnes his Joel X Edwards mark Jiles X Joyner mark At a Court held for the County of Southampton the 20th day of April 1801 This Will was proved by the oaths of Joel Edwards, one of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And At a Court held for the County of Southampton the 18th day of May 1801 This Will was fully proved by the oaths of Benjamin Barnes, the other witness thereto and on the motion of Benjamin Barnes, the Executor therein mentioned who made oath according to law, Probat is granted him on giving security, whereupon &c. Samuel Kello, Cl. (clerk) Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book 5, 1797-1804 Southampton Co, VA Reel 17, pages 261-262 Note: Spelling was not corrected. Paragraphing and some punctuation were added by transcriber for ease in reading. There are no paragraphs in the original. Viz & vizt are abbreviations for videlicet which means "that is to say, namely". ___________________________________________________________________ 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 ___________________________________________________________________