SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, VA - WILLS AND ESTATES - Sion Williams, 16 Jan 1799 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- IN THE NAME OF GOD Amen, I Sion Williams of Southampton County being sick and weak in body, and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life, do make and ordain this my last will testament in manner and form following (to wit): First, I leave to my wife Mary Williams the use profits and emoluments of the plantation and one third part of the land whereon I now live, also the sorrel mare, woman's saddle & bridle, three cows & calves, twenty shoats, three feather beds and furniture, one table & chest, one loom & gier?, one iron pott, one frying pan, six sitting chairs, one cart & wheels with plantation utnesills sufficient for her use for and during the term of her natural life or widowhood. I also give her as much corn, meat, and other matter of provision and provender as now lay'd in for the use of her and my family the present year, and this I leave her in lieu of and satisfaction of any dower she may hereafter claim in my estate. Also I give to my son Drewry Williams and to my son John Williams and to my daughter Frances Bunn (Burr?) the sum of fifteen shillings current money that is to say, five shillings each and to each of them what I have already possessed them with, to them and their heirs and assigns. Also I give to my son Burwell Williams what I have already possessed him with to him and his heirs and assigns, also thirty acres of land adjoining his, to him and his heirs and assigns forever. Also I give and bequeath to my sons Jordan Williams, Silas Williams, Benjamin Williams and Jeremiah Williams and my daughter Polly Williams the sum of seventy five pounds current money, that is (to) say, fifteen pounds current money to each and to their heirs. Also I give devise and bequeath to my son Eley Williams one third part of my lands, to be laid off adjoining the lands of Burwell Williams, Amos Councell and Hardy Johnson, to him & his heirs assigns forever. Also, I give, devise and bequeath to my son Sion Williams one third part of lands to be laid off adjoining the lands of John Williams, Titus Fowler and Burwell Williams, to him and his heirs & assigns forever. Also, I do fully authorise and empower my Executor hereafter named and my friends Joseph Scott, Absolam Joyner and Samuel Rowe or any three of them to make out lines making partition and division of my lands as nearly as equal to this my last will and testament as they can alotting to each legalee his or her distinct and separate part or parcel and such lines division and alotment so uen? and made. I do hereby establish and confirm as fully and as rontily? to all intents and purposes as tho I had made out the lines myself and had fully expressed the same herein and that not withstanding any error that may be made in the quantity of land or any heretofore mentioned to the contrary or seeming to the contrary but each legatee shall hold possess & enjoy the parcel allotted to him or her whether the same be a few acres more or less than his or their equal proportion. Also, I give to my wife Mary Williams all my cotton whether manufactured, picked, spun or in the seed. Also fifteen geece. Also, I give all the remainder of my estate to be equally divided among my children: Jordan, Silas, Benjamin, & Lucy & after the death of my wife, the personal estate given her to be equally divided among my children as follows, viz: Eley, Sion, George & Polly. Also the land given unto my wife Mary Williams, after her decease, I give devise and bequeath unto my son George Williams and his heirs and assigns forever. Lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my sons Drewry Williams and Burwell Williams my whole and sole Executors to this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking and disannuling all former Wills & Testaments by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will & Tetament. IN WITNESS the said Sion Williams hath hereunto set his hand & seal this sixteenth day of January in the year of our Lord 1799. his Sion W Williams (seal) mark Sign'd seal'd, publish'd pronounce'd & declar'd by the said Sion Williams to be his Last Will & Testament before: Joseph Scott Absalom Joyner his Cordal Rowe mark Ron Denson At a Court held for the County of Southampton the 14th day of February 1799 This Will was prresented in court by Burwell Williams, one of the Executors therein named (the other refusing) prov'd by the oaths of Jo Scott, Absalom Joiner & Cordal Rowe, three of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Executor who made oath according to law, a Probat thereof is granted him on giving bond and security. Whereupon &c. Samuel Kello, Cl. (clerk) Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book 5, 1797-1804 Southampton Co, VA Reel 17, pages 131-133 Note: Spelling was not corrected.Paragraphing and some punctuation was 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 ___________________________________________________________________