SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, VA - WILLS AND ESTATES - Thomas Wood, 9 Dec 1789 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I Thomas Wood of the county of Southampton being of sound mind and memory do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following - hereby revoking & disannulling, all other Wills heretofore by me made, vizt: First, I lend unto my beloved wife Mary Wood all my lands untill my children shall arive to the age of twenty one years at which time it is my will and desire that all my lands shall be laid of (off) in three equal parts and that my beloved wife shall take choice of one third which I lend unto her during her natural life, the other two thirds I desire shall, at the arrival of my children to the age of twenty one years of age be sold on twelve months credit and the money arising from the sale equally devided amongst my children "except my son Benjamin Wood" to whom I desire no devidend or distribution shall be made of any part of my estate except the bequest herein after named, and at the death of my wife I desire that the one third of my lands which I lend unto her shall also be sold and devided in the same manner amongst my children that may be alive at the time of her death, excepting as is always excepted my aforesaid son Benjamin Wood. But if my wife should die before my children arrive to the age of twenty one years, I desire that the sale of the whole of my lands shall take place at her death and the division shall be made as is before directed excepting always my son Benjamin. Second, I lend unto my beloved wife my negroes Roger, Will, Stephen and Avey during her natural life and at her death it is my will and desire that my negro man Roger shall have his freedom and that the others shall be sold with the increase in the same manner as my lands are directed to be sold and the amount devided amongst my children equally, except Benjamin as is before excepted. I also lend unto my wife all my beds and bed furniture, my chairs and tables, soonr? and harness thereto belonging, three iron pots, one frying pan, three dishes, eighteen plates, two of my best horses which I desire she may chose as also four of my best cows and calves, two of my best stears, three of my best sows and their pigs or shoats, all my sheep and my still and apparatus thereto belonging. It is my will and desire that all my property which I have lent unto my beloved wife aforesaid during her nattural life shall at her death be sold, except my negro man Roger and the money arising from the sale equally divided amongst my children, always excepting my aforesaid son Benjamin. Third, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife fifty barrells of corn and as much fodder as is sufficient for the support of the stock I have lent her and after my pork is killed, I give unto her one years provision for herself & family out of it. Fourth, I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Wood my youngest colt to him & his heirs forever and as my aforesaid son Benjamin Wood hath conducted himself in an undutiful and improper manner, I desire that he shall not enjoy or in any case possess or inherit any part of my estate but the colt I bequeathed aforesaid and it is my will that my aforesaid son Benjamin shall in every case be curtailed and disinherited of every other part of my estate but the bequest of the colt aforesaid mentioned. Fifth, For the faithful services and for his fidelity and attachment to me, I give my negro man Roger his freedom at the death of my wife which I desire he may thereafter enjoy as long as he lives. Sixth, It is my will and desire that all and every part of my property not herein before mentioned shall be sold to the highest bidder on twelve months credit and the money arising from the sale after my just debts and funerell expences are paid shall be equally divided amongst my children, excepting always my son Benjamin -and I desire that they shall each have there dividend as they arive at the age of twenty one years. Seventh, I desire that my friend John Hawkins Pond, William Wellons and Thomas Gray shall be gardians to such of my children as are under age and that my sons shall be bound out at the age of sixteen years to such trade as they may chose and to serve till they are twenty one years of age. Eighth, I nominate and appoint my friend John Hawkins Pond, William Wellons & Thomas Gray to be Executors of this my Last Will and Testament. IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this ninth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred. Thomas Wood (seal) Signed, sealed, published, declared and delivered in the presence of: Robert Magee Patrick Pond Samuel Pond Dianna Pond As a codicil to the above my Last Will and Testament: I desire that my youngest son Rowland Wood shall be well educated and that he shall not be bound to any trade unless it shall be his choice; and as I have not mentioned the names of my children in my Will as is before written and have subjoined - it is my will and desire that my daughter Mary Wood, my sons Thomas Wood, Daniel Wood & Rowland Wood and my daughter Caty Pond Wood shall be the distributees of my estate in the manner directed as is on my Will before written, after giving my son Benjamin Wood the colt I have bequeathed to him, which is all I desire he shall in any case possess or inherit of my estate. IN TESTIMONY whereof I hereunto set my hand & seal making this a part and confirmation of my Will this ninth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred. At a Court held for the County of Southampton the 19th day of January 1801 This Will was proved by the oaths of Robert Magee, Patrick Pond & Samuel Pond, three of the witnesses thereto and ordered (to be recorded), and on the motion of Thomas Gray, one of the Executors (the others refusing) therein named who made oath according to law, Probat is granted him in due form giving security. Whereupon &c&c. Samuel Kello, Cl. (clerk) Source: Library of Virginia, Will Book 5, 1797-1804 Southampton Co, VA Reel 17, page 224-226 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. 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