SURRY COUNTY, VA - WILLS - Arthur Allen, 6 Feb 1709 --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- WILL OF ARTHUR ALLEN (b. 1651) In the name of God amen, I Arthur Allen of Lawnes Creek Parish, in ye county being sick and weak in body but of perfect sense and disposing minds and memory, all land and praise be given almighty God, therefore, and having in remembrance the certainty of death but the uncertainty of lifetime when do settle, establish, make and ordaine this my Last Will and Testament in manner following: First, and principally and far more worthy in esteem and considered rather any outward good or enjoyments, I commend my Lord the Almighty God the Father of Spirits trusting and firmly on believing through merrittes of God in Jesus Christ release from pardon and remission of my sins whenever this mortal life shall cease and it is then also my will and desire that my body be committed to ye earth to be buried in Christian manner at the discretion of my next hereafter named. I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint my most dear and tender wife, Katherine, dutyful son John, Executor and Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament hereby making trustrates(?) null and void all former Wills by me made and proceed to first establish and confirm this my Last Will and Testament. That is to say: For what worldly estate it hath pleased the Lord in mercy to possess me with after my last debts and funeral charges are defrayed, I give and bequeath and dispose of as follows: I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife all ye lands, tenements and hereditaments formerly estate of her father Coll. Lawrence Baker, late, of this county, deceased, to be held and enjoyed by my said wife for and during her natural life, and immediately after her decease I give and bequeath the Mannour House of ye said dividend and with the appurtenances thereunto belonging with all of land lying on ye eastside of ye second swamp and on ye southside of a branch which is south from place known by name of the Hurtleberry Pocason and by said ye said branch to the fork then through the pasture near ye said Mannour House until it falls into the swamp which comes from plantation of Mr. Thomas Drew to my son James and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever, and for want of such heires to my son Joseph and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever and for want of such heires to my son Arthur and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever. A. E. Allen sealed w/red wax (1710) Signed, sealed and delivered to be ye Last Will and Testament of the subscriber in presence of: Tho. Holt John Baily Tho. Waller signum Wm Drew Arth Blair John Wilson I give and bequeath to my son John and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever all that part of one thousand acres of land granted to me by Pattent dated the twenty-ninth day of Aprill, Anno Dom. 1692 which lyeth on ye westside of ye second swamp in this parish and county forever and the remaining parts of ye said Pattent both lying on ye eastside of ye said second swamp I give and bequeath to my son James and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever. I further give and bequeath to my said son John and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten forever two hundred acres of land scituate near the mouth of Upper Chippoakes Creek in ye county aforesaid bounded north upon James River and south into ye woods, the same being granted to me by Pattent dated ye twenty-eighth day of September Anno Dom. 1680 and I also give to my son John about one hundred acres of land being part of two hundred acres purchased of Mad'm Sarah Bland by deeds of lease and release dated the twelvth day of October Anno Dom.1794 the said one hundred acres be the same more or less bounded as follows southerly upon a Pattent of two hundred acres long since granted to my father Arthur Allen late of this county deed easterly on a draw or bottom commonly known by ye name of Crab Tree bottom and immediately after by a small branch descending therefrom until it joynes the mouth of Billifon(?) Swamp near the Mill Damm northerly upon Billafon(?) Swamp to Thomas Hart's line of maple trees and westerly by ye said Hart's line and my own land purchased of Mr. Dunston to ye above said Pattent of this hundred acres to him my said son John and the heires of his body lawfully begotten forever and for want of such heires to my son Arthur and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever and I also further give to my son John and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever one hundred and fifty acres scituate in Lawnes Creek Parish in ye county aforesaid purchased of Arth. Long late of this county deed and now in ye tenured occupation of John and Adeline Baley and for want of such heires to my son Joseph and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever. A. E. Allen sealed w/red wax Signed, sealed and delivered to be ye Last Will and Testament of ye subscriber in presence of: Tho. Holt John B. Baley Tho. Waller signum William Drew Arth. Blair John Wilson I give and bequeath to my son Arthur and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever thirteen hundred acres of land lately purchased by me of Mad'm Sarah Bland by deeds of lease and release bearing date ye thirteenth day of November 1707 being within the same more or less and I also further give to my son Arthur and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever one hundred acres of land be ye same more or less being ye remainder of a purchase by me made of Mad'm Sarah Bland by deeds of lease and release dated the twelfth day of October Anno Dom. 1704:forty-two hundred acres more or less and whereof ye other parts if already bequeathed to my son John and for want of such heires I give and bequeath both ye said parcels, grants or dividends of land to my son Joseph and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever. I give and bequeath to my sons Arthur and Joseph and to ye heires of their bodies respectively eighteen hundred acres of land granted to me by Pattent dated twenty-fifth day of Aprill Anno Dom. 1703 and scituate on ye south side of ye main Blackwater Swamp in ye county of Isle of Weights, the upper halfs thereof commonly called Coppahaunch to my son Arthur and the heires of his body lawfully begotten and for want of such heires to my son Joseph and the heires of his body lawfully begotten and ye lower half commonly called Warrashe(?) to my son Joseph and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten and for want of such to my son Arthur and ye heires of his body lawfully begotten. And further give and bequeath to my son Joseph and to ye heires of his body lawfully begotten forever my plantation at a place commonly called Round Hill in ye upper parish of ye county of Isle of Weights county whereon Darby Bohsom now lives containing two hundred and seventy acres and for which a survey is long since lodgd(?) in Mr Seerths(?) office and for want of such heires I give and bequeath ye said parcels of land to my son Arthur and ye heires of his body. A. E.Allen sealed w/red wax Signed, sealed and delivered to be ye Last Will and Testament of the subscriber in presence of: Tho. Holt Arch Blair Tho. Waller John Wilson Wm Drew John B. Baley signum I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth, the wife of William Bridger, for and during her natural life, three hundred and sixty acres of land scituate at a place commonly called and known by the name of Round Hill in upper parish of ye county is Isle of Weights for which, together with ye land sale above, as mentioned in a survey is long since log'd(?) in Mr. Seeretorie's(?) office and immediately after my said daughter's decease, I give and bequeath said three hundred and sixty acres to my nephew Joseph Bridges and to his heires forever. A. E. Allen sealed w/red wax Signed, sealed and delivered to be ye Last Will and Testament of ye subscriber in presence of: Tho. Holt John Wlson Wm Drew John B. Baley Arch. Blaire signum Tho. Waller I, Arthur Allen, being sick and weak in body but blessed to the Lord of sound and desparing mind and memory do further make and continue this my Last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say I give and bequeath to my entirely beloved wife my four slaves Jack & Ivy his wife Frank, and her daughter Hannah and I further give my said loving wife my watch together with her chamber furnished or twenty pounds sterling in lieu thereof at her election. I give and bequeath to my son John my three slaves Robin and Jean his wife, and Billy and I further give my son John my scripture. I give and bequeath to my daughter Katherine my three slaves Sam, Abigail and Moll. I give and bequeath to my son James my three slaves Joyco(?) wife to Harry Lucius(?) and Tom and further give my said son James my bigest cane. I give and bequeath to my son Arther my three slaves Peter and Bess, his wife, and their child, Rose(?) and I further give my son Arthur my other cane. I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann my three slaves Peg(?), Savory(?), and Moll's son Dick. I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary my three slaves Jean's child Sam and Frank's children Ned & Luci(?). I give and bequeath to my son Joseph my three slaves George, Bess's children Sue and Peter. I give and bequeath to my loving sister Joan Procter my slave, Doll. I give and bequeath to my loving sister Elizabeth Jackman my son-in-law William Bridger to each of them a ring of twenty schillings value. A. E. Allen sealed w/red wax Signed, sealed and delivered to be ye Last Will and Testament of ye subscriber in presence of: Arch Blair Tho. Wallace Saul? Green? John Baley marks And for as much as there is mention before me made of three slaves given to my daughter Katherine: Sam, Abigail and Moll and for as much as Moll is at this present very sick and weak, it is my will and desire that if my said slave Moll departs they live another twelve months after ye date hereof that then my said daughter Katherine have and enjoy. And I hereby give and bequeath to my said daughter Katherine my negro Great Dick in lieu Moll, but if ye said Moll happens to live beyond that time, is my will and desire that ye said negro Great Dick be sold to ye both advantage and the money added to my estate in gross. I give and bequeath to my entirely beloved wife the one-third part of all ye lands I now possess for and during her natural life which together with my former bequests herein before mentioned of ye lands formerly belonging to Coll. Lawrence Baker, her deceased father is in full of her dower and also either house I have that she shall choose and her side saddle and furniture. I give and bequeath to my two grandchildren Joseph and Martha Bridger my two slaves Maree(?) and Little Dick, the children of Doll; the girl to Martha and ye boy to Joseph to be possessed and enjoyed by them my said grandchildren immediately after their mother's decease and not before and it is my will and desire that their aforesaid mother, my daughter Elizabeth Bridger, have and received the rise(?) and benefit of ye labour of the said negro children for and during her natural life, and that if she happens to survive either or both of her aforesaid children that she then retaine them. And I do hereby give her full power and authority by her Will in writing to dispose of one or both of said negro children for their lives according as it may happen that one or both of her aforesaid grandchildren may dye before her and this to be in full of her parts and portion of my estate or of my son Bridger's further claims to any parts or parcels thereof. I give and bequeath to my two grandsons William and Samuel Bridger, when they come to ye: age one and twenty years to be then paid them by my Execut: to each a small silver tankard of the value of five pounds sterling. A. E. Allen sealed w/red wax Signed, sealed and delivered to be ye Last Will and Testament of ye subscriber in presence of: Arch. Blair Tho. Waller John Wilson. John B. Baily mark It is my will and desire that ye Mill and Mill Dame that I have made some considerable progress in making and building upon one of ye branches of lower Chippoakes Creek be pursued, carried on and finished with all possible expedition, and ye charge thereof to be born out of ye gross of my estate and afterwards to return again to my estate to be valued accordingly. For all the rest and the remainder of my estate after my debts and legacies are paid, I give and bequeath, to be equally divided, between my dearly beloved wife and my seven children, viz: John, Katherine, James, Arthur, Ann, Mary and Joseph. And this my further will and desire that all my said children that have not yet attained the age of eighteen years be capable, and I hereby ordaine and appoint my said children respectively to be capable at that age to receive, possess and enjoy their several and respective legacies herein before mentioned but forasmuch as there is at thy present in ye hands of my son John a small parcell of goods and other merchandises to ye value of about fifty pounds to be carried on and improved by trade by him, the said John, in a joynt stock between him, my said son John, and my son Arthur, and also a small stock of hogs sheep and cattle between said sons likewise now in the hands of Rich Ford at Nottaway Parish to be carried on and improved also to ye purpose aforesaid and the one mately(?) of all and singular the said principals and profits to be delivered to my said son John to my said son Arthur if he lives to attain the age of twenty-one years otherwise the whole to so belong to my said son John. It is my will and desire and I hereby nominate constitute and ordaine my dearly beloved wife, Katherine and my son John Execut. of this my Last Will and Testament. In testimony of all which have hereto, as well as formerly, to other parts of this my Last Will in three severall places set my hand and seal being both sealed together in two sheets of paper this 6th day of February 1709. A. E. Allen sealed w/red wax Signed, sealed and delivered to be the Last Will and Testament of ye subscriber in presence of: Arth. Blair Thomas Waller John Wilson John B. Baily At a court held at Southmark for County of Surry September ye 5th 1710. The above Will was this day presented in court by the oaths of Thomas Waller, William Drew and John Baily. Witnesses thereto: Vere Record: Test: A. Allen, C. Curr. The above Will was this day proved in court by the oaths of Thomas Waller, William Drew and John Bailey witnesses thereto: Test: John Allen, Cl. Cu. Vere Recorded Test: John Allen Cl. Cu. NOTE: Spelling is as shown on original; Paragraphing added by me, the transcriber for ease in reading. Isle of Wight was spelled “Weights” in this document. Source: Library of Virginia; Deeds, Wills, etc. 6, 1709-1715 ___________________________________________________________________ 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 ___________________________________________________________________