Greenbrier County, West Virginia - Will of Andrew Hamilton - 1796 ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** The records for this work have been submitted by Randy McCoy, E-mail address: McCoyRL @compuserve.com, January, 1999. ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ANDREW HAMILTON MARCH 14, 1796 GREENBRIER COUNTY VIRGINIA In the name of God amen: I Andrew Hamilton of Greenbrier County and State of Virginia being of sound mind and judgment, but knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following: I recommend my Soul to The Divine Being and dispose of all things, and my body to be buried in decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors here and after to be mentioned. and as touching such worldly estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with. After funeral expenses are paid, I dispose of in the following manner TO WIT: I give and bequeath to my son Andrew Hamilton, got on the body of Nely Clendinnen, now the wife of George Stephenson, my negro man by the name of Manwell and my negro woman, his wife, by the name of Freasy and her child named Charles and also my negro boy by the name of George, and the plantation where he now lives, to him, the said Andrew Hamilton and his heirs forever. and my will is that the said negros shall live and keep full possession of the land they now live on until my son Andrew Hamilton come to lawful age. Only the negro boy named George, my will is that he shall be hired out yearly and the price thereof to be applied to the support of my mother. and my negro woman by the name of Lola, that is now in Kentucky, my will is that she shall be free and all her children which she has by Samuel Riley, a mulatto man, who served to the age of thirty-one years with me, and my will is that the said Samuel Riley shall pay the just and full sum of one hundred pounds current and lawful money of Virginia for the freedom of his wife and children, and the money to be paid in the space and term of one year after my death. and my will is that the said money be put to interest for the use and benefit of my two nephews Andrew and James Hamilton, sons of my brother William Hamilton, and to be equally divided between the two when they become of age. and all my horses and cattle, my will is that they be sold to pay my debts. and as to my negro woman named Rose, now in the hands of John Bird, she is his property, and her two children, Milly and Lucie, I give and bequeath Milly to my nephew Andrew Bird, and Lucie, I give and bequeath to my nephew William Bird, to them, their heirs forever. ITEM: I give and bequeath to my three nephews, William and James and Andrew McCoy, a tract of land containing fifteen hundred and eighty-four acres, lying on Old Town Creek near Point Pleasant, and it to be divided in like manner. ITEM: I give and bequeath to my nephew Anthony Bowen, a tract of land containing six hundred acres, on the road from John Currells to plea---- joining the lands of Henry Banks, and the land where John Lockridge formally lived. PAGE #2 WILL OF ANDREW HAMILTON MARCH 14, 1796 GREENBRIER COUNTY, VIRGINIA ITEM: I give and bequeath to my brother, William Hamilton,the half of the land that we formally lived on, containing eleven hundred acres in Greenbrier County on the South side of the river, or the half price of said land when sold. ITEM: I give and bequeath the other half of said land to my two nephews Moses Mann and John Bird. ITEM: I give and bequeath to my nephew Andrew McCoy, my rifle-gun. and lastly, I do constitute and appoint my trusty friends Moses Mann and James Reid, Executors, of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourteenth day of March, 1796. SIGNED, SEALED AND ACKNOWLEDGED IN PRESENCE OF: Charles Arbuckle Andrew Hamilton (SEAL) James McCoy William Morrow At Greenbrier June Court 1796, the last Will and Testament of Andrew Hamilton dec'd, was presented in Court by Moses Mann, one of the Executors therein named. Whereupon the same was proved by the oaths of Charles Arbuckle and William Morrow, two of the witnesses whereto, and on the motion of the said Executor who made oath according to law, certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereupon due form, who with Samuel Moore, William Frogg and James Peebles, his security entered into and acknowledged, their bond, in the penalty of Two Thousand Pounds with condition according to law, and James Reid,the other Executor named in the said will, refused to take upon him the burthen of the administration thereof. TESTE: John Stuart Clk. March 24,1996 LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ANDREW HAMILTON MARCH 14, 1796 GREENBRIER COUNTY VIRGINIA (Names shown in BOLD are mentioned in the Will) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | | (4) | | | | Alice Hamilton William Hamilton ANDREW HAMILTON Nancy Hamilton (Sister) (Sister) Anthony Bowen (wife) (wife) William J. McCoy Bird Moses Mann | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ____|___ | ________|________ _______|_______ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Anthony Andrew James Andrew Andrew James William Andrew John William Moses (1) (2) (3) (3) (3) (5) (5) NOTE: Land distributions as mentioned in Andrew Hamilton's Will. (1) 600 Acres on road from John Currells Adjoining lands of Henry Banks and the land where John Lockridge formally lived. (2) The Plantation where he now lives. (3) 1584 Acres lying on Old Town Creek near Point Pleasant. (4) 1/2 the land that we lived formally lived on containing 1100 acres in Greenbrier County on the South side of the river, or 1/2 price of land when sold. (5) 1/2 the land that we lived formally lived on containing 1100 acres in Greenbrier County on the South side of the river,or 1/2 price of land when sold.