Hardy County, West Virginia - Will of John McNEILL - 1806-1809 Will Bk. 1, pgs 400-403 ********************************************************************** 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. Submitted by Lowell Pankake, , February 1999 ********************************************************************** WILL OF JOHN McNEILL Hardy County, West Virginia Will Book 1, pages 400-403. Dated March 20, 1806. Presented to the Court on March 16, 1809. In The Name of God, amen, I John McNeill of the County of Hardy & State of Virginia considering the frailties of human Nature and the great uncertainty of life do by these presents make and Ordain this my last will and Testament as follows Viz: I will and Bequeath unto my Wife Amy One third of my personal and real Estate for and during her natural life including a Negro Girl named Franky -- to my said wife during her life as aforesaid I give and bequeath to my son James McNeill the plantation in Hampshire whereon he now lives and I direct and request that my said son James shall pay to my daughters Polly, and Amy, each the sum of One thousand dollars with Interest from my death until my said daughters marry or come to lawful age and to each of them & their heirs and to which payment I hold said Land Subject then to be the property of my son James and his heirs forever Subject to his mother's Dower and the legacies above mentioned -- I give and bequeath to son Jonathan McNeill one half of my home place whereon I now live, and one half the Land purchased by me of Thomas Davis - and Negroes Pompey & Bob with the young steers now in my possission the Lands to be equally divided between my said son Jonathan and his heirs and my son Strather but should my said son Jonathan die before he marries I then direct his part of said Lands to my son Strather McNeil and to be Vested in him fully at the Death of said Jonathan provided he has no heirs of his own body. All these I give to my said Jonathan subject as aforesaid and to his heirs forever Subject to the following Legacies -- I give to my son Strather McNeel the remaining half of all my home place and all the half of the lands purchased by me of Thomas Davis to be equally divided between him my son Strather and Jonathan as above stated - Subject to an equal part of said Legacies hereinafter named with my said son Jonathan And should my son Strather die before he arrives at lawfull age it is my Will and direction that the whole part now bequeathed shall revert to my son Jonathan at the death of my son Strather always subject to payment of the following Legacies and bequests To wit, I will and direct that my sons Jonathan and Strather do pay to my Daughter Anna McNeel the sum of One thousand dollars and I also give to my said Daughter a Negro Woman named Violet to her and her heirs forever -- I also direct and request them my said sons Jonathan and Strather to pay unto my Daughter Jenny McNeil the sum of Five hundred dollars to her and her heirs. I give the said sum of Five hundred dollars when she comes of age -- I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sidney McNeel The sum of One Thousand dollars to be paid by my said sons Jonathan and Strather when she marries or comes to Lawful age and I also give unto my said Daughter a Negro Girl named Betsey to her and her heirs forever -- I have already given to my Daughters Sally Pancake, and Huldy Russell and their families all that I intend and a sum equal to their other Sisters -- And Lastly I direct my Executors hereinafter named to discharge all my just Debts and to discharge all my Legacies herein Mentioned and I do constitute and appoint my sons Isaac Pancake and Jonathan McNeel my Executors with full powers to carry my said Will and Testament into full effect and to Collect all Debts due and owing to me and to convey my Various bequests in a complete manner into full affect And I hereby disavow and annul all other wills, and declare this to by my last Will and Testament (the words (my son Strather interlined before) signing - 20th day March 1806. his John X McNeel {seal} mark Signed and sealed in presence of the following Witnesses who heard him acknowledge it as his Last Will & Testament and his Act and Deed Present Strawder McNeill Jacob Yoacum James Machir At a court continued and held for Hardy County the 16th day of March 1809. This Last Will & Testament of John McNeill deced was proved by the Oaths of Jacob Yoacum & Strawder McNeill two of the Witnesses thereto & Ordered to be Recorded And on the Motion of Isaac Pancake one of the Executors named in the said Will certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form he having taken the Oath of an Executor and together with Strawder McNeill entered into & acknowledged a Bond in the penalty of three thousand dollars conditioned as the Law directs. Teste Examined Ed Williams Cl Court ------------------------------------------------- Submitted by Lowell Pankake, pankake@usfamily.net