1815 - Norris to Jenny & Mahalia - Cumberland Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
10/23/1815
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
2
Text of Freedom Document
In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Norris of Cumberland County being advanced in age to the time of life when I may be called from this to the World of Spirits- but being of perfect mind and in order to do equal justice to all and in order to prevent any disputes about what it may have pleased God to put in my possession do make & ordain this instrument as my last will & testament, revoking all wills of instruments by me heretofore made this being the 6th day of July 1815.
First I recommend my soul to God who gave it me & secondly that all my just debts be paid.
3rdly I give & bequeath to my wife Nancy Norris two hundred acres of land whereon she now lives to include the mansion house of three negroes viz [?Tanney Diner?] & Lucey & all the house hold & kitchen furniture which is now on the place where she lives during her natural life & after her death to be sold & the proceeds to be equally divided among all my children.
4th My will & desire is that my negro woman Jenney & her sister Mahalia shall be emancipated & free and have all the advantages & privileges that the laws of the land allow free negroes of mulattoes and that their freedom shall extend to them & all their future increase from and after my death.
5th My will & desire is that Jesse Betsey Rubin Henry & Sally children of Sally all of which I have heretofore freed & emancipated by an indenture or instrument of writing which is recorded in Cumberland Court sale after my death be free & have all the privileges and advantage that the law will allow free negroes & mulattoes & that they shall have a full right & title in & to all the property which they may have earned or purchased in my life time – or have in their possession as their own property as I have no claim to any thing that they have acquired in my life time.
6th It is my will & desire that Mariah & Fleming which is sister & brother of Jesse upon him the said Jesse becoming free after my death have the said Mariah & Fleming in his possession for two years & if at any time in the two years he the said Jesse shall pay to my Executors the sum of six hundred dollars, that then the said Mariah & Fleming shall be the property of the said Jesse to him & his heirs forever and in case the said Jesse shall fail to pay my Executors the said sum of six hundred dollars then the said Mariah & Fleming shall be sold as a part of my estate & in case of the payment of the money or the sale of the property that the amount shall be equally divided among all my children.
7th It is my will & desire that all my estate shall be sold to the highest bidder both real & personal after deducting this from all the items or special donations which I have in this instrument heretofore made and that it be divided among my children in the following manner – viz. my son William one eighth part after deducting therefrom eight hundred & fifty dollars the price of one hundred acres of land & one negro boy Robin heretofore advanced him.
My son Thomas one eighth part after deducting nine hundred dollars for cash & one negro boy Will heretofore advanced him.
My son John one eighty part after deducting one hundred & fifty dollars for two negroes Sarah & Lucey heretofore advanced him. My son David one eighth part after deducting five hundred dollars for two negroes David & Jenny heretofore advanced him. My son Daniel one eighth part after deducting three hundred dollars for one negro John heretofore advanced him. My daughter Suckey Stratton one eighth part after deducting two hundred dollars for one negro girl Sally heretofore advanced her & my daughter Mary May one eighth part after deducting four hundred dollars for two negro girls Phillis & Telday heretofore advanced her.
Thomas Norris
I do hereby nominate & appoint my two sons William & Moses my Executors to carry this my last will & testament into effect. In witness whereof I have this day & date before written set my hand to their presents.
Thomas Norris
In presence of
Jn Napier
Samuel Boatright
Chelsey H Boatright
NB interlined in fourth page tenth line & between the words deducting & two with the words five hundred dollars for & in the fifth page first line between the words nominate & my with the words & appoint NB In addition to this my last will & testament, I make this provision to wit should my wife Nancy Morris claim her thirds in the following slaves to wit Jesse, Betsey, Rubin, Henry, Sally, Jenny & Mahalia that then is my will & desire that my Executors do sell my Cold Harbor tract of land to raise money & pay my wife Nancy Morris the one third part of the value of the above slaves for her use during his life, It is my desire that the court appoint person to value the above slaves.
Thomas Norris
Rich’d P James
Wm Mayo
Cumberland Aug’t Court 1815
This last will and testament of Thomas Norris dec’d was exhibited in court and proved by one of the witnesses thereto and continued for further proof and at a court held for the said county the 25th day of September 1815 the codicil to the said will of Thomas Norris dec’d was handed in court & proved by Richard P James a witness thereto and continued for further proof and at a court held for the said County the 23rd day of October 1815 the said codicil to the said will of said Tho’s Norris dec’d was fully proven by William Mayo second witness thereto and John Napier appeared in Court and also proved the said will being a second thereto of both will & codicil was ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of William Norris & Moses Norris executors named in the said will who made oath according to law a certificate for obtaining a probate thereof in due form on the said estate of Thos Norris dec’d they having entered into bond & security according to law.
Atteste, Miller Woodson Clk
First I recommend my soul to God who gave it me & secondly that all my just debts be paid.
3rdly I give & bequeath to my wife Nancy Norris two hundred acres of land whereon she now lives to include the mansion house of three negroes viz [?Tanney Diner?] & Lucey & all the house hold & kitchen furniture which is now on the place where she lives during her natural life & after her death to be sold & the proceeds to be equally divided among all my children.
4th My will & desire is that my negro woman Jenney & her sister Mahalia shall be emancipated & free and have all the advantages & privileges that the laws of the land allow free negroes of mulattoes and that their freedom shall extend to them & all their future increase from and after my death.
5th My will & desire is that Jesse Betsey Rubin Henry & Sally children of Sally all of which I have heretofore freed & emancipated by an indenture or instrument of writing which is recorded in Cumberland Court sale after my death be free & have all the privileges and advantage that the law will allow free negroes & mulattoes & that they shall have a full right & title in & to all the property which they may have earned or purchased in my life time – or have in their possession as their own property as I have no claim to any thing that they have acquired in my life time.
6th It is my will & desire that Mariah & Fleming which is sister & brother of Jesse upon him the said Jesse becoming free after my death have the said Mariah & Fleming in his possession for two years & if at any time in the two years he the said Jesse shall pay to my Executors the sum of six hundred dollars, that then the said Mariah & Fleming shall be the property of the said Jesse to him & his heirs forever and in case the said Jesse shall fail to pay my Executors the said sum of six hundred dollars then the said Mariah & Fleming shall be sold as a part of my estate & in case of the payment of the money or the sale of the property that the amount shall be equally divided among all my children.
7th It is my will & desire that all my estate shall be sold to the highest bidder both real & personal after deducting this from all the items or special donations which I have in this instrument heretofore made and that it be divided among my children in the following manner – viz. my son William one eighth part after deducting therefrom eight hundred & fifty dollars the price of one hundred acres of land & one negro boy Robin heretofore advanced him.
My son Thomas one eighth part after deducting nine hundred dollars for cash & one negro boy Will heretofore advanced him.
My son John one eighty part after deducting one hundred & fifty dollars for two negroes Sarah & Lucey heretofore advanced him. My son David one eighth part after deducting five hundred dollars for two negroes David & Jenny heretofore advanced him. My son Daniel one eighth part after deducting three hundred dollars for one negro John heretofore advanced him. My daughter Suckey Stratton one eighth part after deducting two hundred dollars for one negro girl Sally heretofore advanced her & my daughter Mary May one eighth part after deducting four hundred dollars for two negro girls Phillis & Telday heretofore advanced her.
Thomas Norris
I do hereby nominate & appoint my two sons William & Moses my Executors to carry this my last will & testament into effect. In witness whereof I have this day & date before written set my hand to their presents.
Thomas Norris
In presence of
Jn Napier
Samuel Boatright
Chelsey H Boatright
NB interlined in fourth page tenth line & between the words deducting & two with the words five hundred dollars for & in the fifth page first line between the words nominate & my with the words & appoint NB In addition to this my last will & testament, I make this provision to wit should my wife Nancy Morris claim her thirds in the following slaves to wit Jesse, Betsey, Rubin, Henry, Sally, Jenny & Mahalia that then is my will & desire that my Executors do sell my Cold Harbor tract of land to raise money & pay my wife Nancy Morris the one third part of the value of the above slaves for her use during his life, It is my desire that the court appoint person to value the above slaves.
Thomas Norris
Rich’d P James
Wm Mayo
Cumberland Aug’t Court 1815
This last will and testament of Thomas Norris dec’d was exhibited in court and proved by one of the witnesses thereto and continued for further proof and at a court held for the said county the 25th day of September 1815 the codicil to the said will of Thomas Norris dec’d was handed in court & proved by Richard P James a witness thereto and continued for further proof and at a court held for the said County the 23rd day of October 1815 the said codicil to the said will of said Tho’s Norris dec’d was fully proven by William Mayo second witness thereto and John Napier appeared in Court and also proved the said will being a second thereto of both will & codicil was ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of William Norris & Moses Norris executors named in the said will who made oath according to law a certificate for obtaining a probate thereof in due form on the said estate of Thos Norris dec’d they having entered into bond & security according to law.
Atteste, Miller Woodson Clk
Record Location
WB 5:107
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Files
Collection
Citation
“1815 - Norris to Jenny & Mahalia - Cumberland Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed October 13, 2026, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/1570.