1798 - Brown to Sarah - Dinwiddie Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
court date n/a
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
1
Text of Freedom Document
"In the name of God, Amen. This twenty second day of January one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight, I Noah Brown of the County of Dinwiddie being very sick & weak of body but of perfect mind & memory, thanks be to god therefore, calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed unto all men once to die, do make & ordain this my last will & testament that is to say, principally & first of all.
I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my body, I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like & decent manner at the discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise, & depose of in manner following.
I lend to my beloved wife Martha Brown during her widowhood or until my son Lewis Brown arrives to age of twenty one years the whole of my estate both real and personal, and at that period my desire is that the estate may be divided in the following manner.
Item I lend to my beloved wife Martha Brown during her natural life or widowhood one hundred & sixteen & two thirds acres of land to the cut off at the lower end of my tract, also I lend her one negro girl named Beck, one negro boy named Dick, a feather bed & furniture, two cows & calves, & a foal to be raised from my gray mare for her natural life.
Item I give to my son Lewis Brown one hundred & sixteen acres & two thirds of land adjoining Isaac Lunsford reserving therein a home for one of my daughters as long as she lives single to him & his heirs forever.
Item I give to my son Burwell Brown one hundred & sixteen acres & two thirds of land lying at upper part of my tract reserving therein a home for my other daughter as long as she lives single to him & his heirs forever.
Item My will & desire is that my sons land may be laid off & possession given them as soon as they arrive at the age of twenty one years.
I leave the whole of my estate except what is before given to be equally divided between my three sons Lewis Brown, Burwell Brown, Noah Brown and my two daughters Susanah Baugh & Patsy Winfield to be delivered to them by my Executors when they come to the age of twenty one years & if any of them should depart this life before they come to age or without an heir that their part of the estate shall be equally divided amongst the rest of the children to them & their heirs forever.
Item I give the one hundred and sixteen acres of land & two thirds lent my wife during her life or widowhood to my son Noah Brown & his heirs forever after that period.
Item My desire is that my negro woman Sarah may be liberated according to law after the expiration of ten years from the date of these presents.
I nominate and appoint my wife Martha Brown & Joseph Malow my only & sole Executors of this my last will & testament, and I do hereby disallow, revoke & disannul all and every other former testament, wills, and legacies, requests & Executors by me in any ways before this time named, willed & bequeathed. Ratifying & confirming this and no other to be last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & year before written.
Signed, seal’d Noah Brown (seal)
and acknowledged
in presence of
William Bell
William Sturdivant
William Baugh"
I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and for my body, I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like & decent manner at the discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise, & depose of in manner following.
I lend to my beloved wife Martha Brown during her widowhood or until my son Lewis Brown arrives to age of twenty one years the whole of my estate both real and personal, and at that period my desire is that the estate may be divided in the following manner.
Item I lend to my beloved wife Martha Brown during her natural life or widowhood one hundred & sixteen & two thirds acres of land to the cut off at the lower end of my tract, also I lend her one negro girl named Beck, one negro boy named Dick, a feather bed & furniture, two cows & calves, & a foal to be raised from my gray mare for her natural life.
Item I give to my son Lewis Brown one hundred & sixteen acres & two thirds of land adjoining Isaac Lunsford reserving therein a home for one of my daughters as long as she lives single to him & his heirs forever.
Item I give to my son Burwell Brown one hundred & sixteen acres & two thirds of land lying at upper part of my tract reserving therein a home for my other daughter as long as she lives single to him & his heirs forever.
Item My will & desire is that my sons land may be laid off & possession given them as soon as they arrive at the age of twenty one years.
I leave the whole of my estate except what is before given to be equally divided between my three sons Lewis Brown, Burwell Brown, Noah Brown and my two daughters Susanah Baugh & Patsy Winfield to be delivered to them by my Executors when they come to the age of twenty one years & if any of them should depart this life before they come to age or without an heir that their part of the estate shall be equally divided amongst the rest of the children to them & their heirs forever.
Item I give the one hundred and sixteen acres of land & two thirds lent my wife during her life or widowhood to my son Noah Brown & his heirs forever after that period.
Item My desire is that my negro woman Sarah may be liberated according to law after the expiration of ten years from the date of these presents.
I nominate and appoint my wife Martha Brown & Joseph Malow my only & sole Executors of this my last will & testament, and I do hereby disallow, revoke & disannul all and every other former testament, wills, and legacies, requests & Executors by me in any ways before this time named, willed & bequeathed. Ratifying & confirming this and no other to be last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & year before written.
Signed, seal’d Noah Brown (seal)
and acknowledged
in presence of
William Bell
William Sturdivant
William Baugh"
Record Location
Loose Wills
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Files
Collection
Citation
“1798 - Brown to Sarah - Dinwiddie Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed February 12, 2025, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/1745.