1817 - Dejarnette to Maria - Hanvoer Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
03/26/1817
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
3
Text of Freedom Document
I William Y Dejarnette of Hanover County and State of Virginia, being in perfect health mind and memory do hereby make my last will and testament, in manner and form following that is to say.
First, I desire that my just debts be paid out of my personal estate.
2ndly I desire that my interest in the tract of land called Fall Point late the property of John Harris dec’d be sold and conveyed by my Exors herein after named on a credit of twelve months, time provided they can get as much as ten dollars per acre: one half of the money arising therefrom I give to my loving wife to her and her heirs forever and the other half to be equally divided amongst my three children.
3rdly Should my wife marry, I do desire that my Exors put my children with some respectable female teachers to be better brought up and educated under the direction of my Exors, whom also I appoint guardian to my children. It is my request I hope they will punctually attend to indeed should they qualify as my Exors (which I trust in God they will) they would be prepared did they not do so: my reason in this request is that it is the most unpleasant thing I ever thought of to have my children demeaned over by a step father, but when they arrive to such an age to be capable of judging for themselves: if be their desire and my executors should have no objections and it should be the wish of their mother and father in law that they should live them they may be permitted to do so.
4thly I do by this my last will and testament emancipated and set free Maria the mulatto girl I bought of the estate of David Richardson dec’d and her two children.
5thly I desire that my executors do carry or cause to be carried to the state of Ohio the said negroes within twelve months from my decease at the charge of my estate of course and endeavor to put them under the care of some respectable family (a Quaker family would be preferred).
6thly I desire that my Exors do for the first year furnish the said negroes with an ample support of bread & meat and a place to live at.
7thly As soon as the situation of my estate will admit and not exceeding twelve months after the said negroes shall have been carried to the said state, it is my desire that my exors to purchase one hundred acres of land in the said state in the county or some adjacent county to that in which the Quakers from the Cedar Creek settlement in the State of Virginia have remained to wit Littleberry Crew and others for the said negroes to reside on and to have a comfortable log house made on the said land for them one fourth said land to be cleared & arable at least.
8thly I lend the land thus to be purchased to Maria during her life and after her death to be equally divided between her two children to them and their heirs forever.
9thly I desire that my Exors do take out of my personal estate any sum not exceeding four hundred dollars for the purpose of purchasing said land though I suspect a much less sum will do.
10thly As to the residue of my estate I wish it divided according to the statute directing the distribution of intestate estate, believing that the law makes an equitable distribution, with this exception that one third of my estate to which my loving wife will be entitled to be selected by her and not allotted. That is she is to make choice of which negroes as may think proper so as to make up her share and take her dower in the lands where she pleases the other two thirds to be equally divided amongst all my children.
Lastly I appoint Thomas Daswell and Paul T. Daswell my brother in law and my friends and Thomas Price Jr Exors of this my last will and testament. I hope they will all qualify if they have that regard for me and my family which I have for them. I do hereby revoke all former wills by me heretofore made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, affixed my seal this 24th day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen.
W.Y. Dejarnette (seal)
Codicil to the annexed will
First. My will and desire is that my Exors heretofore named shall in twelve months after my death sell at public auction sale on a credit of one two and three years, the tract of land on which I at present live.
2ndly I give to my much beloved wife five hundred dollars value in my household furniture to be selected at her own discretion.
3rdly It is my will that the second clause of my will directing a sale of that part of the land called Fall Point which I purchased of the heirs of the late Jno Harris be revoked and it is my desire that my Exors (if in their execution they may think proper do proceed to purchase at the balance of the said heirs as they arrive to lawful [illegible] and that the profits of my estate after the support of my wife and family and if necessary any part of my personal estate be disposed of to enable them to affect so desirable an object.
4thly The debt due me from Elkanah Talley secured by a deed of trust, duly recorded I desire should be assessed to my sister Catharine and her children empowering on my Exors by all means to put it in such a situation as not to be made subject to the payment of his debts or for his use. And should my said sister determine to remove to the westward that my Exors should from the property conveyed in trust aforesaid raise the sum of two hundred dollars for the purpose of defraying the expenses of moving.
5thly Having purchased all the reversionary entered in the personal estate of William Cooke dec’d except George Richardson Cooke’s interest, my exors are at liberty to exercise their discretion in the purchase of the interest also.
6thly & Lastly. It is my will and desire that my brothers in law Thomas and Paul T. Daswell and my friend Thomas Price Junr should act as sole exors to this my last will and that my friend Francis Blunt’s name has been erased at my request. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 19th January 1817.
W. Y. Dejarnette (seal)
Witnesses
Chas Harris
Josiah Holt
John D Thilman
At a court of monthly sessions held for Hanover County at the Court house on Wednesday the 26th of March 1817.
This last will and testament of William Y Dejarnette dec’d and the codicil thereafter written were offered to proof by Thomas Daswell and Thomas Price Junr two of the Executors therein named & Smauel Richardson and Richard Morris Junr being sworn and examined declare that they are well acquainted with the handwriting of the said decease and that they verily believe that the said will was wholly written signed and sealed by him and the said codicil being proved by the oaths of Josiah Holt and John D. Thilman two of the witnesses thereto and the said will and codicil also proved by the oaths of the said Executors and are ordered to be recorded.
Teste,
William Pollard C.H.C.
A Copy Teste
Philip B Winston C.H.C.
First, I desire that my just debts be paid out of my personal estate.
2ndly I desire that my interest in the tract of land called Fall Point late the property of John Harris dec’d be sold and conveyed by my Exors herein after named on a credit of twelve months, time provided they can get as much as ten dollars per acre: one half of the money arising therefrom I give to my loving wife to her and her heirs forever and the other half to be equally divided amongst my three children.
3rdly Should my wife marry, I do desire that my Exors put my children with some respectable female teachers to be better brought up and educated under the direction of my Exors, whom also I appoint guardian to my children. It is my request I hope they will punctually attend to indeed should they qualify as my Exors (which I trust in God they will) they would be prepared did they not do so: my reason in this request is that it is the most unpleasant thing I ever thought of to have my children demeaned over by a step father, but when they arrive to such an age to be capable of judging for themselves: if be their desire and my executors should have no objections and it should be the wish of their mother and father in law that they should live them they may be permitted to do so.
4thly I do by this my last will and testament emancipated and set free Maria the mulatto girl I bought of the estate of David Richardson dec’d and her two children.
5thly I desire that my executors do carry or cause to be carried to the state of Ohio the said negroes within twelve months from my decease at the charge of my estate of course and endeavor to put them under the care of some respectable family (a Quaker family would be preferred).
6thly I desire that my Exors do for the first year furnish the said negroes with an ample support of bread & meat and a place to live at.
7thly As soon as the situation of my estate will admit and not exceeding twelve months after the said negroes shall have been carried to the said state, it is my desire that my exors to purchase one hundred acres of land in the said state in the county or some adjacent county to that in which the Quakers from the Cedar Creek settlement in the State of Virginia have remained to wit Littleberry Crew and others for the said negroes to reside on and to have a comfortable log house made on the said land for them one fourth said land to be cleared & arable at least.
8thly I lend the land thus to be purchased to Maria during her life and after her death to be equally divided between her two children to them and their heirs forever.
9thly I desire that my Exors do take out of my personal estate any sum not exceeding four hundred dollars for the purpose of purchasing said land though I suspect a much less sum will do.
10thly As to the residue of my estate I wish it divided according to the statute directing the distribution of intestate estate, believing that the law makes an equitable distribution, with this exception that one third of my estate to which my loving wife will be entitled to be selected by her and not allotted. That is she is to make choice of which negroes as may think proper so as to make up her share and take her dower in the lands where she pleases the other two thirds to be equally divided amongst all my children.
Lastly I appoint Thomas Daswell and Paul T. Daswell my brother in law and my friends and Thomas Price Jr Exors of this my last will and testament. I hope they will all qualify if they have that regard for me and my family which I have for them. I do hereby revoke all former wills by me heretofore made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, affixed my seal this 24th day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen.
W.Y. Dejarnette (seal)
Codicil to the annexed will
First. My will and desire is that my Exors heretofore named shall in twelve months after my death sell at public auction sale on a credit of one two and three years, the tract of land on which I at present live.
2ndly I give to my much beloved wife five hundred dollars value in my household furniture to be selected at her own discretion.
3rdly It is my will that the second clause of my will directing a sale of that part of the land called Fall Point which I purchased of the heirs of the late Jno Harris be revoked and it is my desire that my Exors (if in their execution they may think proper do proceed to purchase at the balance of the said heirs as they arrive to lawful [illegible] and that the profits of my estate after the support of my wife and family and if necessary any part of my personal estate be disposed of to enable them to affect so desirable an object.
4thly The debt due me from Elkanah Talley secured by a deed of trust, duly recorded I desire should be assessed to my sister Catharine and her children empowering on my Exors by all means to put it in such a situation as not to be made subject to the payment of his debts or for his use. And should my said sister determine to remove to the westward that my Exors should from the property conveyed in trust aforesaid raise the sum of two hundred dollars for the purpose of defraying the expenses of moving.
5thly Having purchased all the reversionary entered in the personal estate of William Cooke dec’d except George Richardson Cooke’s interest, my exors are at liberty to exercise their discretion in the purchase of the interest also.
6thly & Lastly. It is my will and desire that my brothers in law Thomas and Paul T. Daswell and my friend Thomas Price Junr should act as sole exors to this my last will and that my friend Francis Blunt’s name has been erased at my request. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 19th January 1817.
W. Y. Dejarnette (seal)
Witnesses
Chas Harris
Josiah Holt
John D Thilman
At a court of monthly sessions held for Hanover County at the Court house on Wednesday the 26th of March 1817.
This last will and testament of William Y Dejarnette dec’d and the codicil thereafter written were offered to proof by Thomas Daswell and Thomas Price Junr two of the Executors therein named & Smauel Richardson and Richard Morris Junr being sworn and examined declare that they are well acquainted with the handwriting of the said decease and that they verily believe that the said will was wholly written signed and sealed by him and the said codicil being proved by the oaths of Josiah Holt and John D. Thilman two of the witnesses thereto and the said will and codicil also proved by the oaths of the said Executors and are ordered to be recorded.
Teste,
William Pollard C.H.C.
A Copy Teste
Philip B Winston C.H.C.
Record Location
Old Wills:217
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Notes
land to be purchased in Ohio for Maria and her two children to live on
Files
Collection
Citation
“1817 - Dejarnette to Maria - Hanvoer Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed June 18, 2026, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/1783.