1847 - Clark to Mary, et al - Caroline Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
06/14/1847
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
3
Text of Freedom Document
I Edmund Clark of the County of Caroline in the State of Virginia, being of sound mind, though weak in body, do hereby make and ordain this my last will and testament, revoking and cancelling all former wills and testaments in manner and form following to wit:
I leave my three slaves, Mary, Charles and Anne, children of Tina, and their future increase to my friend William Blackburn upon trust that he shall have them taught trades or educated in such a way as to fit them for freedom, and that he shall emancipate them when Mary attains the age of eighteen years, or at any earlier period if he thinks fit, and remove them to the District of Columbia, the Colony of Liberia, or such other place as he may judge best, and I give him fifteen hundred dollars in trust to support and educate the said slaves out of the interest thereof, and to divide the principal and any unexpended balances of the interest equally amongst them at the period of their emancipation.
I leave to my son Edward L. Clark, during his lifetime the interest of two thousand dollars at six percent per annum to be paid to him annually by my executor, and if he marries and leaves lawful issue living at the time of his death, then the said sum of two thousand dollars shall be equally divided amongst them, otherwise, in default of such issue it shall revert to my estate, to be divided as the rest of my property.
I leave to my son Oswald B. Clark the sum of fifty dollars per annum as long as he lives to be paid by my Executor.
I leave to my wife that share of my estate which the law assigns to her.
I wish the rest and residue of my estate, both real and personal, after the payment of all my just debts and legacies to be divided into two equal parts, one of which I devise and bequeath to [blank] in trust for my daughter, Matilda P. Martin, during her life, and at her death to be equally divided amongst her children and their descendants, provided that this only include her issue by her present husband, Thomas C. Martin, nor is the property so left in trust for my daughter and her descendants to be in any manner subject to the control, liabilities, debts or marital rights of her husband. The other half of my property, after the payment of debts and legacies as aforesaid I devise and bequeath to the said [blank] in trust for my daughter Sidney B. Anderson, and at her death to be equally divided amongst her children by her present husband, John Anderson, and their descendants and this property is not to be in any manner subject to the control, liabilities, debts, or marital rights of her husband that is the husband of the said Sidney B. Anderson. The interest in my property which may under the last clause belong to my granddaughter Virginia Bruce, I wish held in trust by the said [blank] for her during her life time, and at her death to be equally divided amongst her children and their descendants and to be in no manner subject to the control, debts, liabilities or marital rights of her husband.
If my Executors should have to pay any debt or debts for which I am security for the said John Anderson, then I wish so much as he shall in such manner pay to be deducted from the share of my property above left to my daughter Sidney B. Anderson and her descendants by the said John Anderson.
I wish my servant old Suckey to be permitted to choose a mistress amongst my wife and daughter and she is not to be counted or valued as a part of the share of the person she do chooses to belong to, but shall be over and above the legacy hereinbefore devised to them, and I charge whosoever of my family she may choose as a mistress to take care of her, and not to make her work more than she wishes, and should she choose either of my daughter she is to be held in trust for the one so chosen like the rest of her legacy, free from her husband’s liabilities or control.
I constitute and appoint the said Thomas C. Martin and John Anderson and Wm Blackburn Executors of this my last will and testament.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal and set my hand this 7th day of April 1847.
Signed, sealed and published Edmund Clark (seal)
in the presence of
Jno A. Miller
Wm Jordan
Wm Jordan, Jr.
Ira White
Younger Martin
John H. Marshall
Wm Blackburn’s name as one of his Executors was deleted before signed.
John A. Miller
Codicil to this my last will and testament made this fourteenth day of April 1847 as follows:
It is my will and desire that if my son Edward L. Clark should deform his life, marry and leave lawful issue of his body, the issue so left is to have five hundred acres of my land, and if he reforms and marries alone, having no lawful issue of his body, he is to have the loan of the said five hundred acres of land, but in no case to be subject to any debts or debts that may be contracted by my said son E.L. Clark. But if said Edward should die leaving no lawful issue of his body as first named in the codicil, then the said land to return unto the body of my estate and be equally divided between my two daughters (Matilda and Sidney’s) children.
Witness my hand and seal this day and year above written.
In presence of Edmund Clark (seal)
Ira White
William Jordan Sr
John H Marshall
Younger Martin
At a court of quarterly sessions held for Carolina County at the Court House on the 14th day of June 1847.
The foregoing will was this day produced in court, proved by the oaths of John A. Miller and Younger Martin, two of the witnesses thereto, and the codicil by the oaths of Ira White and Younger Martin, two of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.
Teste,
John S. Pendleton C.C.
A Copy Teste John S. Pendleton C.C.
In Clerk’s office of Caroline County Court April 13th 1868:
On. P.C. Ramsey, Admin of Thos C. Martin this day produced to me a duly attested copy of the will of Edmund Clark, certified by John S. Pendelton late clerk of this court and the original of said will and also the will book in which it had been recorded having been destroyed in April 1865. On the application of said Administrator the said attested copy is admitted to record anew and is so recorded.
Teste
I leave my three slaves, Mary, Charles and Anne, children of Tina, and their future increase to my friend William Blackburn upon trust that he shall have them taught trades or educated in such a way as to fit them for freedom, and that he shall emancipate them when Mary attains the age of eighteen years, or at any earlier period if he thinks fit, and remove them to the District of Columbia, the Colony of Liberia, or such other place as he may judge best, and I give him fifteen hundred dollars in trust to support and educate the said slaves out of the interest thereof, and to divide the principal and any unexpended balances of the interest equally amongst them at the period of their emancipation.
I leave to my son Edward L. Clark, during his lifetime the interest of two thousand dollars at six percent per annum to be paid to him annually by my executor, and if he marries and leaves lawful issue living at the time of his death, then the said sum of two thousand dollars shall be equally divided amongst them, otherwise, in default of such issue it shall revert to my estate, to be divided as the rest of my property.
I leave to my son Oswald B. Clark the sum of fifty dollars per annum as long as he lives to be paid by my Executor.
I leave to my wife that share of my estate which the law assigns to her.
I wish the rest and residue of my estate, both real and personal, after the payment of all my just debts and legacies to be divided into two equal parts, one of which I devise and bequeath to [blank] in trust for my daughter, Matilda P. Martin, during her life, and at her death to be equally divided amongst her children and their descendants, provided that this only include her issue by her present husband, Thomas C. Martin, nor is the property so left in trust for my daughter and her descendants to be in any manner subject to the control, liabilities, debts or marital rights of her husband. The other half of my property, after the payment of debts and legacies as aforesaid I devise and bequeath to the said [blank] in trust for my daughter Sidney B. Anderson, and at her death to be equally divided amongst her children by her present husband, John Anderson, and their descendants and this property is not to be in any manner subject to the control, liabilities, debts, or marital rights of her husband that is the husband of the said Sidney B. Anderson. The interest in my property which may under the last clause belong to my granddaughter Virginia Bruce, I wish held in trust by the said [blank] for her during her life time, and at her death to be equally divided amongst her children and their descendants and to be in no manner subject to the control, debts, liabilities or marital rights of her husband.
If my Executors should have to pay any debt or debts for which I am security for the said John Anderson, then I wish so much as he shall in such manner pay to be deducted from the share of my property above left to my daughter Sidney B. Anderson and her descendants by the said John Anderson.
I wish my servant old Suckey to be permitted to choose a mistress amongst my wife and daughter and she is not to be counted or valued as a part of the share of the person she do chooses to belong to, but shall be over and above the legacy hereinbefore devised to them, and I charge whosoever of my family she may choose as a mistress to take care of her, and not to make her work more than she wishes, and should she choose either of my daughter she is to be held in trust for the one so chosen like the rest of her legacy, free from her husband’s liabilities or control.
I constitute and appoint the said Thomas C. Martin and John Anderson and Wm Blackburn Executors of this my last will and testament.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal and set my hand this 7th day of April 1847.
Signed, sealed and published Edmund Clark (seal)
in the presence of
Jno A. Miller
Wm Jordan
Wm Jordan, Jr.
Ira White
Younger Martin
John H. Marshall
Wm Blackburn’s name as one of his Executors was deleted before signed.
John A. Miller
Codicil to this my last will and testament made this fourteenth day of April 1847 as follows:
It is my will and desire that if my son Edward L. Clark should deform his life, marry and leave lawful issue of his body, the issue so left is to have five hundred acres of my land, and if he reforms and marries alone, having no lawful issue of his body, he is to have the loan of the said five hundred acres of land, but in no case to be subject to any debts or debts that may be contracted by my said son E.L. Clark. But if said Edward should die leaving no lawful issue of his body as first named in the codicil, then the said land to return unto the body of my estate and be equally divided between my two daughters (Matilda and Sidney’s) children.
Witness my hand and seal this day and year above written.
In presence of Edmund Clark (seal)
Ira White
William Jordan Sr
John H Marshall
Younger Martin
At a court of quarterly sessions held for Carolina County at the Court House on the 14th day of June 1847.
The foregoing will was this day produced in court, proved by the oaths of John A. Miller and Younger Martin, two of the witnesses thereto, and the codicil by the oaths of Ira White and Younger Martin, two of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.
Teste,
John S. Pendleton C.C.
A Copy Teste John S. Pendleton C.C.
In Clerk’s office of Caroline County Court April 13th 1868:
On. P.C. Ramsey, Admin of Thos C. Martin this day produced to me a duly attested copy of the will of Edmund Clark, certified by John S. Pendelton late clerk of this court and the original of said will and also the will book in which it had been recorded having been destroyed in April 1865. On the application of said Administrator the said attested copy is admitted to record anew and is so recorded.
Teste
Record Location
WB 32:618
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Notes
Estate to pay for education and potential relocation to Liberia or elsewhere
Files
Collection
Citation
“1847 - Clark to Mary, et al - Caroline Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed December 12, 2024, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/1807.