1807 - Taylor to Hannah - Patrick Co, VA

1807 - Taylor to Hannah - Patrick Co, VA

01/1807

1

In name of God Amen. I James Taylor of Patrick County & State of Virginia being weak in body, yet in perfect senses, do make & ordain constitute & appoint this my last Will & Testament in manner & form following to wit. I will my soul to God who gave it through the meritorious meditation of Jesus Christ for the pardon of my sins & salvation of the same & my body to the ground from whence it was taken to be decently buried after & according to the directions of my executors herein after mentioned fully depending for the resurrection of the same at the last day & as for the rest of my Estate which it hath pleased Almighty God to bestow on me I will it as follows to wit.
Imprimis. I will that all my just debts that I owe to any manner of person be punctually paid.
Item. I will my whole & sole estate to my dear & well beloved wife during her natural life or so long as she is my surviving widow.
Item. I will that my negro woman slave named Hannah at my wife’s death be emancipated liberated & set free according to the law in that case made & provided.
Item. I will to bequeath to my son James Taylor after his mother’s death the land & plantation whereon I now live to him & his heirs forever. I will & give to my son David Taylor after his mother’s death, his or the first choice of my three negroes named Worrick, Isaac, & Jacob to be to him at the appraisement of my personal estate then & in that case my desire is that he pay to the rest of the legatees or any one or more of them the overplus after withholding his equivalent part as above to be paid back in property valued either by the same appraised or some other men against the slave that may be his choice & the said slave to be to him & his heirs forever.
Item. I will to my son James Taylor the next choice of my said slaves after his mother’s death on the same terms & in the same manner & under the same restrictions as the above item to my son David Taylor to the said James & his heirs forever.
Item. I will to my daughter Ellenor Adams after her mother’s death the next choice of the three slave in the manner & form as to my sons David & James to her the said Ellenor & her heirs forever. Item. I will that all the rest of my personal estate be sold & equally divided after my beloved wife’s decease or discontinuance of widowhood between my daughters Grizzle Collier, Virlinda Cummings (tho’ her part to remain in the possession of the Executors for her support as she needs it & at her decease if any left to go to her lawful issue), Mary Lockhart & Milley Reynolds together with what may be coming from the legatees to whom I willed my slaves if the valuation of them exceed an equivalent part to each to whom they are willed & if they do not amount to an equal share of my personal estate & still the slaves to go as before directed to them & their heirs forever.
Item. Lastly I appoint my son David Taylor & my son in law Jn Adams my Executors of this my last will & testament hereafter revoking & disannulling all other wills whatever. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this day of [blank] in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & five.
James Taylor (seal)
Signed, sealed, published
pronounced & declared by the
trustees as his last will &
testament in the presence of us
who at his request subscribed
our names hereunto in the
presence of each other
Sam’l Staples
Henry Roger
John Roger Jr.

Patrick January Court 1807
This will was partly proven in open court to be the act & deed of the within named James Taylor dec’d & certified for further proof & afterwards at July Court following, the same was further & fully proven & ordered to be recorded.
Teste, A. Staples D.C.

WB 1:95

Last Will & Testament