1780 - Eagan to Ruth & Dick - Shenandoah Co, VA

1780 - Eagan to Ruth & Dick - Shenandoah Co, VA

11/30/1780

2

In the name of God Amen. I Rachel Eagen of the parish of Beckford County of Shenandoah & Colony of Virginia being in a very weak and low condition of health, but of a perfect mind and memory, thanks be to god for the same, calling to mind the mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a decent Christian 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, after payment of my lawful debts and funeral expenses, I give demise and dispose of the same in the manner and form following:
I give unto Ruth Whitson my kinswoman, my sorrel horse, the old black mare, the young black mare, and a two years old colt.
Item I give unto Joseph Barns, a young bay mare & one cow.
Item I give unto Charles Barns two cows and after my decease the privilege of living four years on my plantation and then to give up the said plantation to his brother Joseph Barns.
Item I give unto Ruth Whitsons children nine head of cattle and six sheep, one feather bed for Catherine Whitson, and one feather bed for Rachel Whitson, five dishes, thirteen plates & five basons to be equally divided amongst all the children.
Item I leave after my decease unto Ruth Whitson my negro woman named Lucy to serve her for the space and term of ten years, and after the expiration of the said term, the said negro woman to be set free, and I give unto the said Ruth Whitson the lower part of my plantation from my cross fence downwards.
Item. I give unto Woolfrey Caner one feather bed and two fat hogs.
Item I give unto Charles Barns two fat hogs.
Item I desire that my slave negro Dick should be set free after my decease, agreeable to his masters desire by giving security as the law requires.
Item I give and bequeath unto John Barns a certain tract of land containing four hundred acres of land, lying on the Caterbar River, South Carolina after payment of above legacies, and payments of my lawful debts, all the remainder of my estate real and personal that I disposed of desire that it may equally be divided amongst the above legatees, and I do hereby constitute and appoint my good friends, Henry Nelson Jur and Charles Barnes jointly to be Executors of this my last will and testament, and I do hereby disallow, revoke and utterly disannul all and every other form testaments, wills and legacies, bequests and executors by me in any case before named, willed and bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.
Rachel Eagan (seal)
Signed, sealed & published and delivered by the said Rachel Eagan as and for her last will & testament in the presence of us who in her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names this eighteenth day of Nov. 1780.
John Hall
Mou M Moody
John Levesque

At a court held for Shenandoah County the 30th of Nov 1780 the last will and testament of Rachel Eagan deceased was presented in court by the executors therein named and the same being fully proved it is ordered to be admitted to record, and on the motion of the said Executors on their entering into bond with security for their term and faithful administration of the said estate, leave is granted them for to obtain a probate in due form of law.
Teste, Tho. Marshall C.D.C.

WB A:409

Deed

probate date is 1780, which leads to questions regarding manumission law. However the the following will is from 1782, so an error is possible, specifically in light of the confident manner in which the writer orders Ruth and Dick to be manumitted.