1820 - Hill to unnamed slaves - Sussex Co, VA

1820 - Hill to unnamed slaves - Sussex Co, VA

11/02/1829

number not stated in will

In the name of God Amen. I Henry Hill of the County of Sussex being in my perfect senses & memory thanks be to Almighty God for the same & knowing that it is appointed for all to die, do make & ordain this to be my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say.
Imp’s My will is that all my just debts & funeral expenses be first paid & discharged by my Exors whom I shall hereafter appoint.
Item I give & bequeath unto Green H. Booth my Stoney Creek plantation to him & to his heirs forever. My will & desire is that my wife should lend unto Green H. Booth as many of the negroes lent or given to her as she may think proper so to do.
Item I give & bequeath unto Smith Parham the plantation & tract of land lying on the high hills on both sides Nottoway River & all the slaves on the said plantation that at this time belongs to me except those that will be divided at my death all which said slaves & land I give to him and to his heirs forever. And the slaves that is on the said plantation undivided & will be at my death I give and bequeath unto Smith Parham’s daughter Henrietta Elizabeth Parham to her & to her heirs forever.
Item I give & bequeath unto Rebecca Studevant one hundred dollars cash to be paid her by my Executors & one bed & furniture to her & to her heirs forever. My will & desire is that my Executors pay unto the Methodist Preachers forty dollars to be equally divided between them.
It is my desire that my wife may keep the estate of my brother William Hill in her hands & support him so long as my brother may wish her so to do & it is further my wish & desire that after the death of my wife that Mr William Parham may have the management of my brother supporting him & keeping him so long as he may think proper to live with him & to take into his hands all his estate with his approbation.
Item I give and bequeath unto my dear & well beloved wife Elizabeth Hill my estate that I possess in lands not heretofore given away. I give to her & to her heirs forever. And all my household & kitchen furniture together with all the rest of my estate not heretofore given away except my negroes which I shall hereafter dispose of to her & to her heirs forever. And all the slaves that I am now in possession of except those I have already disposed of, I lend to my wife Elizabeth Hill during her life & after her death then it is my will & desire that all the negroes before lent to my wife during her wife be emancipated & set at liberty to all intents & purposes from the heirs of myself or the heirs of any other person whatsoever claiming under me.
My will & desire is that there be no appraisement of my estate. And lastly I do nominate and appoint my dear and well beloved wife Elizabeth Hill & my friends William Parham & Hubbard Wyatt Jun Executors of this my last will & testament revoking all other wills by me heretofore made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this eleventh day of October one thousand eight hundred & fifteen.
Signed, sealed, published, & declared Henry Hill (seal)
in the presence of
Wilkins J. Hunt
William Noble Sen’r
Ric’d Epps
Edward Wyatt

At a court held for Sussex County the 2nd day of November 1820. This last will and testament of Henry Hill dec’d was presented into court and proved by the oaths of Richard Epps and Edward Wyatt two of the subscribing witnesses and ordered to be recorded.
See page 135 for Exors qualification Teste, J.C. Bailey Clk

WB I:130

Last Will & Testament

All slaves to be freed at wife's death. Further research necessary to ascertain names and number of individuals freed