1792 - Carter to Stepney, et al - Spotsylvania Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
6
Text of Freedom Document
I Edward Carter of the Town of Fredericksburg and State of Virginia being indisposed in body though of sound and disposing mind and knowing the casualties to which human life is subject, do make this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills which I have made.
Imprimis It is my will and desire that my body be buried in a decent but not pompous manner.
I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sally Carter all my houses and lots in the Town of Fredericksburg, also my plantation and house in the County of Albemarle, known by the name of Blenheim, together with all and singular the slaves, stocks & plantation utensils on the said plantation, also the tract of land near the Town of Fredericksburg which I purchased of Colonel William Champ late of Culpeper. I also give her my house servants in Fredericksburg to have and to hold the said Lotts Houses, plantations tracts of land, slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils unto my said wife for and during the term of her widowhood.
Item I give and bequeath unto my sons Charles Carter and Edward Carter all that part of my tract of land in the County of Amherst which lies on the east side of Piney River whereon my son John lives, together with the slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils on the said land to have and to hold the said land, slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils unto the said Charles Carter and Edward Carter and their heirs forever. In trust nevertheless to and for the following uses and purposes, that is to say for the purpose of supporting with the profits of the said estate my son John Carter and his wife Mrs. Apphire Carter and their children during the life of the said John Carter and the longest liver of them, and after their deaths in trust to be equally divided among the children of the said John & Apphire then living and the legal descendants of such as are dead [?perstripes?]
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Charles Carter all that part of my land lying in the County of Amherst on the upper side of Mill Creek which my said son is now in the occupation of together with three hundred acre on the lower side of Mill Creek to be laid off in the following manner to wit: beginning at the mill and running down the road in such manner as to include Habbersharms Plantation & contain the said quantity of three hundred acres, I also give him all the slaves on said land above the age of sixteen and two third of those under sixteen, also all the stocks and plantation utensils on the said land to have and to hold the said lands, slaves, stocks, and plantations utensils unto my said son and his heirs forever upon condition, however, that he, his heirs or any person for him or them to never claim or attempt to recover of my representatives any thing on account of a promise which I made to Colonel Fielding Lewis about the time my said son Charles was about to marry his present wife, the daughter of the said Colonel Fielding Lewis. I having given the above mentioned estate to my son Charles in lieu of what I then promised.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Edward Carter the plantation whereon he now lives together with as much and adjoining it as will make the whole quantity two thousand and five hundred acres to be laid off in the following manner to wit: beginning at the mill and running up the Mill Creek to the back line thence along the back line to above where the old church stood from thence along a straight line to the main road and thence up the road to the beginning, also the slaves, stocks and plantation utensils on the said land. I also give my said son Edward the mill on Mill Creek, to have and to hold the lands contained within the bounds aforementioned, the slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils on the said land, and the mill aforesaid, unto my said son Edward & his heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath to my son George all that part of my land in the County of Amherst which lies on the same side of the main road with the lands above bequeathed to my son Edward to extend as far as Piney River, to have and to hold the said land to my said son George and his heirs forever.
Item I give all my land in Amherst on the same side of the road with Habbersharms Plantation before bequeathed to my son Charles to be equally divided between my sons Whiteacre and Hill to them and their heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son William Champe Carter after the death or marriage of my wife the lots, houses, & lands which I have herein bequeathed to her during her widowhood, also plantations called Dicks and Wheelors also my land in the County of Albemarle on the south side of the mountain to extend to the top of the mountain except the plantations called Glosters Cheathams and the mill quarter together with the rents, issues and profits thereof. To have and to hold the lots, lands, and premises herein before bequeathed to my said son William Champ Carter and his heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Robert Carter my plantations in the county of Albemarle known by the name of Glocesters Cheathams and mill quarter together with the mill to have and to hold the said lands & mills to my said son Robert and his heirs forever.
Item I give unto my daughters Mary Champe and Ann Williams all the certificates or public securities of which I shall die possessed to be equally divided between them. I give also each of them a maid to be chosen by themselves out of my estate to them and their heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Stanard three slaves, a male and two females not under the age of twelve years nor over the age of twenty five years to have the said slaves to her and her heirs forever, and I request that Mr. William Stanard her husband will suffer her to dispose of them as she shall please that being my will.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Charles Carter and Mr. Franklin Thornton four slaves, one male and three females not under the age of ten or over the age of thirty years, in trust for the purpose of applying the profits of the said slaves to the maintenance of my daughter Jane Bradford and her husband Major Samuel K. Bradford and their children during the lives of my said daughter and Major Bradford and the longest liver of them & after their deaths in trust to be equally divided among the children of my said daughter Jane by the said Samuel K. Bradford.
Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sally Carter wife of Mr. George Carter eight slaves, four males and four females not to exceed the age of thirty years, or to be under ten years of age, to have and to hold the said slaves to my said daughter Sally and her heirs forever.
Item It is my will and desire that for their long & faithful service to me, my slaves Stepney who now acts as an overseer, Charles, Quash, Wheelright, Black Smith Phill, Waggoner Lott and my old waiting man will be liberated & perfectly emancipated immediately after my death, and should there be any legal impediment in the Execution of this part of my will, it is my will and desire that my Executors do use every expertise in their power to remove such impediments and to carry this my will into effect.
Item It is my will and desire that all my slaves except those that I have herein before devised unto my sons Charles and Edward in trust for my son John and his family, my son Charles, my son Edward & my daughters be equally divided among my five youngest sons, William Champ Carter, George, Robert, Whitacre, and Hill including in this bequest the slaves herein before bequeathed to my wife during her widowhood, after her life or widowhood shall be determined, to have and to hold the said slaves to my said sons & their heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Mrs. Sally Carter all my household furniture except my plate to her and her Executors forever. I also give her all my plate during her widowhood and after her death or marriage I give my plate to my two youngest daughters Mary Champe and Ann Williams.
Item All my estate not herein before disposed of I give and devise to be equally divided among my seven youngest sons Charles Edward, William Champe, George, Robert Whitacre & Hill to them and their heirs forever.
I constitute & appoint my son Charles Edward & William Champe Executors of this my will. In testimony of all which premises I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal this 21 day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two.
Teste Edward Carter (seal)
Cha’s Carter Jun.
Cha’s Carter
George Carter
George Gilman
Imprimis It is my will and desire that my body be buried in a decent but not pompous manner.
I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sally Carter all my houses and lots in the Town of Fredericksburg, also my plantation and house in the County of Albemarle, known by the name of Blenheim, together with all and singular the slaves, stocks & plantation utensils on the said plantation, also the tract of land near the Town of Fredericksburg which I purchased of Colonel William Champ late of Culpeper. I also give her my house servants in Fredericksburg to have and to hold the said Lotts Houses, plantations tracts of land, slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils unto my said wife for and during the term of her widowhood.
Item I give and bequeath unto my sons Charles Carter and Edward Carter all that part of my tract of land in the County of Amherst which lies on the east side of Piney River whereon my son John lives, together with the slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils on the said land to have and to hold the said land, slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils unto the said Charles Carter and Edward Carter and their heirs forever. In trust nevertheless to and for the following uses and purposes, that is to say for the purpose of supporting with the profits of the said estate my son John Carter and his wife Mrs. Apphire Carter and their children during the life of the said John Carter and the longest liver of them, and after their deaths in trust to be equally divided among the children of the said John & Apphire then living and the legal descendants of such as are dead [?perstripes?]
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Charles Carter all that part of my land lying in the County of Amherst on the upper side of Mill Creek which my said son is now in the occupation of together with three hundred acre on the lower side of Mill Creek to be laid off in the following manner to wit: beginning at the mill and running down the road in such manner as to include Habbersharms Plantation & contain the said quantity of three hundred acres, I also give him all the slaves on said land above the age of sixteen and two third of those under sixteen, also all the stocks and plantation utensils on the said land to have and to hold the said lands, slaves, stocks, and plantations utensils unto my said son and his heirs forever upon condition, however, that he, his heirs or any person for him or them to never claim or attempt to recover of my representatives any thing on account of a promise which I made to Colonel Fielding Lewis about the time my said son Charles was about to marry his present wife, the daughter of the said Colonel Fielding Lewis. I having given the above mentioned estate to my son Charles in lieu of what I then promised.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Edward Carter the plantation whereon he now lives together with as much and adjoining it as will make the whole quantity two thousand and five hundred acres to be laid off in the following manner to wit: beginning at the mill and running up the Mill Creek to the back line thence along the back line to above where the old church stood from thence along a straight line to the main road and thence up the road to the beginning, also the slaves, stocks and plantation utensils on the said land. I also give my said son Edward the mill on Mill Creek, to have and to hold the lands contained within the bounds aforementioned, the slaves, stocks, and plantation utensils on the said land, and the mill aforesaid, unto my said son Edward & his heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath to my son George all that part of my land in the County of Amherst which lies on the same side of the main road with the lands above bequeathed to my son Edward to extend as far as Piney River, to have and to hold the said land to my said son George and his heirs forever.
Item I give all my land in Amherst on the same side of the road with Habbersharms Plantation before bequeathed to my son Charles to be equally divided between my sons Whiteacre and Hill to them and their heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son William Champe Carter after the death or marriage of my wife the lots, houses, & lands which I have herein bequeathed to her during her widowhood, also plantations called Dicks and Wheelors also my land in the County of Albemarle on the south side of the mountain to extend to the top of the mountain except the plantations called Glosters Cheathams and the mill quarter together with the rents, issues and profits thereof. To have and to hold the lots, lands, and premises herein before bequeathed to my said son William Champ Carter and his heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Robert Carter my plantations in the county of Albemarle known by the name of Glocesters Cheathams and mill quarter together with the mill to have and to hold the said lands & mills to my said son Robert and his heirs forever.
Item I give unto my daughters Mary Champe and Ann Williams all the certificates or public securities of which I shall die possessed to be equally divided between them. I give also each of them a maid to be chosen by themselves out of my estate to them and their heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Stanard three slaves, a male and two females not under the age of twelve years nor over the age of twenty five years to have the said slaves to her and her heirs forever, and I request that Mr. William Stanard her husband will suffer her to dispose of them as she shall please that being my will.
Item I give and bequeath unto my son Charles Carter and Mr. Franklin Thornton four slaves, one male and three females not under the age of ten or over the age of thirty years, in trust for the purpose of applying the profits of the said slaves to the maintenance of my daughter Jane Bradford and her husband Major Samuel K. Bradford and their children during the lives of my said daughter and Major Bradford and the longest liver of them & after their deaths in trust to be equally divided among the children of my said daughter Jane by the said Samuel K. Bradford.
Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sally Carter wife of Mr. George Carter eight slaves, four males and four females not to exceed the age of thirty years, or to be under ten years of age, to have and to hold the said slaves to my said daughter Sally and her heirs forever.
Item It is my will and desire that for their long & faithful service to me, my slaves Stepney who now acts as an overseer, Charles, Quash, Wheelright, Black Smith Phill, Waggoner Lott and my old waiting man will be liberated & perfectly emancipated immediately after my death, and should there be any legal impediment in the Execution of this part of my will, it is my will and desire that my Executors do use every expertise in their power to remove such impediments and to carry this my will into effect.
Item It is my will and desire that all my slaves except those that I have herein before devised unto my sons Charles and Edward in trust for my son John and his family, my son Charles, my son Edward & my daughters be equally divided among my five youngest sons, William Champ Carter, George, Robert, Whitacre, and Hill including in this bequest the slaves herein before bequeathed to my wife during her widowhood, after her life or widowhood shall be determined, to have and to hold the said slaves to my said sons & their heirs forever.
Item I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Mrs. Sally Carter all my household furniture except my plate to her and her Executors forever. I also give her all my plate during her widowhood and after her death or marriage I give my plate to my two youngest daughters Mary Champe and Ann Williams.
Item All my estate not herein before disposed of I give and devise to be equally divided among my seven youngest sons Charles Edward, William Champe, George, Robert Whitacre & Hill to them and their heirs forever.
I constitute & appoint my son Charles Edward & William Champe Executors of this my will. In testimony of all which premises I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal this 21 day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two.
Teste Edward Carter (seal)
Cha’s Carter Jun.
Cha’s Carter
George Carter
George Gilman
Record Location
WB E:1156
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Files
Collection
Citation
“1792 - Carter to Stepney, et al - Spotsylvania Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed January 22, 2026, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/2374.