1822 - Fox to Matilda - Spotsylvania Co, VA

1822 - Fox to Matilda - Spotsylvania Co, VA

12/02/1822

2

In the name of my Lord so be it, I Polly Fox, of the County of Spotsylvania and State of Virginia being in perfect sense and memory but calling to mind the uncertainty of this life do hereby endeavor to settle my temporal affairs in a manner that I trust will be most pleasing to God. I beg to commit my soul not his hands with a full assurance of pardon and salvation through the atoning merits of Jesus. I wish my body to be entered in the family burying ground and am well assured that the period will commence when ascension of this my body and soul will take place and a separation will no more be expected as to the property it has pleased god to bless me with. I dispose of in the following manner after paying my just debts whereas my brother John Fox did render me some services in managing my business after the death of my brother James H. Fox I made him a conveyance of the fourth part of the negroes left me by my said brother as a compensation for the services rendered reserving to myself the privilege of paying it off in cash if I chose it. Now I desire that a negro woman named Letty and her children may be sold to some good person convenient to her husband and a part of the money arising from the sale of the said negroes appropriated to the payment of the claim my brother John Fox has against me which I deem a full compensation for all the services he has hitherto rendered me. I also give to my said brother a bed and furniture and the bookcase that is now in my house nevertheless I desire that the said bookcase may contain all my papers and not be opened until the arrival of my two Executors John Scott Fox of North Carolina and Wm B Wallace’s Junior of Alabamina. All the estate both real and personal that was left in my possession by Edmond Fox deceased for the benefit of his infant daughter Philadelphia Fox I have in my case of my above named executors to be managed in the best possible manner for her benefit. I do also give to my said niece Philadelphia Fox daughter of Edmon Fox deceased one hundred dollars per year for her maintenance and education until she arrives to the age of sixteen years old. She is now only six last March, this sum to be paid by my executors instead of the legacy left her by her uncle James H. Fox deceased. I also give to my said niece a good bed and furniture. I also desire that my servant girl Matilda may be employed in waiting on my said niece fifteen years and then I desire that Matilda may be emancipated and enjoy her freedom for life. I desire that Claynie’s son Beverly may be bound to a good trade until he arrives to the age of twenty one and then to be emancipated and to enjoy his freedom for life. I desire that my executors may attend to the above named negroes Beverly and Matilda and manage for them so that they shall not be sold or made slaves of. I desire that Sylvia and her two youngest children may belong to my beloved sister Barbara T. Wallace at her death I give Sylvia and her two youngest children Charles and Richard to my niece Fanny Wallace. I give to my nephew William B. Wallace Sylvia’s two children named Moses and Solomon. I desire that all my other negroes may be carried by my executors to the State of Kentucky all that are not named in this will unless any should prefer being sold to going there in that case I wish them to be indulged all and every one that are willing to go I desire may be carried there and hired or otherwise employed for one year and all that are then over forty years old I set free and wish them to enjoy their freedom forever all the balance of my negroes I leave to be employed for the benefit of my executors until they arrive to the age of thirty and then to be free during the remainder of their lives and this manner of acting I wish kept up for thirty years and then I leave them all free at the expiration of 30 years. I desire that all my people and the increase of them may all be free, the profits arising from the said negroes during the space of thirty years. I give to my executors John S. Fox and William B. Wallace as a compensation for the care and attention I require of them towards my little adopted child Philadelphia Fox daughter of my brother Edmond Fox deceased and they will have to answer at the great day of gods judgment to whether they have done her justice all kind of property that I possess and is not herein [illegible] for the claims I am entitled I leave to my. I leave my above named Executors to enable them to execute this my last will and testament revoking all others heretofore made. I desire that my Executors John Scott Fox and William B. Wallace may give to Lucinda Fox daughter of my brother John and to John Fox Junior his son sixty dollars each soon as convenient after my decease my old horse [?pomp?] must be fed and well taken care of while he lives. Now I declare this to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 26th day of June 1822.
Elizabeth Haydon Polly Fox (seal)
Elizabeth A. Haydon
Rebecca Baxter

I give to Rebecca Baxter the dish and pine table that sits in the room where I sleep. Now I declare this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 27th day of June 1822.
Elizabeth Haydon Senior Polly Fox (seal)
Elizabeth A. Haydon Junior
Rebecca Baxter

I desire that my little adopted child Philadelphia Fox may be boarded at Mr. Hulls the next year to go to school and I leave it to the discretion of my executors where to keep her at school until she arrives to the age of ten or twelve years old then I presume she will be capable of being sent to school in Alexandria or Fredericksburg and I wish her to continue at school until she is 16 or 18 years of age.
The sixty dollars I gave to John Fox in a former clause in this will I now give to my niece Hannah Fox supposing that John would make a bad use of it. Now I declare this to be my last will and testament revoking all others heretofore made. In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 21st day of August 1822.
Rebecca Baxter Polly Fox (seal)
At a court held for Spotsylvania County the 2nd day of December 1822
The last will and testament of Polly Fox deceased was proved by the oaths of Elizabeth A. Haydon and Rebecca Baxter two of the witnesses thereto and the two codicils annexed to said will was also proved by the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.
Teste, R.L. Stevenson C.S.C.
See certificate & bond recorded
Folio 285 & 286

WB K: 260

Last Will & Testament