1855 - Edwards to Joshua, et al - Orange Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
01/22/1855
Manumitter
Number of Persons
31
Text of Freedom Document
In the name of God Amen. I Joseph Edwards of the County of Orange and State of Virginia, being of sound mind and disposable memory, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other wills heretofore made by me.
Item 1st I hereby subject all my estate, real and personal, to the payment of my debts, to the payment of all legacies, and the satisfaction of all the various provisions, which I shall hereinafter specify, and for that purpose, I hereby authorize and empower my executors hereinafter named to sell so much of my estate as may become necessary, to pay all my debts, to pay all the legacies, and defray all the charges that this my last will may make necessary, except such of my slaves as I shall emancipate who will be hereinafter named.
Item 2nd I hereby emancipate and set free the following slaves namely Joshua, Godfrey Willis, Horace, Billy, Patsy and her child Frank, Malvina and her child Thornton, Harriett, Ophelia & her son Andrew, Grace, Maria, Delphia, Amy Valentine, Bristol, Edward, William Washington, Milly, Amanda and Rachel and her children London, Jane, Julia, Abraham, Laurence and Lydia, Winney, Phillis and Christin and boy Charles, Jane’s son, and any child or children that the females before named shall bear.
Item the 3rd I hereby direct, authorize and empower my executors to expose at public auction the plantation on which I live, my stock of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, plantation utensils, household and kitchen furniture, and my crops of all kinds, the sales to be made upon such terms as my executors shall think best.
Item the 4th It is my will and desire that my slaves shall be retained two years after my death and longer if my executors shall deem it best and hired out by my executors, and for this the title is vested in my executors for this purpose.
Item the 5th At the expiration of the time for which the slaves shall be hired by my executors, I direct and require them to remove all my slaves to some non slave holding state.
Item the 6th I hereby direct that out of the proceeds of the sales of property herein directed to be sold, and the hires of the slaves, that my executors shall pay to my man William Washington the sum of six hundred dollars and to my woman Milly one hundred and fifty dollars.
Item the 7th I hereby direct that my executors shall remove my slaves to some non slave holding state when they shall deem it necessary, the expenses of removal to be paid out of my estate and for the heavy burden imposed on my executors to execute said undertaking, I hereby direct that they shall have the sum of five hundred dollars.
Item the 8th I hereby will and direct that the proceeds of sales of my property and the money arising from the hires of slaves, after defraying all charges on that fund, shall be divided among my slaves except William Washington and Milly and her family, the distribution of such surplus among my slaves to be made by my executors as they may deem just and equitable.
Lastly I hereby appoint Richard M. Chapman and [blank] executors of this my last will and testament and having full confidence that they will faithfully perform all the duties and obligations imposed upon them, it is my will and desire, and I hereby request that the Court of Orange will not require them to give security in any manner as executors or to perform any duty imposed on them by this my will. In testimony whereof I have hereto put my hand & seal this third day of December 1846.
Signed, sealed, published Joseph Edwards (seal)
& declared by the testator
to be his last will and
testament in our presence
& at his request
R.H. Catlett
Tho. A. Robinson
N. Pendleton Catlett
P.S. Fry
At a monthly court held for the County of Orange at the courthouse on Monday the twenty second of January 1855. This last will and testament of Joseph Edwards deceased was proved by the oaths of Thomas A. Robinson and Philip S. Fry witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of Richard M. Chapman, the executor therein named, who made oath thereto according to law and entered into and acknowledged a bond which is ordered to be recorded without security (the will directing that none should be required) in the penalty of thirty thousand dollars, conditioned as the law directs. Certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.
Teste
Item 1st I hereby subject all my estate, real and personal, to the payment of my debts, to the payment of all legacies, and the satisfaction of all the various provisions, which I shall hereinafter specify, and for that purpose, I hereby authorize and empower my executors hereinafter named to sell so much of my estate as may become necessary, to pay all my debts, to pay all the legacies, and defray all the charges that this my last will may make necessary, except such of my slaves as I shall emancipate who will be hereinafter named.
Item 2nd I hereby emancipate and set free the following slaves namely Joshua, Godfrey Willis, Horace, Billy, Patsy and her child Frank, Malvina and her child Thornton, Harriett, Ophelia & her son Andrew, Grace, Maria, Delphia, Amy Valentine, Bristol, Edward, William Washington, Milly, Amanda and Rachel and her children London, Jane, Julia, Abraham, Laurence and Lydia, Winney, Phillis and Christin and boy Charles, Jane’s son, and any child or children that the females before named shall bear.
Item the 3rd I hereby direct, authorize and empower my executors to expose at public auction the plantation on which I live, my stock of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, plantation utensils, household and kitchen furniture, and my crops of all kinds, the sales to be made upon such terms as my executors shall think best.
Item the 4th It is my will and desire that my slaves shall be retained two years after my death and longer if my executors shall deem it best and hired out by my executors, and for this the title is vested in my executors for this purpose.
Item the 5th At the expiration of the time for which the slaves shall be hired by my executors, I direct and require them to remove all my slaves to some non slave holding state.
Item the 6th I hereby direct that out of the proceeds of the sales of property herein directed to be sold, and the hires of the slaves, that my executors shall pay to my man William Washington the sum of six hundred dollars and to my woman Milly one hundred and fifty dollars.
Item the 7th I hereby direct that my executors shall remove my slaves to some non slave holding state when they shall deem it necessary, the expenses of removal to be paid out of my estate and for the heavy burden imposed on my executors to execute said undertaking, I hereby direct that they shall have the sum of five hundred dollars.
Item the 8th I hereby will and direct that the proceeds of sales of my property and the money arising from the hires of slaves, after defraying all charges on that fund, shall be divided among my slaves except William Washington and Milly and her family, the distribution of such surplus among my slaves to be made by my executors as they may deem just and equitable.
Lastly I hereby appoint Richard M. Chapman and [blank] executors of this my last will and testament and having full confidence that they will faithfully perform all the duties and obligations imposed upon them, it is my will and desire, and I hereby request that the Court of Orange will not require them to give security in any manner as executors or to perform any duty imposed on them by this my will. In testimony whereof I have hereto put my hand & seal this third day of December 1846.
Signed, sealed, published Joseph Edwards (seal)
& declared by the testator
to be his last will and
testament in our presence
& at his request
R.H. Catlett
Tho. A. Robinson
N. Pendleton Catlett
P.S. Fry
At a monthly court held for the County of Orange at the courthouse on Monday the twenty second of January 1855. This last will and testament of Joseph Edwards deceased was proved by the oaths of Thomas A. Robinson and Philip S. Fry witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of Richard M. Chapman, the executor therein named, who made oath thereto according to law and entered into and acknowledged a bond which is ordered to be recorded without security (the will directing that none should be required) in the penalty of thirty thousand dollars, conditioned as the law directs. Certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.
Teste
Record Location
WB 12:125
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Notes
estate to pay for transport and settlement in a free state, funds from remaining estate sale to be divided among freed people
Files
Collection
Citation
“1855 - Edwards to Joshua, et al - Orange Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed June 17, 2026, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/2766.