1796 - Neill to Daniel, et al - Frederick Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
04/07/1796
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
4
Text of Freedom Document
In the name of God Amen I Joseph Neill of the County of Frederick & Com-
mmonwealth of Virginia do make this my last will & Testament.
In the first place I give devise and bequeath unto my wife Rebeccah all
the beds with their furniture which i now possess, also three milck cows to be
chosen by her out of all the cows on my Plantation, also one Horse which she
may select from all my horses, one desk & case of Drawers now in my
house, six chairs to be chosen by her out of all my chairs, all the furniture
now in my kitchen & my house clock all of which i give to teh said
Rebeccah her heirs executors administrators & assigus for ever besides
what is hereafter devised to her in this my will.
2ndly I desire & order that the Residue of my personal Estate of every descrip-
tion be sold by my Executors hereafter named at public Auction either for
ready money or on a reasonable credit at the election of my Executors should
they my said Executors sell the same on credit it is my desire that the purchasers
enter into bond with good Security. And I do further order and appoint that
the money so raised by this said sale shall immediately after it is received by
my executors be by them put out to interest taking bond with good security
from the person to whom the same is thus lent. And the money which
I now have or may be found in my possession after my decease together with all
my bonds notes and accounts. I do request and desire my Executors to lend in
the manner aforesaid the money which I leave, my Executors are desired to thus
lend on Interest without delay & my bonds notes & accounts they are to collect
or so fix that they shall also produce a fund & draw Interest the wheat
& flour which I now have my Executors will dispose of in such manner
as they deem proper.
3rdly I desire & order that my Executors hereafter named do lease out all
the lands which I now possess including the mill and I do hereby fully
authorize my said executors to execute such lease or leases and the Rents arr-
ising therefrom together with the Interest of the amount of the property which
I have above ordered to be converted into a fund to bear interest. I desire my said
Executors to pay yearly to my said wife Rebeccah (so long as she remains my
widow) for her support and the support of my children Lydia & Lewis
& the child with which my said wife is now pregnant untill my said chil-
dren respectively attain the age of twenty one years or marry and
as my said children marry or attain the said age of twenty one
years they are to receive their share or shares of my real and
personal Estate which is to be assigned delivered to & be laid
off for them respectively, by my said Executors, should my said wife Re-
beccak marry before all, or either of my said children arrive at law-
ful age or marry then I do order appoint & direct that my said
Executors do from thenceforth retain in their hands such parts of my said
Estate that is of the Rents & Interest aforesaid as shall be the share of my
child or children then unmarried or under the age of Twenty one
years untill such child or children shall marry or arrive at said
age of Twenty one years my said Executors after the marriage of my
said said wife superintending the Education & taking care of the
property of such child or children.
4thly And I do further devise that should my said wife marry before
my children arrive at the age of Twenty one years or marry, my Executors
do immediately deliver unto her one fourth part of all my personal estate &
one fourth part of all my real Estate to hold to her, her heirs & Assigus
forever. I authorize my Executors to lay off her part of my Real Estate
5thly I devise & Bequeath to my said children Lydia & Lewis & the child
with which my wife is now pregnant the whole of my real & personal
Estate after deducting the articles specifically devised to my wife
& the one fourth part of my real & personal estate devised to my said
wife as aforesaid to have & to hold to my said children Lydia Lewis
& the child yet unborn & their heirs forever as tenants in common
in the real estate & not as joint tenants & should either of my said
children Lydia or Lewis die before they arrive at the age of twenty one
or marry then his or her part of my said Estate is to descend to the survivor
or survivors & should the child with which my wife is now pregnant
be born dead or die before it arrives at the age of twenty one years or more
then the part to be devised by this will to the survivor or survivors of my said
children. 6thly The design of this will is to give my said wife the one
fourth part of my real and personal Estate in manner aforesaid & the residue to
my children. 7thly I do hereby manumit & set free after they shall
attain the following ages the negroes hereafter mentioned to wit Daniel
Sam, Lydia, & a mulatto girl called Sarah, the males when they arrive
at the age of twenty one years & the females the age of eighteen years.
8thly I desire that all my just Debts be paid as also my funeral charges 7 I do
hereby authorize constitute and appoint my Brother Lewis Neill & my
Brother in law John McPherson Executors of this my last will & Testament
hereby revoking and sitting aside all and every other will by me made
& I do hereby declare & publish this as my last will & Testament
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this 12th day
of February 1796 - is 1796.
Joseph Neill (seal)
Signed Sealed Published Pronounced
& declared nby the above named Joseph
Neill as & for his last will & Testament in
the presence of us who in the presence of
the said Joseph Neill & in the presence of
each other at his request have signed
the same as witnesses
Arch'd Magill
Robert Miller
Jane McPherson
At a court continued and held for Frederick County the 7th day of April 1796.
This last will and Testament of Joseph Neill dec'd was proved by the oaths of Archibald
Magill & Robert Miller witnesses thereto and ordered to be Recorded. And on the
motion of Lewis Neill and John McPherson the Executors therein named who
made solemn affirmation thereto according to law certificate is granted them
for obtaining a probate thereof in due form, giving Security whereupon they
with Thomas Neill and Joseph Bond their Securities entered into and
acknowledged Bond in the penalty of Twelve Thousand Pounds conditi-
oned for their due and faithful administration of the said decedents
Estate.
Teste
Ja Keith Cl Cur
mmonwealth of Virginia do make this my last will & Testament.
In the first place I give devise and bequeath unto my wife Rebeccah all
the beds with their furniture which i now possess, also three milck cows to be
chosen by her out of all the cows on my Plantation, also one Horse which she
may select from all my horses, one desk & case of Drawers now in my
house, six chairs to be chosen by her out of all my chairs, all the furniture
now in my kitchen & my house clock all of which i give to teh said
Rebeccah her heirs executors administrators & assigus for ever besides
what is hereafter devised to her in this my will.
2ndly I desire & order that the Residue of my personal Estate of every descrip-
tion be sold by my Executors hereafter named at public Auction either for
ready money or on a reasonable credit at the election of my Executors should
they my said Executors sell the same on credit it is my desire that the purchasers
enter into bond with good Security. And I do further order and appoint that
the money so raised by this said sale shall immediately after it is received by
my executors be by them put out to interest taking bond with good security
from the person to whom the same is thus lent. And the money which
I now have or may be found in my possession after my decease together with all
my bonds notes and accounts. I do request and desire my Executors to lend in
the manner aforesaid the money which I leave, my Executors are desired to thus
lend on Interest without delay & my bonds notes & accounts they are to collect
or so fix that they shall also produce a fund & draw Interest the wheat
& flour which I now have my Executors will dispose of in such manner
as they deem proper.
3rdly I desire & order that my Executors hereafter named do lease out all
the lands which I now possess including the mill and I do hereby fully
authorize my said executors to execute such lease or leases and the Rents arr-
ising therefrom together with the Interest of the amount of the property which
I have above ordered to be converted into a fund to bear interest. I desire my said
Executors to pay yearly to my said wife Rebeccah (so long as she remains my
widow) for her support and the support of my children Lydia & Lewis
& the child with which my said wife is now pregnant untill my said chil-
dren respectively attain the age of twenty one years or marry and
as my said children marry or attain the said age of twenty one
years they are to receive their share or shares of my real and
personal Estate which is to be assigned delivered to & be laid
off for them respectively, by my said Executors, should my said wife Re-
beccak marry before all, or either of my said children arrive at law-
ful age or marry then I do order appoint & direct that my said
Executors do from thenceforth retain in their hands such parts of my said
Estate that is of the Rents & Interest aforesaid as shall be the share of my
child or children then unmarried or under the age of Twenty one
years untill such child or children shall marry or arrive at said
age of Twenty one years my said Executors after the marriage of my
said said wife superintending the Education & taking care of the
property of such child or children.
4thly And I do further devise that should my said wife marry before
my children arrive at the age of Twenty one years or marry, my Executors
do immediately deliver unto her one fourth part of all my personal estate &
one fourth part of all my real Estate to hold to her, her heirs & Assigus
forever. I authorize my Executors to lay off her part of my Real Estate
5thly I devise & Bequeath to my said children Lydia & Lewis & the child
with which my wife is now pregnant the whole of my real & personal
Estate after deducting the articles specifically devised to my wife
& the one fourth part of my real & personal estate devised to my said
wife as aforesaid to have & to hold to my said children Lydia Lewis
& the child yet unborn & their heirs forever as tenants in common
in the real estate & not as joint tenants & should either of my said
children Lydia or Lewis die before they arrive at the age of twenty one
or marry then his or her part of my said Estate is to descend to the survivor
or survivors & should the child with which my wife is now pregnant
be born dead or die before it arrives at the age of twenty one years or more
then the part to be devised by this will to the survivor or survivors of my said
children. 6thly The design of this will is to give my said wife the one
fourth part of my real and personal Estate in manner aforesaid & the residue to
my children. 7thly I do hereby manumit & set free after they shall
attain the following ages the negroes hereafter mentioned to wit Daniel
Sam, Lydia, & a mulatto girl called Sarah, the males when they arrive
at the age of twenty one years & the females the age of eighteen years.
8thly I desire that all my just Debts be paid as also my funeral charges 7 I do
hereby authorize constitute and appoint my Brother Lewis Neill & my
Brother in law John McPherson Executors of this my last will & Testament
hereby revoking and sitting aside all and every other will by me made
& I do hereby declare & publish this as my last will & Testament
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this 12th day
of February 1796 - is 1796.
Joseph Neill (seal)
Signed Sealed Published Pronounced
& declared nby the above named Joseph
Neill as & for his last will & Testament in
the presence of us who in the presence of
the said Joseph Neill & in the presence of
each other at his request have signed
the same as witnesses
Arch'd Magill
Robert Miller
Jane McPherson
At a court continued and held for Frederick County the 7th day of April 1796.
This last will and Testament of Joseph Neill dec'd was proved by the oaths of Archibald
Magill & Robert Miller witnesses thereto and ordered to be Recorded. And on the
motion of Lewis Neill and John McPherson the Executors therein named who
made solemn affirmation thereto according to law certificate is granted them
for obtaining a probate thereof in due form, giving Security whereupon they
with Thomas Neill and Joseph Bond their Securities entered into and
acknowledged Bond in the penalty of Twelve Thousand Pounds conditi-
oned for their due and faithful administration of the said decedents
Estate.
Teste
Ja Keith Cl Cur
Record Location
WB 6:151
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Files
Collection
Citation
“1796 - Neill to Daniel, et al - Frederick Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed July 10, 2026, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/3845.