1859 - Hoff to Milly - Frederick Co, VA
Manumission Item Data Item Type Metadata
Date
02/28/11859
Manumitter
Manumitted
Number of Persons
1
Text of Freedom Document
I John Hoff of Frederick County Virginia do make this my last Will &
Testament, hereby expressly revoking all wills by me heretofore made
I wish and direct that all my estate except as hereinafter excepted shall be
sold by my executors upon such terms as they may deem best and at public
or private sale at their discretion leaving it to them also to decide when it may
be best to bring it or any part of it into market. The property which I do not
wish sold is as follows. negro woman Milly and her children - all my personal
property including my riding carriage harness & one horse them I dispose of
specially as will presently appear. After the payment of my debts &
Expenses of administration I make the following bequests to wit
1st I bequeath to my dear wife Mary the sum of Five Thousand dollars ($5000.00
to be hers absolutely. I give her also $500.00 for life and hereby expressly give
her the power to dispose of the said $500.00 at her pleasure But if she dies without
having by will or otherwise expressly disposed of the same, in that case I wish
it to go to my servant Milly and her children. I also give to my wife my servant
Milly & her children to be hers for life (At her death I wish Milly to be emancipated
and set free by my executors) I give her also my riding carriage & harness and one
horse - her choice of any of which I die possessed Also all my house furniture (except
that in the parlor & the Eight day clock) and all my other personal effects whatsoever
2d I bequeath to my neice Elizabeth wife of James H Barnhart the sum of fifteen hundred
dollars ($1500.00) my parlor furniture and Eight day clock one feather bed of good
size & quality also six silver table spoons and as many tea spoons
3d I bequeath to my neice Juliett Hoff the sum of one Thousand dollars ($1000.00)
one feather bed of good size & quality six silver table spoons & as many tea spoons
4th I bequeath to Eliza Kern wife of Nimrod Kern one Thousand dollars $1000.00
5th I bequeath to my Sister Margaret Pritchard the sum of two hundred & fifty dollars
and to each of her five daughters Elizabeth, Caroline, Mary Emily, Francis
the like sum of two hundred & fifty dollars, in all $1500.00 to herself & family
If either of them should die before me her share to go to the others
6th To my friends Frederick Schultz and Robert B Wolfe or the survivor of them
I bequeath the sum of five hundred dollars which I desire them to put out
at interest or invest and apply the proceeds to Keep up the library of the
Sunday School of the Lutheran church of which I am a member should
this expression of my wish as to the application of this sum impair
the legal validity of this devise I hereby expressly provide that in such
case the said sum of $500.00 shall be held by the said Frederick Schultz and
Robert B Wolfe or the survivor of them as their or his individual and absolute
property to be used by them at their discretion
7th After all these objects are provided for I will & direct that the whole residue
of my property be divided equally between my wife and two neices Elizabeth
and Juliett one third to each
8th I wish the legacy of $5500 to my wife to bear legal interest from the day of my death
the other legacies from the expiration of one year after my death if not then paid
9th A man named Renner owes me a sum of money for land which
he bought of me. I do not wish him pressed if he will make the debt safe, but
with this general expression of my wish I leave the matter to be arranged as
my executors may think best.
10th And I moreover provide that any of the children of negro Milly
who shall be 21 years old at the time of my wifes death shall then be Emancipated
and any who are under that age shall each serve until they obtain the age of 21 years
and then be Emancipated their hire in the mean time to go into the mass of my Estate
11th I nominate my friends & relations Frederick Schultz and Robert B Wolfe Executors of this Will
and desire that they may not be required to give security (the words "my servant" and "I wish milly"
were interlined on the first page before the signing of this will)
12th Furthermore I give to Frederick Schultz & Robert B Wolfe or the survivor of them
One Thousand dollars to be invested as they please the interest from one year after my
death to be paid by them annually to my Sister Mary Barnhart so long as she lives
After her death I wish the Said $1000 to be divided equally between my two nieces
Elizabeth Barnhart & Juliett Hoff that is to say $500 to each
In Testimony of which I hereunto set my hand & seal this 13th day of February 1858
Signed sealed & acknowledged } John Hoff (Seal)
in presence of the undersigned }
present to each other & to }
the Testator
Robt B Wolfe
W S. Miller
1st Codicil to this my Will In addition to what I have devised in the
foregoing will I now devise or bequeath to Elizabeth Ann Rebecca F Godfrey
M. & Catherine Otto Children of Robert B & Mary C Wolfe the sum of
two hundred and fifty dollars each in all $1000 to bear interest from
the expiration of one year after my death if not then paid
Witness my hand & seal this 14th day of June 1858
The foregoing will acknowledged } John Hoff (Seal)
and this codicil signed }
sealed & acknowledged in }
the presence of the }
undersigned present }
to each other and to }
the Testator }
Teste
John S Miller }
Godfrey S Miller }
At a Court held for Frederick County on the 28th day of February 1859
this last will & Testament of John Hoff decd was proved by the oath of William
S Miller & the Codicil thereto by the oaths of Godfrey S Miller & John S Miller
witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded & on motion of Frederick Schultz &
Robert B Wolfe the Executors therein named who made oath according to law
certificate is granted them for obtaining probate thereof in due form on their
entering into bond without security agreeably to the provision of the will whereupon
they entered into and acknowledged bond in the penalty of Forty thousand dollars
conditioned as the law directs
By the Court
J Riely cc
Testament, hereby expressly revoking all wills by me heretofore made
I wish and direct that all my estate except as hereinafter excepted shall be
sold by my executors upon such terms as they may deem best and at public
or private sale at their discretion leaving it to them also to decide when it may
be best to bring it or any part of it into market. The property which I do not
wish sold is as follows. negro woman Milly and her children - all my personal
property including my riding carriage harness & one horse them I dispose of
specially as will presently appear. After the payment of my debts &
Expenses of administration I make the following bequests to wit
1st I bequeath to my dear wife Mary the sum of Five Thousand dollars ($5000.00
to be hers absolutely. I give her also $500.00 for life and hereby expressly give
her the power to dispose of the said $500.00 at her pleasure But if she dies without
having by will or otherwise expressly disposed of the same, in that case I wish
it to go to my servant Milly and her children. I also give to my wife my servant
Milly & her children to be hers for life (At her death I wish Milly to be emancipated
and set free by my executors) I give her also my riding carriage & harness and one
horse - her choice of any of which I die possessed Also all my house furniture (except
that in the parlor & the Eight day clock) and all my other personal effects whatsoever
2d I bequeath to my neice Elizabeth wife of James H Barnhart the sum of fifteen hundred
dollars ($1500.00) my parlor furniture and Eight day clock one feather bed of good
size & quality also six silver table spoons and as many tea spoons
3d I bequeath to my neice Juliett Hoff the sum of one Thousand dollars ($1000.00)
one feather bed of good size & quality six silver table spoons & as many tea spoons
4th I bequeath to Eliza Kern wife of Nimrod Kern one Thousand dollars $1000.00
5th I bequeath to my Sister Margaret Pritchard the sum of two hundred & fifty dollars
and to each of her five daughters Elizabeth, Caroline, Mary Emily, Francis
the like sum of two hundred & fifty dollars, in all $1500.00 to herself & family
If either of them should die before me her share to go to the others
6th To my friends Frederick Schultz and Robert B Wolfe or the survivor of them
I bequeath the sum of five hundred dollars which I desire them to put out
at interest or invest and apply the proceeds to Keep up the library of the
Sunday School of the Lutheran church of which I am a member should
this expression of my wish as to the application of this sum impair
the legal validity of this devise I hereby expressly provide that in such
case the said sum of $500.00 shall be held by the said Frederick Schultz and
Robert B Wolfe or the survivor of them as their or his individual and absolute
property to be used by them at their discretion
7th After all these objects are provided for I will & direct that the whole residue
of my property be divided equally between my wife and two neices Elizabeth
and Juliett one third to each
8th I wish the legacy of $5500 to my wife to bear legal interest from the day of my death
the other legacies from the expiration of one year after my death if not then paid
9th A man named Renner owes me a sum of money for land which
he bought of me. I do not wish him pressed if he will make the debt safe, but
with this general expression of my wish I leave the matter to be arranged as
my executors may think best.
10th And I moreover provide that any of the children of negro Milly
who shall be 21 years old at the time of my wifes death shall then be Emancipated
and any who are under that age shall each serve until they obtain the age of 21 years
and then be Emancipated their hire in the mean time to go into the mass of my Estate
11th I nominate my friends & relations Frederick Schultz and Robert B Wolfe Executors of this Will
and desire that they may not be required to give security (the words "my servant" and "I wish milly"
were interlined on the first page before the signing of this will)
12th Furthermore I give to Frederick Schultz & Robert B Wolfe or the survivor of them
One Thousand dollars to be invested as they please the interest from one year after my
death to be paid by them annually to my Sister Mary Barnhart so long as she lives
After her death I wish the Said $1000 to be divided equally between my two nieces
Elizabeth Barnhart & Juliett Hoff that is to say $500 to each
In Testimony of which I hereunto set my hand & seal this 13th day of February 1858
Signed sealed & acknowledged } John Hoff (Seal)
in presence of the undersigned }
present to each other & to }
the Testator
Robt B Wolfe
W S. Miller
1st Codicil to this my Will In addition to what I have devised in the
foregoing will I now devise or bequeath to Elizabeth Ann Rebecca F Godfrey
M. & Catherine Otto Children of Robert B & Mary C Wolfe the sum of
two hundred and fifty dollars each in all $1000 to bear interest from
the expiration of one year after my death if not then paid
Witness my hand & seal this 14th day of June 1858
The foregoing will acknowledged } John Hoff (Seal)
and this codicil signed }
sealed & acknowledged in }
the presence of the }
undersigned present }
to each other and to }
the Testator }
Teste
John S Miller }
Godfrey S Miller }
At a Court held for Frederick County on the 28th day of February 1859
this last will & Testament of John Hoff decd was proved by the oath of William
S Miller & the Codicil thereto by the oaths of Godfrey S Miller & John S Miller
witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded & on motion of Frederick Schultz &
Robert B Wolfe the Executors therein named who made oath according to law
certificate is granted them for obtaining probate thereof in due form on their
entering into bond without security agreeably to the provision of the will whereupon
they entered into and acknowledged bond in the penalty of Forty thousand dollars
conditioned as the law directs
By the Court
J Riely cc
Record Location
WB 25:580
Document Type
Last Will & Testament
Notes
additional research needed to ascertain names and number of individuals freed
Files
Collection
Citation
“1859 - Hoff to Milly - Frederick Co, VA,” Manumission Project, accessed October 13, 2026, https://manumissionproject.omeka.net/items/show/4117.