1814 - Rice to John, et al. - Bedford Co, VA

1814 - Rice to John, et al. - Bedford Co, VA

08/22/1814

13

Joseph Flood, A.M. Flood, Patsy Jones

Will Book 4 Page 134
Rice Mary will
In the Name of God Amen. I Mary Rice of Bedford County and State of Virginia being weak in Body, but fof disposinf mind and memory, & being desirous to settle my Word affairs whilts I have strength and capacity so to as do make and publish this my last will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former Wills by me at any time here to for the made; and first and principally I commit my soul unto the hands of creator, who gave it and my body to the earth to be intered in a decent manner at the discertation of my Executors herein after named, and as to such worldly estate where surth it hath pleased God intrust me I dispose of the same as followeth Impressing It is my will and desire that all my slaves to wit, John, Ned, Dick Reubin, Sucky, Seneca, Sophia Luenxa her child, Dolly & Edmund her child, Fanny and Micajah, Nelson, Matilda & Sam her children, with all their future increase be emancipated & set free, from the shakles of Slavery at my decease, but if that event should take place while they or any of them are hired out they shall continue to serve until the end of the year, and in that case they shall be entitled to one third of the proceeds of their labour or lease my further will and desire is that if the said slaves are not permitted to remain in the state by the existing laws of the same, and an act of Assembly cannot be procured suffering them to remain in that case my executors furnish them out of my estate the sum of thirty pounds to make them to remove to some other state if the said slaves shall be suffered to remain in this state, my will is that my Executors shall take the guardianship of the persons of such as are under the age of twenty one years but if Girls under the age of eighteen years and send them out to good trades, with conenantz to teach them ot cause them to be taught if a boy, reading, writing & common arthametic, & if a girl reading and writing – Furthermore, I give unto my severant Lucky my boy mare & saddle, one feather bed (not the best) with its furniture one bridle cow, with her increase to her, her heirs & assignes forever and as to the rest and reside of my Estate, I give & bequeath the same to Elizabeth Rice, daughter of Benjamin Rice my husband to her and her heirs & assignz forever – and lasty I constitute & appoint Michael Graham & Marten Key Executors of this my Last Will and Testament – In witness where of I the said Mary Rice have hereunto set my hand and seal this thirtieth day of June One Thousand eight hundred and twelve – delaring this in writing to contain my last Will and Testament
Mary Rice {S.P.}
Signed, Sealed, Published and Declared by the above named Mary Rice and for her last will & Testament persnce of who at her request and in her presence have burbed (?) our names as witness thereunto J (?) A. M. Floor Patsy Jones
At a court held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the Courthouse the 2nd day of August 1814 this last Will and Testament of Mary Rice was proven by the oaths of Joseph Flood, A. M. Flood & Patsy Jones those subscribing witnesses and ordered to be recorded.
EXC Teste, J Steptoe CBC

B4, P134 (wills)

LW&T