Miscellaneous Wills

Will of JOHN ALFORD

Written 13 November 1748 Frederick Co VA

In the name of God Amen. I John Alford of Frederick County being very sick & weak of body but in perfect health of mind & memory Do make constitute and appoint this my last will & Testament in manner & form following. First & principally I give my soul to Almighty God my body I give to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter mentioned and for what worldly Estate it hath pleased God to bless me with my Will is that it may be disposed of in the following manner.

Imprimis I give to my beloved wife Mary Alford the use & benefit of all my Estate during her natural life except as is hereafter excepted and after her decease to be equally divided amongst all my children male & female except also the specifick legacys hereafter mentioned. Item I give to my son John Alford one negro boy named Cæsar, my still with the appurtenances thereunto belonging, my young dark bay horse called Prince & a young natural pacing mare with a blaize in her face to be delivered to him when he shall arrive to the age of nineteen years unless his mother marry before he arrives to that age & then my will is that my said son shall be possest of the above legacies directly on her said marriage always provided that my said wife Mary shall have & enjoy half the profits arising & accruing by the said still during all the time that she shall remain a widow & my will further is that if my said son John should die without heirs & before his mother that then the before bequeathed legacies shall be equally divided amonst all the rest of my children - males & females & further it is my will that my sd son John shall not enjoy or have any other part of my Estate or any share with my other children than what is above given & bequeathed to him and further it is my will that if my wife marry before or after my said son John arrives to the age of nineteen years that he after his arrival to that age & such her marriage shall have & take the Estate belonging to my other children into his hands. Item I give to my daughter Mary Alford one natural pacing young bay mare commonly called hers to be delivered to her at the day of her marriage. Item I give to my son Thomas Alford a young black pacing mare commonly called his to be delivered to him at the day of his marrying. Item I give to my son William Alford, a young dark bay yearling pacing horse commonly called his to be delivered to him at the day of his marrying. Item I give to my daughter Priscilla Alford one negro girl called Licia to be delivered her after the decease of my wife also one mare colt that came of a black mare called Flower to be delivered to her at the day of her marriage. Item I give to my daughter Aquilla Alford a young horse which came of my roan mare to be delivered to her at the day of her marriage.

Lastly I nominate & appoint my loving wife Mary Alford my sole Executrix of this my last Will & Testament hereby revoking all other wills before by me made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the 13th day of November 1748.
John Alford {seal}

Sign'd seal'd & published in the presence of Jno Sturman, John Peverly, Richard Robason [his mark]

At a court continued & held for Frederick County on Wednesday the 4th day of January 1748. This Will of John Alford dec'ed was presented into Court by Mary Alford the Executrix therein named who in open court refused to abide by the sd Will: John Sturman & John Peverley two of the witnesses thereto having on oath proved the same & John Peverley on his oath declared that he saw Richard Robinson the other witness sign the same the sd will is admitted to record.
Test. J Wood

Know all men by these presents that we Mary Alford, John Sturman, Isaac Pennington & Edward Sniggers are held & firmly bound unto Marques Calmes Gent. the first Justice in the Commission of the peace for Frederick County for & in behalf & to the sole use & behoof of the Justices of the sd county and their successors in the sum of five hundred pounds current money; To be paid to the said Marquis Calmes his Ex'rs Adm'rs & Assigns: To the which payment well & truly to be made we bind ourselves & every of us our & every of our heirs, Ex'rts & Administ'rs: jointly & severally firmly by these presents Sealed with our seals Dated this 4th day of Jan 1748.

The condition of this obligation is such that if the above bound Mary Alford Administratrix of all the goods chattels & credits of John Alford deceased with the will annexed do make or cause to be made a true & perfect inventory of all & singular the goods chattels & credits of the said dec'd which have or shall come to the hands possession or knowlege of her the said Mary or unto the hands or possession of any other person or persons for her: and the same so made do exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the County Court of Frederick at such time as she shall be thereunto required by the said court, and the same goods chattels & credits and all other the goods chattels & credits of the said deceased at the time of his death which at any time after shall come to the hands or possession of the said Mary or into the hands & possession of any other person or persons for her do well & truly administer according to law: and further do make a just & true account of her actings & doings therein when thereto required by the said Court, and all the rest & residue of the said goods chattels and credits which shall be found remaining upon the sd administratiox account the same being first examined & allowed by the Justice of the Court for the time being shall deliver & pay to such person or persons respectively as the said Justices by their order or judgment shall direct pursuant to the laws in that case made & provided: And if it shall hereafter appear that any other last Will & Testament was made by the sd deceased and the Executor or Executors therein named do exhibit the same into the said court making request to have it allowed and approved accordingly If the said Mary Alford being thereunto required do render & deliver up her Letters of Administration Approbation of such Testament being first had & made in the said Court: Then this obligation to be void & of none effect or else to remain in full force & virtue.
Mary Alford [her mark] {seal}
Jno Sturman {seal}
Isaac Pennington {seal}
Edward Sniggers {seal}

Sealed & delivered in presence of the Court.


Will of BENAJMIN BORDEN

Written 3 April 1742 Orange Co VA

In the name of God Amen the third day of April in the yeare of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & forty two I Benajmin Borden of Orange County in Virginia yeoman being in good estate of helth and of sound mind & membery thangs be given to God for it therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body I do make this my last Will and Testament that is to say princiablely & first of all I give & recommend my sole unto God that give it and for my body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christianlike manner at the decretion of my Ex'rs nothing douting but at the General Reserrection I shall recive the same again by the Mighty Power of God and touching such worlly estate it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life I give & dispose of the same in the manner & form following: Imprismiss I will all the funeral charges & my just debts should be paid and satisfied.

Item I give & bequeath to Zeruiah Borden my wife all the improvement & what lands shee has or shall have a leation (?) to ... as long as shee remains my widow & if shee should get married then shee shall have but half the improvement and what Land shee & her husband should have leation (?) to clear of this plantation I now live on in Orange County in Virginia on Spaught Run during her natural life Item I give & bequeath to my son Benajmin Borden & my son John Borden & my son Joseph Borden to them & there heirs & assigns forever this plantation and the lot on the said Spaught Run that my ...... lands on of one hundred and fifty acres that I have agreed to rent to my said three sons to be equilly devided between son Benajmin Borden & my son John & my son Joseph Borden in qualtity to be divided by way of lots drawing between my sons Benjamin & John & Joseph Borden guardians that is all this plantation I now live on excepting eight hundred acres I give to Edward Rogers and his wife Hannah Rogers and the heirs of her body forever, and five hundred acres I give William Fearnley & my daughter Marcey his wife to them & there heirs for ever. Item I give to my daughter Hannah Rogers but five shilling shee having her posion before. My Will is all my lands & estate that I have in New Jersey then to be sold and all my land at Bulsken and my land on Smith Creek & North Sherrando and all my enterrys every where and all my lands on the waters of James River should be sold excepting five thousand acres of land that is all good I give to five of my daughters that is Abegal Worthington and Rebeckah Branson and to Debourah Borden & Ledy Borden and to Elezabeth Borden that is one thousand acres of good land apease to every one of the sd five daughters above mentioned to them & their heirs and assigns forever. And all the rest of my land to be soldd aforesaid excepting this I now live on to be all sold and eaquelly divided between my wife & my son Benjamin my son John & my son Joseph and my daughter Abagal Worthington and daughter Rebeckah Branson and my daughter Marcey Fearnly & my Deburah Borden & my daughter Elizabeth Borden & my daughter Lidy Borden and my moveables to be devided between my said wife and sons Benjamin Borden Joseph Borden and my aforesaid six daughters Abegal Rebeckah Marcey and Deburah Lidy & Lezabeth Borden first before my movable estate be devided there must be taken out my grate brown riding horse and my bay mare that cam of my grate hip shot May and the best bed witt firniture to it good that I have in the house that I give to my wife first & all the test to be eaquelly between my wife & my aforesaid three sons and my six daughters as aforesaid devided. I constitute and apoint my wife Executrick & my son Benjamin Borden & my son in law William Fearnly Executors to this my last Will & Testament and to Execute deeds for the land I have sold and all other wills made by me void between the sixteen and seventeen line the words this plantation is interlined & lower down the words be & all & my & acres is interlines before ssealing & signing in the sixth line it is blated the word God in the firfteen line the Words and no longer is blated out and the words shee haveing five shillings is blated out the word Exectuors all blotted out before seeling & signing and the words and assigns is blotted out before sealing & signing -
Benjam Borden {seal}

Sealed and Delivered in the presents of us -
Thomas Sharp [his mark]
Lancelot Westcott
Edward Corder [his mark]
Thomas Haenkins [his mark]
Thomas Raxcer [could this be a Roger?]

At a court held for Frederick County on Fayday the 9th day of Oc'ber 1743

This Last Will & Testament of Benjamin Borden l'y de'd was in open court proved by Thomas Hankins, Thomas Sharp, & Lancelot Westcott three of the witnesses thereto & Zeruiah Borden Executrix & Benjamin Borden Ex'r therein named having made oath thereto according to law the same is admitted to record.
Test. J Wood CC


Will of WILLIAM BUMPASS

Written 10 March 1776 Orange Co NC

In the name of God, Amen. The tenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy six I William Bumpas of the County of Orange & province of North Carolina, being sick and weak of body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be God for the same, therefore calling the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed unto all men once to die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament, principly and first of all I give and recomend my precious and immortal soul into the hands of God that gave it me, and as for my body I recomend it to the Earth to be buried in a deasint & Cristian like manner, and that at the discretion of my Executors whom hear after I shall apoint, nothing doubting but that at the generall Resurection I shall receive the same again by the Mighty power of God and as touching my worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God in this life to bless me with in this life, after my just debts and my funarl expences are paid I give devise and dispose as followeth (to wit)

Item, I give and bequeath to my well beloved father Robert Bumpass all that tract or parcell of land whereon I now live, as allso one negroe man named Phill to him and his heirs & assigns forever. Item I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Mary Bumpass all the rest of my personal estate to her and her heirs & assigns forever, my desire is that my Estate be not appraised but the legacies b.. ... .. in kind as they are mentioned. Item I make and ordain my true and trusty friends Gabriel Davey and Mary Bumpass & Edward Bumpass soul Executors of this my last Will and Testament, ratifying this and no other to be my last & Testament. In witness whereunto I have set my hand & seal.
William Bumpass [his mark] {seal}

Isaac Vanhook, William Yarbrough, James Davis


Will of JOHN HANCOCK

Written 10 Nov 1802 Patrick Co VA. Proved Dec 1807.

In the name of God Amen I John Hancock of the county of Patrick being in good health and in my perfect since and memory thanks be to God for the mercies conferred upon me but knowing the certainty of death and that it is appointed unto all men once to die, I do make constitute and appoint this my Last Will and Testament first I commend my soul to the hand of Almity God who gave it hoping through the meritorious and cross and passion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Crist to receive a free and full pardon of all my sins committd who I trust will not reject me when I come to him for mercy my body I give to the Earth to be decently buried according to the will of my Exo'rs hereafter mentioned and as for all the rest of my Temporal Estate which it has pleased Almighty God to endow me with I give and bequeath them as followeth

Item, I give and bequeath to my son Lewis Hancock the land whereon I lived in the county of Fluvannah to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I do lend to my well beloved wife my whole & sole Estate in dors and out dors during her natural life in widowhood, and after her decease my will and pleasure is that my son Wm Hancock should have Part of the Land whereon I now live that is from the end of the mill Dam on the ridge to the north line to him and his heirs forever.

Item, the remainder Part from their down I give and bequeath to my son Major Hancock to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give and bequeath to my son Benj'n Hancock all my wearing clothes.

And after the decease of my wife my will and desire is that the rest of my estate be equally divided between my five Daughters and my son William to wit Nancy Corn Rodue Sane Elizabeth Mayo Judath Mayo & Susannah Hancock. Item, and a proportionable part with them to be given to my daughter Mary Morrisons two eldest children to wit Allen Morrison & Lucy Morrison to be sold and equally divided among them according to the will of my Exo'r hereafter mentioned to them and their heirs forever, and I do appoint my son William Hancock my whole and sole Exo'r of this my last Will and Testament revoking and making void all other wills by me made heretofore. In witness whereof I have unto set my hand and affixed my Seal this 10th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and two.

Interlined before assigned
John Hancock L.S.

  • Barna Bas Balisle (?)
  • J. John Scott [his mark]
  • Mary W.(?) Thompson [her mark]

Patrick County December Court 1807

The within last Will and Testament of J. Hancock dec'd was exhibited in Court by WIlliam Hancock the Exo'r therein named and proven by the oaths of 2 of the witnesses thereto to be the Act and Deed of said John Hancock dec'd and the same was ordered to be recorded.
Teste S. Staples C of Ct


Will of JOHN PATTON

Written 7 Jan 1799 Orange Co NC

In the name of God Amen. I John Patton being in perfect mind & memory but being in a low state of health & calling to mind that it is appointed for all men to die do make & constitute this my Last Will and Testament in manner & form following, that is to say in the first place I give & bequeath my soul to God who gave it with a sure & certain hope of a Resurrection at the Last day. I recommend my Body to the Earth to be, by my Executors, buried in a decent manner and after paying that expence and all my other just debts, I give and bequeath to my son William four hundred acres of land including the plantation I now live on. Likewise I allow my son William to maintain my wife as long as she lives - and I give & bequeath to my son John two hundred acres of land joining to my son William's if he choose to live on it and if not the land is to be my son William's. And I give & bequeath to my daughter Jean two hundred acres of land lying, joining to John's part - and likewise I give & bequeath to my daughter Mary two hundred acres of land which includes all my land and I allow all my moveable property to be sold by my Executor and equally divided among my two sons and two daughters. I give & bequeath to my son Wiliam the bound girl. I now appoint Matthew Patton my Executor of this my Last Will and Testament and I hereby revoke all other will or wills whatever. In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal this seventh day of January the year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety nine.
John Patton {seal}

Witness present: Joseph Clendenin; John McDaniel

Orange county, NC. Recorded Feb term 1799. Proved by Jos Clendenin & John McDaniel. Matthew Patton refused to execute.


If any of these are in your line, I'd be glad to add an email or webpage link to you here.