In the Name of God Amen, the Sixteenth Day of February A: Dom 1669- I Robert Williamson of the Isle of Wight County in Virginia Doctr. in Phisicke, being at present sick & weak, of Body, but of Sound and perfect mind & memorie, All laud & praise be given to God for the same, & considering with my self the certanietie of death, & the uncertanietie of the time when, doe make this my p sent Testamt: Declareinge my last will, in manner & forme following, (that is to say) first & principally above all earthly things I comitt my soule to Almightie God my maker, & to his Sonne Jesus Christ, my only Savior & redeemer by whose bitter death & passion, I hope & steadfastlie beeleve to be Saved, my Body I comitt to the earth from whence it came to be buried, in Christian manner as neere as may bee, to my late deceased father in law, Mr. Arthur Allen, And for such worldly goods & estate, whereas it hath pleased, God to endow me, my debts & funerall chardges, beinge first paid & discharged, I Give & Depose of the same as followeth First I give & bequeath unto my deere & welbeloved wife Jane, All that my plantation on which I now live sittuate in the above said Isle of Wight County, wyh all & Singular the houses, ediffices, buildings, orchard, garden & all oyher the appurtenances thereto belonginge, to be held & enjoyed, by my said wife, for & dureings her Naturall life wyhout waste or Spoyle, to be remitted, on the same, And from & ymmediately, After the decease or departure out of this Naturall life, of my said loveinge wife, I Give & bequeath the said plantation and all the appurtenances yereto belongeinge, unto my welbeloved, eldest Sonne, Robert Williamson, & to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten forever
Item I Give all my land att Blackwater, beinge three thousand seaven hundred Acres, more or less, wyh all the appurtenances thereto belonginge, unto my deere & welbeloved Sonns, Robert, George, Arthur, & Francis, & to the heirs of theire bodies, lawfully begotten for ever, to be equally devided between my said Sonns, share & share alike, & in case my said Sonns or any of them shall dye wyhout such heires then my will, intent, & meaninge is that the pte & share of the said land, of him or them Soe dyeinge shall come to & be devided amongest the survivors, of them & theire heirs.
Item I give unto my Said loveinge wife, the use of my fouer Negroe Servants, untill my said Sonne Robert shall attaine unto the age of Eighteene yeares, & from & ymmedeiatelie, After his Said Age, of Eighteene yeares I give unto him my Said Sonne Robert my Negro Servant called great Jack, to be enjoyed, by Said Sonne Robert & his heirs for ever,
Item I give to my said Sonne George my negro Servant called young Jack, to be enjoyed by my said Sonne George & his heirs, miediatle from & after he shall Attaine unto the Age of Eighteene Yeares. Item I give to my said Sonne Arthur, my negro called littell Moll, to be enjoyed by my said Sonne Arthur, & his heirs for ever imediatilie, from & after his Age of Eighteene yeares. And my other negro called great Moll, I give unto my said Sonne Francis & his heirs for ever, from & After the death of my Said wife, And my will, intent, & meaninge is, And soe I doe hereby ordaine, that all the increase, that shall arise by my said, Negro Women, shall be equallie deivded, between my said fower Sonnes, & the survivor or survivors of them And in case of any loss by death of any of my said Negros or any of them, the same to bee, borne equally, between my said fower sonns, and the survivor & survivors of them,
Item my will is That, my said fower children & encris of them, shall be maintayned, educated & brought up, by the profitts & encrease, of my estate, And that they shall be trained & brought up as well as this cuntry & estate will afford, And I doe hereby will & appoint that theire be no appraismt of my Estate but onely a true & p fectt Inventorie to be taken of the same, & Delivered to the Cort, And all & Singular my Goods & Chattells, cattell, & all other my reall & p sonall Estate, whatsoever not before herein given I doe hereby give And bequeath unto & Amongst, my said, wife & fower children, to be eqallie devided Amongst them, share & share alike, And lastlie I doe hereby make & ordaine my said Sonne Robert my full & sole executor of, this my Last Will & Testament, And I doe hereby Appoint my loveinge Friends Maijor: Nickolas Hill & Capt. John Grave, (Grove) Executor in trust, Desireinge them, to see this, my will p formed Accordinge as is Above directed, And I doe hereby, revoake, & make voyd all former & other wills by mee heretofore made or spoken And doe Establish this to be, my Last Will & Testamt:
In Wittnes, whereof I have caused, my will to be written in two sheetes of paper, an to each, sheete thereof have writt my name, & putt my seale on redd wax, the day & yeare above written//
Read, Signed, Sealed, published & declared to be the last will and testamt: of the said Robert Williamson in presence of us/
John HardyMr. Robert Burnett marrieinge the Relictt of Williamson gave bond to the cort for 100.00# tobo & cash, to fulfill & see p formed Wmsons will the Second Day of November 1672 his Securitie is Mr. Driver & Mr. Arhtur Allen.
This will is proved in the Isle of Wight County Cort, by the oathes of Mr. John Hardy & Mr. William Sherwood this Second Day of May 1670 - And then Recorded