Will of Joseph Reeves
Essex County, Virginia
Deeds & Wills Book 15, Pages 75-76
3 Dec 1716
Transcription
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Joseph Reeves of the parish of Southpharnam and county of Essex, being sick and weak of body, but of sound & perfect memory prais'd be almighty god for the Same and being willing to settle my temporal affairs and dispose of that final estate that the Lord in his mercy ath lent me do make constitute & appoint my last will & testament in manner & form following Imprimus I commit my soul unto the hands of almighty god hoping through the merrits of Jesus Christ my alone Savior & redeemer to receive full pardon & remission of all my sins and a joyful resurrection at the last day and my body I commit to the ground from whence it was taken to be buried in such decemt manner as my Executor & Executrix hereafter named Shall think fit to appoint and as for such worldly estate as the Lord in his mercy hath lent me (after my just debts & funeral charges paid) I give and dispose in manner & form following -.Imprimus I give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Jane Reeves the third part of all my land during her natural life and after her decease my will l& meaning is that her third part shall be equally divided between my three sons Jackson, Joseph and James. Item I give & bequeath unto my oldest son Jackson one third part of my land to him & his heirs for ever but if my sd. Son Jackson should depart this life without an heir then my will & meaning is that his third part shall be equally divided between my other two Sons Joseph & James and their heirs for ever. I give & bequeath unto my middlemost son Joseph one other third part of my land, but if Joseph should depart this life without an heir then my will & meaning is that his third part shall be equally divided between my sons Jackson and James and their heirs for ever. Item I give & bequeath unto my youngest son James the other third part of my land to him & his heirs for ever but if my son James should depart this life without an heir then my will & meaning is that his third part shall be equally divided between my other two sons Jackson and Joseph and their heirs for ever. Item my will & pleasure is that my son in Law Jn.o Orme shall live seven years undisturbed upon the plantation he now dwells on with the liberty of the ground adjacent for his own use and timber for the plantation's use (but no more) which priviledg I freely give & bequeath to him. Item I give & bequeath all the rest of my estate moveable & immovable to be equally divided between my beloved wife Jean and my three sons Jackson, Joseph and James and I do hereby disannul revoke & make void all will or wills heretofore by me made and do declare this to be my last will & testament and no other and I do appoint my deare brother Henry Reeves and my beloved wife Jean to be whole & sole Exec.r and Exec.x of this my last will & Testament IN WITNESS I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this 3.d day of December Anno Domini 1716
Signed Sealed & Delivered in the Presence of us Joseph Reeves
Jos. Baker At a Court held for Essex County on the 16th day of July 1717
Ann Lewis This will was this day proved in open Court by the oaths of Joseph Baker and Ann Lewis
David (X) Lewis witnesses thereto and by the Court admitted to record
Test Will: Beverly CCur