Will of Henry Reeves
Essex County, Virginia
Will Book 7, pg. 381-383
14 Jul 1745
Transcription
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMENI Henry Reeves of the Parish of South farmham in the County of Essex of Virginia Planter being sick of Body but of perfect sence (sic) & memory, thanks be to almighty god for the same and calling to mind the Transitory Estate of man and that flesh was to yield to death when please god to call, doe (sic) make & ordain this my Last will & Testament in manner & form following, first & principally I bequeath my soul into the hands of Almighty God, Not doubting but Through The Merritts & passion of Jesus Christ my Savior & Redeemer to Receive full pardon & Remission of all my past Sins and my body to the Earth from when it Was Taken to be decently buried as to my Executrix hereafter named Shall Seem meet & Convenient & as for the Estate god in mercy hath bestowed upon me I give & bequeath as followeth Viz.
Item I Lend unto my Loving wife Jochebed Reeves for & During the Term of her Natural Life my horses & plantation whereon I now Live Together with on (sic) half of my Land thereunto Belonging Item I give and bequeath unto my son Henry Reeves & to his heirs forever Imediately (sic) after the decease of my above sd. Wife Jochebed Reeves, my Land & Plantation whereon I now live together with all my Land thereunto adjoyning (sic) or belonging Item I give & bequeath unto son Brewer Reeves & his heirs forever my plantation at the Church whereon Mr. John Corrie Now Lives Together with all my Tract or parcell of Land thereunto adjoyning (sic) or belonging Item I give and bequeath unto my son John Reeves & to his heirs forever all my plantation & Tract or parcell of Land whereon Joseph Demillo now lives Together w.th the Annuall Rents to him my said Son John & his heirs or Assigns forever thereof from the date hereoff (sic) Item I give & bequeath unto my above Named Three son’s (sic) Henry Brewer, & John my Negro woman Sue, my Negro Girl Cate my Negro Girl Doll my Negro, boy called Great Tommy, my Negro boy Tom & my negro boy called little Jemmy Together w.th their Increase unto my said three son’s (sic) & their heirs forever the Devision of the said Six Negroes here above given & bequeathed my will & desire is Shall be made when my said Son Henry Shall Respectively arive (sic) to the age of Eighteen years, my said son John having the first Choyce if he shall desire it &c Item I give unto my Daughter Marry my Negro woman Phillis my Negro Boy Bacchus my Negro, boy Jacob Together with their Increase unto my said Daughter Marry & her heirs Forever Item I give & bequeath unto the child whether male or female that my wife Jochebed Reeves is now with Child with Eighty pounds Sterling money of Great Britain to be p.d when my said Child shall arrive to Lawful age Item I give & bequeath unto Each of my before mentioned five children one fether (sic) bed & furniture, to them & their heirs forever Item I Lend unto my Loving wife Jochebed Reeves During her widowhood all my other Negroes not heretofore given in this my will as also all my other personall Estate not heretofore in this my will given away dureing (sic) the above sd. Term & after her decease to be Equally devided (sic) between my five children & their heirs forever – Item I doe Constitute appoynt & ordain my Loving wife Jochebed Reeves my whole and sole Executrix, of this my Last will & Testament hereby deniing (sic) & disanulling (sic) all and Every will or wills heretofore by me made hereby Rattifying (sic) & Confirming this to be my Last will and Testament.
IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal this 14th day of July Ann.o 1745
his
Henry H Reeves (Seal)
mark
ITEM it is my will and desire that my Estate be Inventoried but not appraised and the Inventory thereof Recorded, but that my Executrix above named, be not compelled to give Surety on any Terms whatsoever, in Relation of all or any part of this my will.
SIGNED Sealed & Published
In the presence off (sic)……..}
Jno. Evans Jr.
AT A COURT held for Essex County at Tappahannock on the Nineteenth day of November Anno Domini 1745 This Last will and Testament of Henry Reeves deceased was Presented in Court by Jochebed Reeves the Executrix therein Named who made oath thereto and being also proved by the oath of John Evans the only Witness thereto was admitted to Record and is Truly Recorded –
Teste
John Lee ClCur