Will – James Reeves
Essex County, Virginia
Will Book 11 p. 401-402
29 Oct 1761
Transcription
IN THE NAME OF GOD This is the last Will and Testament of James Reeves of the County of Essex Planter I resign my soul to my Creator and Redeemer & I dispose of my Estate as follows viz. I give to my House Keeper Mary Dyke the Land and Plantation where I now live during her Life provided She remains Single & after her death or Marriage I give the said Plantation of Land to Jackson Dyke & the Heirs of his Body Remainder to Judy Dyke & the Heirs of her Body Remainder to Elizabeth Dyke and the Heirs of her Body Remainder to the other Children of my said House Keeper & their Heirs for ever. I give and devise to James Dyke the Land I purchased of Mr. James Mills to Him & the Heirs of his Body Remainder to Jackson Dyke and the Heirs of his Body Remainder to all the other Children of my Said House Keeper & their Heirs for ever but it is my Will that the Persons to whom I have devised my Home Plantation shall have the Liberty to cut & carry off of the said Land divised (sic) to the said James the wood of Twenty acres for the use of the said Plantation where I now live. I give to my House Keeper aforesaid a Negroe Woman named Phillis during her Life provided She remains single I give to James Dyke two Negroes named Harry & Rose to him & the Heirs of his Body & my Intention is to annex the said Slaves to the Land divised to Him & that They pass to the several Devisees in Remainder I give to Jackson Dyke & to the Heirs of his Body Two slaves named Joe & Hannah to pass with the Land devised to Him as annexed to the same I give to Elizabeth Dyke Three negroes named Dye, Ben & Lucey & the Increase of Dye to Her and her Heirs I give to Judy Dyke & her Heirs provided she arrived of the age of Eighteen or is married Four slaves named Sarah Abram Jac & Cris & if she dies before Eighteen not married I give the last mentioned Slaves to all the Children of my said House Keeper, I give to Susanna or Sukey Dyke a Slave named Peter to Her & her Heirs but if she should die not married before Eighteen I give the Said Slave to all the other Children of the said Mary Dyke my House Keeper I give to Mary or Molly Dyke Daughter of my said House Keeper a Negroe Girl named Nanny to Her & her Heirs but my Will is that this Have do belong to all the other Children of my House Keeper if the said Mary or Molly should die before Eighteen not married I give to my House Keeper one third Part of all my Personal Estate not disposed of during her Life or while She remains Single & after her Death or Marriage I give the said third Part to James Dyke, Jackson Dyke, Elizabeth Dyke Susanna or Sukey Dyke & Mary or Molly Dyke for ever. I desire that the remaining Two thirds of my said Personal Estate may be sold & the money is to be divided amongst the said Six Six (sic) Children of my House Keeper & my Will is that Phillis after my House Keepers Death be sold & the money be divided among te same Persons, I Constitute Captain Thomas Roane and James Dyke Executors of this my Will in Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & seal this Twenty Ninth Day of October one Thousand seven Hundred & sixty oneSigned Seal’d & Published in the James Reeves (L.S.)
Presence of / the word Jac. Being
First writ in the Margin &
The words “Increase of the said Dye”/
Al: Rose
Pitm. Clements
Phillip Gatewood
At a Court held for Essex County at Tapp.a on the 15th day of February 162, This Will and Testament of James Reeves dec.d was presented into Court and sworn to by James Dyke one of the Exors: proved by Alexander Rose and Philip Gatewood two of the Witnesses & ordered to be Recorded and at a Court Cont.d and held for said County on the 16th day of the Same month and year the said Will was proved by Pitman Clements another Witness to the same & ordered to be Certified
Test
John Lee Junr CECur