Will of Willlam Berry.. found in King George County, Va willbook A-1, 1721-52
(there is also a fascinating inventory to go with the will)
In the name of God Amen I William Berry of Richmond County in
the Parish of Hanover being indisposed in body but of perfect memory blessed be
Almighty God for the same, and calling top mind the uncertainty of this life, do
make ordain and constitute this to be my last will and Testament, revoking and
disannulling all former wills and this to be my true last Will in manner and
from following.
First and principally , I reccomend my soul into the hands of the Almighty God,
hoping through the merits of Jesus Christ my Savior to have a Joyful
resurrection and full pardon and remission of all my sins, and my body I commit
to the Earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter
named and as for that worldly goods it hath pleased God to bestow upon and bless
me with, I shall dispose and leave them as followeth.
Item: I give and bequeath to my 2 sons Joseph and Enoch all the land I now stand
possessed with in Essex County being 950 acres more or less to be equally
divided between them allowing my eldest son Joseph to have the first choice and
if my son Joseph shall see cause before his brother come to age to dispose or
make sale of the whole or any part of the said land, there in his own or his
brother's behalf, that then he shall doe as he sees meet and convenient, and if
my sons Enoch and Joseph shall die with out heir then shall the said land return
to the other brother, and if they shall both die without heirs, then it shall
fall to my 2 daughters Margaret and Elizabeth to them and their heirs forever.
Item: I will give to my 2 sons Joseph and Enoch Berry my mill with that parcel
of land adjacent to the millswamp, binding upon Andrew Harrison and James Key,
to each an equal part to be at the dispose of my oldest son Joseph to see or
make use of untill his brother comes to age.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Enoch Berry the plantation I now live on
with all the land joining thereto now in my possession being the third part of
500 acres to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and for want of
such heirs to fall to my son Joseph Berry and to his heirs lawfully begotten of
his body.
Item: I give to m daughters Margaret Rogers and Elizabeth Strother a certain
tract of land known and distinguished by the name of the forest land binding
upon Henry Berry, Mr. Fitzhugh and William Pannell, divided between them by a
path and marked trees, my daughter Margaret to have her part where she now lives
and the other part to my daughter Elizabeth to her and her heirs lawfully
begotten of her own body.
Item: I give to my son Enoch Berry 2 beds and furniture, 2 cows and calves and
one thousand pounds of tobacco to be paid to him when he shall come to age.
Item: I give to my daughter Margaret 1 bed and furniture, one cow and calf and
seal skin trunk
Item: I give to my daughter Elizabeth Strother one bed and furniture, a chest of
drawers and a cow and calf.
Item: I give to my son Joseph Berry one bed and furniture, and all my
carpenter's and coopers tools and broad-cloth linen and trimming for a suit of
cothes, viz: coat vest and breeches.
Item: and it is my desire that all my other movable estate be equally divided
between my 4 children.
Item: and lastly I do constitute ordain and appoint my son Joseph to be whole
and sole executor of this my last will and Testament In witness whereof I have
set my hand .