Will of William Byrd I
Westover Parish, Charles City County, Virginia
July 8, 1700

   In the name of God Amen, July 8, 1700, I Wm. Byrd of the parish of Westopher in the county of Charles City in Virginia, Esq; being in perfect health & sound memory, blessed & praised be Almighty God therefore but considering the frail estate of all mortal men do make, ordain, constitute, & appoint this my last will and testament in manner and form following:

   First, I bequeath my soul to God that gave it hoping through the merits & meditation of my ever-blessed savior & redeemer Jesus Christ to obtain pardon and remission of all my sins and to inherit life everlasting.

   I bequeath my body to the ground to be decently buried at the charge and direction of my executor & for the worldly goods it hath pleased God to bless me with I give, bequeath, order, & dispose of in manner and form following:

   Item - I give to the poor of Henrico parish ten pounds & to the poor of Westopher parish ten pounds to be paid at the discretion of my executor with advice of the minister of each parish.

   Item - I give to my youngest daughter Mary three hundred pounds sterling in full of her child's portion of my estate.

   Item - I give to my daughter Mrs. Susan Brain one hundred pounds sterling.

   Item - I give to Wm., the son of Robert Beverly & my daughter Ursula, his late wife, fifty pounds sterling.

   Item - I give thirty pounds to be bestowed in rings amongst my friends at the discretion of my executor.

   Item - I give, bequeath, & devise all the rest of my estate both real and personal consisting of lands, rents, houses, plates, money, debts, wares, merchandise, household goods, slaves, servants, horses, and cattle, with all part or parts of ships or vessels either England or Virginia or elsewhere to me any way belonging or appertaining to my son Wm. Byrd and his heirs forever for payment of my debts and legacies & the remainder to my son Wm. Byrd for his own proper use & behoove to him & his heirs forever & I do hereby nominate and appoint my said son Wm. Byrd my full and sole executor of this my last will and testament & in case of my son's absence at the time of my death I do hereby appoint my loving friends Lt. Col. Wm. Randolph, Bartholomew Fowler Esq., and Mr. Richard Bland to be trustees to act on my son's behalf till he shall come into the country or send & depute such persons as he shall think fit.

   Lastly, I hereby revoke all other wills by me at any time heretofore made & declare this to be my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day and year above written.

WM. BYRD (L.S.)

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This is a true copy of the last will and testament of the Honorable Col. William Byrd, one of her majesty's honorable council and auditor of Virginia lately deceased: it being examined with the original by me, Francis Nicholson, Esq., her majesty's Lt. And Governor General of Virginia in the presence of the honorable Col. Henry Duke, one of her majesty's honorable council of Virginia, Captain Littlebury Epps of Charles City County, Henry Duke, Jr. of James City County, Gent.; & Captain Joshua Wynne of Prince George's County, who said original will appears to be all written by the said Col. Byrd's own hand without any blot or interlineation and sealed with his own seal in testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands the day & year above written.

Fr. NICHOLSON
HEN DUKE
LITTLEBURY EPPS
HENRY DUKE JUNR
JOSHUA WYNNE

   I being at this time very sick & weak in body but I thank the Almighty God of a sound, perfect, & disposing memory have thought fit & do hereby make this further addition or codicil to this my wish in written last will and testament: viz. I give and bequeath unto Mrs. Joanna Jarratt her chamber she now useth during the time she pleases to continue there & also ten pounds per annum during the time she shall think to live upon this plantation & enjoy her chamber as aforesaid with the furniture thereunto belonging.

   This is a true copy of the addition or codicil endorsed on the back of the original will of the deceased Col. Wm. Byrd, one of he majesty's honorable council & auditor of Virginia examined by me, Francis Nicholson, Esq., her majesty's Lt. And Governor General of Virginia in the presence of the honorable Col. Henry Duke, one of her majesty's honorable council of Virginia, Captain Littlebury Epps of Charles City County, Henry Duke, Jr. of James City County, Gent.; & Captain Joshua Wynne of Prince George's County.

Fr. NICHOLSON
HEN DUKE
LITTLEBURY EPPS
HENRY DUKE JUNR
JOSHUA WYNNE

Deposition of Mrs. Mary Randolph
January 12th, 1704/5

   The disposition of Mrs. Mary Randolph, aged 46 or thereabouts, sayeth:

   That on the 3rd of December last, the deponent's husband being sent for to see the deceased Col. Wm. Byrd, lately one of he majesty's honorable council & auditor of Virginia, who was the auditor of Virginia, the deposed came along with her husband to the house of the said Col. Wm. Byrd at Westopher in Charles City County & next morning having had some discourse with him touching his condition & particularly putting him in mind of settling his worldly affairs, this deposed saw & heard the said Col. Wm. Byrd desire Mrs. Jarratt to take a key out of his pocket and bring a paper out of a certain drawer which he named and when Mrs. Jarratt brought the paper she asked him if it was it and he said yes upon which he took the paper & wiped his eyes saying when it was a little lighter I will over it or words to this effect that afterwards the said Col. Wm. Byrd gave the same paper to the deponent's husband who asked him if that was his will to which he answered yes & bid the deponent's husband look to the date of it which the deponent's husband told him was dated the 8th of July 1700 to the best of the deponent's memory and further sayeth not.

MARY RANDOLPH
January the 12th 1704/5
Virginia at Westopher in Charles City County