Thomas
Meriwether, son of Nicholas Meriwether I,
died between 7 January, the date of his will and 10 February, date will was
probated in 1708. The will is recorded in Book O.Deeds 1707 to 1711, page
185.
In the name of God amen, I, Thomas Meriwether
of the Parish of
South Farnham in
the County of Essex within the Colony of Virginia
being sick and weak of body, but of sound and perfect memory (praised be God) do
make and ordain this my last will and testament in the manner and form
following.
First. I recommend my soul to ye disposing of Almighty God my
Creator and my body to be decently interred in hopes of a full remission of all
my sins and a glorious resurrection and union in ye last day in and by the
merits of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The
temporal estate which God of his great goodness hath been pleased to bestow upon
me I dispose of as followeth.
I give unto my loving brother Nicholas Meriwether
of New Kent county one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England.
I
give unto my loving brother Francis Meriwether
of the County of Essex aforesd
one hundred pounds of lawfull money of England.
I
give unto my loving sister Jane Browne the
wife of Mr. William Browne of Surry
County a piece of plate of the value of ten pounds sterling money.
I
give my dear and loving wife Susannah my best new bed and furniture and the sett
of chairs belonging to it, the whole sute of Japan, the sute of damaske table
linen, the largest new table, her ridding horse named Sorrell and her new and
old side saddle, and all the rest of my personall estate and negroes after my
just debts, funerall charges and the legacies before mentioned are paid and
discharged, I give to be divided in manner following between my sd wife Susannah
and my young daughter that now sucks my said wife, who as yet is unbaptized,
that is to say one third part of the said personal estate and negroes, I give to
my sd wife Susannah to her and her heirs forever, and the other two thirds of
personall estate and negroes I give unto my aforesaid young daughter and her
heirs forever, but in case my said daughter should dye before she attains to the
age of one and twenty years or marriage, then I give her part of my sd personal
estate and negroes to my aforesd two brothers Nicholas Meriwether
and Francis Meriwether
and my aforesaid sister Jane Browne and
their heirs forever, equally to be divided between then, only fifty pounds
sterling out of the said estate personall I give unto my aforesd wife
Susannah.
I give unto my nephew William Meriwether
son of my aforesd brother Nicholas Meriwether
and to his heirs forever all my land on the south side of James lying and being
in the County of Surry.
I
give unto my said wife Susannah (in lieu of her thirds or dower to all the land
I hold) the plantation, houses, land and appurtenances thereunto belonging
whereon I now live during her naturall life and after her decease to my aforesd
daughter and the heirs of her body lawfully begotten forever and for want and
default of such heirs I give the said plantation, houses, land and appurtenances
thereunto belonging unto my three nephews William, David and Nicholas Meriwether
the sons of my aforesaid brother Nicholas Meriwether
and their heirs forever to be equally divided between them.
I give unto
Ralph Shelton and
his heirs forever the sixty five acres of land granted to me by Patent joining
to the lands of Ricd. Jones, John Schools and the land formerly belonging to
Capt.Edward Thomas.
I give likewise unto my aforementioned daughter and
the heirs of her body lawfully begotten forever all the rest of my land that I
have in Virginia
or elsewhere and for want and in default of such heirs I give my Beitland tract
of land which I purchased of Richard Covington
(excepting out thereof a small parcel of land that lyes on the other side of the
swamp adjacent to my other tract of land that I purchased of William Cole) unto
the first male child that my aforesd brother Francis Meriwether
shall have and his heirs forever, but if it happen that my aforesd brother
Francis should not have any such male child, that then I give the said tract of
land unto my aforesd three nephews William, David, and Nicholas Meriwether
the sons of my aforesd brother Nicholas Meriwether
and their heirs forever to be equally divided between them, and for want and in
default of such heirs of my aforesd daughter lawfully to be begotten of her body
as aforesd,that then I give all the rest of my land hereby given unto my aforesd
daughter unto my aforesd three nephews William, David, and Nicholas the sons of
my aforesd brother Nicholas Meriwether
and to their heirs forever equally to be divided between them.
I also
give unto my aforesd wife Susannah the one third part of my Water mill lying in
Middlesex
County for and during her natural life and the other two third parts to my
aforesd daughter and after my sd wife's decease, then I give all the sd mill and
the land thereunto belonging unto my aforesd unbaptized daughter and the heirs
of her body lawfully begotten forever and for want and in default of such heirs
that then I give the said mill and land thereunto belonging unto my aforesd
three nephews William, David, and Nicholas the sons of my aforesd brother
Nicholas Meriwether
and their heirs forever to be equally divided between them. My will and meaning
is that what I have hereby given to my aforesd loving wife Susannah is to be in
full lieu of her thirds of all my estate, both real and personall due to her by
law.
for
ye payment of what I owe and am indebted to Messrs. Micajah, Perry and compa.,
merchants in My will and desire is that my Exers. hereafter named dispose and
make sale of my brigantine upon the stocks together with the sayles and riging
and other appurtenances belonging to her, provided they can meet with a sutable
market for them, and likewise that my said Exers. dispose of my negro man named
Saundy and that my sd Exers. use their utmost endeavor to get in my Tobacco
debts and together with my cropps now by me to ship for EnglandLondon.
My
will and desire is that my aforesd daughter's part of her negroes and stock be
kept upon her lands at her hazard and to her profitt and her part of my estate
that is perishable I will that my Exrs. Dispose thereof to my sd daughter's best
advantage and out of the produce thereof to purchase negroes for my sd daughter
and to keep them upon her lands for the use and profitt as aforesaid, and my sd
daughter is to be maintained and educated out of the profitts of her estate and
the remaining part of the profitt as to be laid out in negroes from time to time
by my Exrs. and put upon her lands to her use and profitt as aforesd.
It
is my will and desire that my estate may not be brought to an appraisement, and
lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my aforesd loving brothers Nicholas and
Francis Meriwether
executors of this my last will and testament, hereby revolting and annulling all
other wills by me heretofore made.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set
my hand and seale the seventh day of January Anno Dom. 1708.
Memorandm.
-Ye words (my aforesd sister Jane Browne)
between the 21 st and 22d lines of ye first side, and the words (upon the
stocks) between ye 3d and 4t lines, ye words (lying East )between ye 14th and
I5th lines and ye words(aforesd) between ye 16th and 17th lines of ye last side
were interlined before signing and sealing. Also ye raizings in the 48th fine of
first side of ye 49th line of the last side were made before signing and
sealing, as also ye raizing in the 49th line and ye words (two thirds) between
ye 48 and 49 lines of ye first side.
Signed, sealed, and acknowledged to
be my last will and testament in the presence of Ricd. Curtis. Mary Meriwether.
Ralph Shelton.
Wm. Kilingby. The mark of Ann + Whitehorn.
Provided
by ye oaths of Ricd. Curtis, William Killingby and Ann Whitehorn,
three of ye witnesses hereto in Essex
County Court ye 19th
day of Febry. 1708
and was ordered to be recorded, and is recorded.
Teste. Richard Buckner,
CI.Cur.
A Copy, Teste, Harrison
Southwarth, Clerk, County
Court of Essex, Virginia.
Back to Meriwether Rcords