Wills and Probates

This is a transcription of the prenup. of Anne W. Garris and David Evans.

"...July 28, 1686 I Ann Garris widow of North Hampton County in Virginia here formally by promise: I give to my children some cattle and now into individual to all or any condition. I do here freely give as a free gift what I have promised to my dear and well beloved daughter Mallow (Martha) Garris I do give one cow and yearling. The cow yearling by you name of "Pritty". The cow and yearling and all their increase male and female I freely give to my daughter Mallow (Martha) Garris to her and her heirs forever. the cow and yearling now grazing at William Betts in Nevell's Neck, cropped of each ear hole and under bitted? For my eldest and well beloved son Aron Garris, I freely give as a free gift one cow called "Browndy" with all her increase male and female to the aforesaid Aron Garris and his heirs forever. The cow now grazing at the plantation where I now live, cropt of each ear hole under bitted? and to my son Amos Garris, being my dear and well beloved son, I freely give as a free gift one younger cow called "Pydey" cropt on each ears hole and under bitteed? grazing at the plantation I now live upon. The aforesaid cow "Pydey" and all her increase, male and female I freely give to my son Amos Garris, to him and his heirs forever. To my dear and loving son Thomas Garris, I freely give as a free gift a red heifer of two years old called "Good Luck" to my son Thomas Garris and his heirs forever the a heifer and all her male and female increale I give. The heifer is cropt off each ear hole and under bitted? Yearling also at plantation I now live upon. To my dear and beloved son Richard Garris I freely give as a free give one black yearling heifer and all her female increase to him and his heirs forever. The aforesaid heifer is called"Negro", cropt on each ear hole and under bitted? to my dear and beloved son, Edward Garris, I give as a free gift one red yearling heifer called "Riptail", cropt on each ear hold and under bitted? Her and all her female increase to him and his heirs forever, I freely give. And further I Ann Garris, I've obligated to take all care that in my eyes, myself to look as carefully after those cattle as if it were for myself did intended. No allow the condition of my widowhood, to enter into the state of matrimony, David Evans being supposed in progress of time, to care for my northern land. Which if God hath it ordained and that if wed, David Evans and Ann Garris, so jointed together in the holy and lawful estate of matrimony, then I, David Evans, does oblige myself to be as careful of the cattle in looking after who forever the good of the children above union hood, as if it were for myself. and I do oblige myself to deliver to each children as they that attain to lawful age, what cattle is already made over to them by their mother that I too may have this recorded upon the county record either before the time of matrimony or after as both our sealed hands. dated at above in the presence of us."....The mark of David Evans and the mark of Ann W. Garris..........wtin: Joseph Bennthall and Robert Clarke.