Person:Thomas Douglass (10)

Will Transcript

Thos. Douglass Will

In the name of God Amen. The Thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord Christ one Thousand seven hundred & eighty three I Thomas Douglass Senor. of Halifax County being sick & weak of body but of Perfect mind & memory make this my last will & Testament in manner and form as follows, that is to [say] principally and ___ do Recommend my soul into the hands of all mighty God that gave it nothing doubting but that I shall receive it against at the general resurrection and to my Body to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors, and as touching such worldly Estate as where with it has pleased God to bless me I give and dispose of in form & manner as follwos.

first it is my will & desire that all my just debts be paid.

Second I give bequeath to my son John a Negro Woman named Bett, as also a Negro boy named Mastes? to him and his heirs forever.

Thirdly I give and bequeath to my son William a Negro man Dick to him & his heirs forever

Fourthly I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah a Negro boy named Squire to her and her heirs forever

Fifthly it is my will that my will & desire that ____ if my Negro woman ___ bring another child within twelve months from the date hereof that my Daughter Jane possess which child I bequeath to her & her heirs forever.

Sixthly I give & bequeath to my daughter Nancy a Negro girl named Frann to her and her heirs forever.

Seventhly I give and bequeath to my son Thomas the tract of Land whereon I now live containing by Estimation two hundred & eighty four acres as also a Negro women named Jesbe? as also a coper still containing about forty five gallons to him and his heirs forever.

Eightly I give & bequeath to my daughters Sarah and Jane as also Nancy each of them a bed & furniture to tem & their heirs.

Ninthly I give & bequeath to my Daughters Sarah & Jane as also Nancy two cows & calves to each of them and theirs heirs forever.

Tenthly. This is my will & desire that all my Negroes remain on this my Plantation whereon they now are the ensuing year as also the Iron which I have both at home & also at the Smith Shop as also all the working tools belonging to the plantation be for the use of the Plantation and remain in the hands of my son John the ensuing year.

Elevently. I give and bequeath to my son Thomas a young sorrel mare as also three Cows to him & his heirs forever.

Twelthly It is my will and desire that my son John have a fourth part of the Crop of Tobacco, that was made on my Plantation this year it being his just ___ as my Overseer, and as to the remainder that all my just Debt be paid therewith and the Overpluss be applyed to the Schooling of my Children Thomas & Nancy, further it is my will and desire that if it Please god to send a Crop on the Plantation the ensuing year my son John shall have the fifty Part of the Corn and the fourth Part of the Tobacco the other parts shall be applyd. to the bringing up & educating my son Thomas & also my daughter Nancy.

Item, I give & bequeath to my son Thomas all my hogs & sheep to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give and bequeath to my sons John & Thomas all the remainder of my horses & horse kind to be equally between them both to them and their heirs forever.

Item I give and bequeath as also it is my will and desire that the remainder of my cattle and household furniture without being made sale of as also ^all? the remainder of my whole Effects be equally divided amongst my Children hereafter named that is to say John, Elizabeth, Mary, William, Jane, Sarah, Thomas & Nancy to them and their heirs forever; I give to my daughter Mary my bigest Iron pott, to her and her heirs forever.

Item I constitute and appoint my son John sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament disannulling & disallowing I utterly revoking all & every gift or bequest will or Testament heretofore by me given ^granted or Willed? Ratifying acknowledging, owning & confirming this and no other to be my last will and Testament I well have Executed after my death.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixt my seal the day & year above written.

[Signed] Thomas Douglass [L.S.]

Signed Sealed and Declared as by the said Thomas Douglass to be his last will & Testament In presents of Us ^Test Adam Winders, Wm. Douglass, Sarah Douglass, Andrew [his x mark] Douglass.

At a Court held for Halifax County the 28 day of December 1789

The last will and Testament of Thomas Douglass decd. was Exhibited into Court and proved by the oaths of three of the subscribing witness thereto to e the__ and will of the said Thomas decd. and was Ordered to be recorded & on the motion of John Douglass the Executor therein named who made Oath according to Law certificate for obtaining Probatte, in Due form of the said Estate was granted him he giving Security whereupon he together with David Boyd and William Grepham his Securities entered into & acknowledged their bond for that purpose accoring to Law.

Teste: George Carrington C.H.C.

Truly Recorded Will. Thompson DC.

Records in Lunenburg County, VA

• 2 Oct 1750 [Deed Bk. 2, pg 142-3] Abel Lee of Lunenburg County, VA witnessed another deed between Byrd and Thomas Douglass (pg 149-150) and a third from Byrd to William Douglas (pg 115-116), all on the same day. On 6 Apr. 1752 he witnessed a deed from William Magbe to Thomas Dickson, both of Lunenburg Co., 40, 200 acres, land on both sides of Midway River, part of 800 acres patented to William Magbe. signed: William W Magbe, Susannah S Magbe Wit: Abel A Lee, William A Aston, William Douglass [Deed Bk 2, pg 415-417] In Debt case of Maria Byrd vs. Abel Lee, deft.'s estate not found, an alias attachment is awarded returnable to next court. In trespass case of Abel Lee by Clement Read, his attorney, vs. James Boyce, deft. Not found, an attachment awarded agst. him returnable to next court. Matthew Talbot, Gent. , Sheriff of Lunenburg County vs. Clement Lee, dismis'd.) [1]

Records in Halifax County, VA

• 1753 Nov 22 Halifax County Va. Court:: Francis Lawson Foreman, Edward Parker, James Boyd, Alexander Irwin, Davis Lawson, John Evans, Thomas Douglas, William Brandon, Richard Davis, John Caldwell, Robert Wilkins, Joseph Johnson, Alexander Moore, Robert Moore, Edward Wade, and John Watson were sworn a Grand Jury. Page 275 Halifax County Plea Book no 1 May term 1752- to March term 1755. [2]

• Court order, Jul 1767 • Halifax County, Virginia. Plea Bk 5, pt 2, p 447 Ann Dickson, plt vs Henry Dickson, def. In case. Thomas Douglass & Adam Winders become special bail for deft. And on motion of deft, a dedimus is awarded him to take deposition of Mark Dickson, de bene esse.

• Property, 09 May 1768 • Halifax County, Virginia. DB 7, p 124; Henry Dixon & Anne Dixon to Thomas Douglass 50 pounds with love & affection he bears unto Anne Dixon his lawful wife and for purpose of a separation which is mutually agreed and concluded between Henry Dixon & his wife.

• 1768 May 9, Halifax Co., VA. Deed Book 7, page 124. Henry Dixon & Anne Dixon of Halifax to Thos. Douglass of same witnessed by Wm. Stokes, Wm. Lawson and Richd. Hamblet. [3]

1.   Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).

   https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/66895247/person/44158896940/facts