MySource:Jlanoux/Will of John Camm, 1766

FROM: Fleet, Beverley (comp.). Virginia Colonial Abstracts (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988; Baltimore: Clearfield Co., 2000.). King and Queen County. Pp. 337-38. [orig. published by Fleet in 34 softcover, mimeographed vols., 1937-49.]

Will of John Camm, 1766. From a copy found in the attic at "North Bank," 1934. Miss Elizabeth Hawes Ryland, who contributed this item, makes a notation that "North Bank" was the home of John Camm, Sheriff of King and Queen County. It is now owned by a descendant, Mr. Malcolm C. Burke. The house stands close to the river's brink, upon a high bluff, and overlooks "Presqu'Isle," the river being very narrow at this point.

In the name of God, Amen. I John Camm of the County of King and Queen, Virginia, being of sound and disposing mind and memory do hereby make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament.

Imprimis. I direct that all my just debts be paid.

Secondly, I give and bequeath to my Grand Daughter, Mary Madison, the sum of one hundred pounds Current Money.

Item. I give and bequeath to my Grand Daughter, Hannah Hill, one hundred Pounds Current Money.

Item. I give and Bequeath to my Grandson, Camm Alex'r White, fifty pounds Current Money and direct that the above legacies be paid to them respectively within 2 years after my death or sooner if my outstanding Debts can be got in which together with my crops on hand or growing at the time of my death I desire may be applyed towards discharging the said Legacies as soon as convenient.

Item. I give and devise my Lands and Plantations in King and Queen County where I now live, with the Water Grist Mill and all the appurtenances unto my Daughter, Ann Booker, for and during her Natural life and after her Death I give and devise the same land and premises unto my Grandson, Benj'n Cluverius, and to his heirs forever, provided and on condition that they the said Ann and Benjamin shall make and execute any reasonable Deed, Conveyance and release of her or their right or Title to the land hereafter devised to my daughters Eliz'th White.

Item. I give and bequeath [last word lined out] devise to my daughter, Mary Garlick, and her heirs forever all my lands in King William County but upon the like condition that she or her Heirs shall release all claim to the land devised to my daughter Eliz'th White.

Item. I give and devise all my lands in Caroline County to my said daughter Eliz'th White and to her heirs forever and whereas I believe the said Land is intailed on the Heirs of my Beloved Wife, I direct and Appoint that my said Daughters, Ann Booker and Mary Garlick, or their heirs shall as soon as the same may conveniently be done obtain Writs of adquod admnum in order to have their respective parts of the said Land valued and shall convey and release to the said Eliz'th White and her heirs their respectived parts of all their right and title in and to the said last named Tract which if they or any of them shall refuse to do when thereunto requested I then devise direct and appoint that the said Elizabeth White shall recover full satisfaction for such part of the said land as shall be detained from her out of the land or slaves hereby given or devised to the person so refusing, and further I appoint the Expenses of Docking the said Entail and making the said conveyance be paid out of my residuary estate.

Item. I direct and appoint that all my Negroes, Cattle, Hogs, Goods & Chattels [word illegible] my Debts & all and every my other Estate of what nature or Quality soever may be divided by my friends, Colonel Humphrey Hill, Mr. Richard Gwathmey, and John Semple, as near as may be having regard to quality and quantity into three equal parts and I devise and appoint that my daughter, Ann Booker, have the use of one equal third part of my said estate during her natural life and that at her death she shall have full power and absolute Authority by any Deed executed in her lifetime or by her last will and Testament in writing to give settle and dispose of [word illegible] said negroes and other Estate in such manner as she think fit to and among her five children, Benj'n Cluverius, Mary Madison, Richard, Robert, and Elizabeth Pollard or their Representative.

Item. If the said Ann Booker shall not make such settlements, dispositions or last wills that then the said negroes and other estate so lent to her as aforesaid I devise the same may be be at her death equally divided among her aforesaid five children, Benjamin Cluverius, Mary Madison, Richard, Robert, and Elizabeth Pollard or their legall Representative.

Item. I give, devise, and bequeath my other third part of my Negroes and other residuary estate aforesaid to my daughter, Mary Garlick, and to her heirs forever.

Item. I give, devise, and bequeath the other third part of my negroes and other residuary estate aforesaid unto my daughter, Elizabeth White, and her heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my nephew the Rev. John Camm a mourning ring.

Item. As I owe but very few and very trifling debts so that my Creditors will be in no danger I devise that my estate may not be appraised but only inventories by the aforesaid Messrs. Hill, Gwathmey, and Semple in order to [arrive at?] an equal division as aforesaid.

Lastly, I nominate, constitute, and appoint my three sons-in-law, James Booker, Sam'l Garlick, and the Rev. Alexander White whole and cole [sole?] Executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking and annuling all former wills by me made. In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand [and] seal this Seventeenth day of march in the year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Six.

[signed] John Camm [SEAL]

Signed, sealed and Published as the Last Will and Testament of the said John Camm in the Presence of us, James [his X mark] Morrison John Semple James Temple

I, John Camm of King and Queen, being of sound and disposing mind and memory do hereby make the following Codicil to my will in the month of March 1766 which in everything else I confirm and ratify, that is to say I do hereby direct Bequeath and devise all the estate of what nature or quality soever which by my said Will I have given to my daughter, Ann Booker, unto my sons-in-law, Samuel Garlick and Alexander White, the survivors of them or their heirs, in trust, that they shall suffer and permit the said Ann Booker during her intermarriage with her husband, James Booker, to receive the rents Profits and Advantages whatsoever of such estate to her sole and separate use or the use of such of her children as she shall at any time direct and that the same or any part thereof shall not [be] under the powerf or control of the said James Booker but intirely under the direction and management of the said Samuel Garlick and Alexander White in order the better to provide for maintain and Educate the children of the said Ann Booker and in case she the said Ann Booker shall survive the said James Booker then the trust aforesaid may determine [terminate?] and be void and that she shall stand leased of such estate as is given her by my will aforesaid, but if she shall not survive the said James, then that she shall have full and lawfull Authority by any deed executed in her lifetime or by any Writing purporting [to be] a last will [and] Testament to dispose of the said estate among her children agreeable to my will aforesaid. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Affixed my seal this 20th day February 1767. [signed] John Camm Signed sealed and Published by the said John Camm as codicil to his last will and testament before us, Joseph Temple Mary Temple

Note by Fleet: No date of probate is shown, nor anything to show that it is a copy of the recorded document. We are disposed to believe, then, that it is a preliminary draft by Camm himself. That a will by John Camm was indeed probated in court of King and Queen, and subsequently lost in the destruction of the county's records during the Civil War, is indicated by a reference to such a will in the will of Camm's daughter, Ann Booker, probated in the Essex County court, 18 Dec 1775. (See Virginia Colonial Abstracts, vol. 7, p. 80.) this will should be considered in connection with that of her father.