Person:John Sampson (25)

Will Transcript

In the name of God Amen I John Sampson of the County of Culpeper and Parish of Bromfield being low and weak in Body but in perfect sense and calling to mind that all flesh must yield to Death when please God to call do hereby bestow whatever God has been pleased to Trust me with as follows:

Inprimis. I assign my Body in the Grave as cheerfully as ______ nature Will admit me to be Buried in a decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors and my sole to almighty God who Gave it me trusting in the merits of my Crucified Mediator to raise me up from the Death of sin to the Lip of Righteousnefs thro the washing of his precious blood spilt upon the Crofs.

Item 1st - I lend my loving wife Mary Sampson during her natural life the land on the south side McAllister's mountain it being the Tract of land whereon I now Live with my negro man Duke, my wenches Fan (?), Vender, and two negro children Christopher & Job (?). The House Furniture & plantation & all other Tools of all Kinds with Twelve head of cattle all my hogs and sheep my black riding Mare and Bay Mare with fifty pounds cash (except) that my children William Joseph, Thomas and Rhoda, do receive one Bed and furniture each at their mothers Death

Item 2d - I having formerly given out to Elizabeth Rend [Randall] wife of Lewis, Bathesheba Clark wife of Reuben, Ann Burdine wife of Reginal, Delilah Dicken wife of William, Lucey Berry wife of Aaron, Franky Berry wife of Elisha Berry, what I think a Just proportion of my Estate they are hereby Excluded from any part thereof Except such part as I shall hereafter Direct

Item 3d - I give my son William all my land on the south side of the church road (namely, where Forrester & Mary lived with a Negro man named Jack and one horse named Juniper & one Feather Bed and Furniture at his mothers Death to him his Heirs and assigns forever

Item 4th - I give to my son Joseph the land whereon Aaron Berry now lives to be by him possessed at the Expiration of the year of our Lord 1792 (and in the mean time I lend the same to Aaron Berry) and one Negro man named James and one mare called Phillis and One Feather Bed and Furniture at his Mothers Death to him his heirs and assigns forever

Item 5th - I give my son Thomas Sampson the land whereon I now live to be by him held and Enjoyed so soon as his mother shall Depart this life, and one negro lad named Duke Immediately and a colt that may come from either of my mares left his mother one Feather Bed and (p. 262) Furniture at his mothers Death to him his Heirs and assigns forever

Item 6th - I give all my land on the north side the church road whereon the Hughes lives to my three sons William Joseph and Thomas in Equal Distribution to them their Heirs and assigns forever

Item the 7th - I give my Daughter Rhoda my Negroes Flora & John and one Feather bed at her mothers Death, to her her (sic) Heirs & assigns forever

Item 8th - I give my sons in Law John and William Hughes my Negroes Beth (?) and Rose to be Equally Divided between them, theirs, their Heirs and assigns forever

Item 9th - I give to Aaron Berry the money now Between us

Item 10th - I give Elisha Berry two cows such as shall be assign him by my Executors

Item 11th I give my money save the Fifty pound lent my wife and my ____ Towards the payment of my Just Debts and Funeral charges and the remainder if any with the Cattle that is not other ways Disposed of, I give to my Children in General and all the things lent my wife save the land an four beds at her death, I give to all my children in Equal Distribution or in Case of their Deaths to their legal representatives. Immediately after my wifes Death to them their Heirs and assigns forever

And lastly I constitute and appoint my loving wife Mary Executrix & Reubin Clark & Reginal Burdine with my trusty Friend Henry Lewis Executors of this my Last Will and Testament and do hereby revoke all former Wills by me made and Declare this to be my Last Will and Testament the 18th day of June 1778

[Signed] John Sampson, __ (his mark)

Signed Sealed & Declared & Published Reuben Clark and Riginal Burdine in presence of ) With, was Interlined with all my Geo Witherall ) land before signed Michl Yeager (his mark) Joseph Campbell (his mark)

At a Court held for Culpeper County the 20th day of July 1778, etc."

(Culpeper County, Virginia Will Book B (p. 260 - 263), Find-A-Grave

1. ↑ Find A Grave.

   John Sampson
   Birth unknown
   Orange County, Virginia, USA
   Death Jul 1778
   Culpeper County, Virginia, USA
   Burial
   John Sampson Cemetery
   Etlan, Madison County, Virginia, USA
   
   John married Mary Davis on August 6, 1743 in Culpeper Co., Virginia.
   
   John wrote his will June 18, 1778. It has been recorded by a Sampson researcher that he had died while traveling to Valley Forge in 1778, however, it has also been pointed out that he states that he is weak of body in his will. So whether this tidbit how he died is true or whether the researcher who originally recorded this made a mistake possibly by confusing this John Sampson with another one, is not known.
   
   We know that John was dead by July 20, 1778 for his will was probated at the county court on this date.
   
   He appears to have been laid to rest in the area where the current John Sampson Cemetery is now located in Madison Co., Virginia.
   
   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167099282/john-sampson