1792 Will/Testament of William Rousseau
In the name of God, Amen. I, William Rousseau, of the county of Fauquier
being reasonable in health of body and of sound mind and memory, blessed be
God for the same and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life and that it is
appointed for all men to die and being desirous so to order and dispose of what
estate God in his mercy hath been pleased to bless me with that no difference
may arise thereabout after my decease do make and constitute this my last will
and testament in manner and form as following:
Imprimis I give my precious souls to God and also what worldly estate
God in his mercy hath been pleased to bless me with after my just debts and
funeral expenses be paid I dispose of in the manner following
Viz: Item: It is my will and desire that my beloved wife Priscilla possess
and enjoy the tract of land whereon I now live during her natural life and after her
decease the said tract of land be sold by my executors and the money equally
divided between three of my children
Viz: My son Henry and my daughter Margaret Combs and Nancy Peters.
Also I lend my beloved wife Priscilla during the aforesaid one negro man named
George, and one old negro man named James, one negro boy named Anthony,
another boy by the name of Benjamin and another by the name of Jerimiah
together with all my stock and household furniture.
Item: It is my will and desire that my son John should possess and enjoy
the negro man named Peter which I lent to him to take to Georgia during his
natural life and at his decease I give the said negro to his son William to him and
his heirs forever. Also I lend my son John after my wife’s decease the negro boy
named Anthony during his natural life and after his decease I give the said negro
to his eldest daughter MARGARET to her and her heirs forever.
Item: I lend to my son WILLIAM and his wife Lydda during their natural
lives one negro man(d) named David also after my wife’s decease one negro
boy Benjamin and after their decease I give the said negroes David and
Benjamin as follows
Viz: David to my grandson John Rousseau and Benjamin to my grandson
William Rousseau, sons of my son William to them and theirs forever.
Item. I lend to my son Henry Rouseau and his wife Sara during their
natural lives one negro woman named Sall and one negro girl named Pleasent
and their increase also after my wife’s decease. I lend to my son Henry and Sara
his wife during the term aforesaid one negro man named George and after their
decease I give the said negro man named George. Sall and Pleasant and their
increase to be equally divided among my son Henry ‘s children to them and their
heirs forever. I lend to my daughter Margaret Combs and her husband Eunice
Combs during their natural lives on negro woman named Lettice and one negro
girl named Sharlott, one by the name of Nell and one negro boy named Martin
one negro girl by the name of Judith and their increase, and after their decease I
give the said negroes and their increase to be equally divided among my
daughter Margaret’s children. To them and their heirs forever.
Item. It is my will and desire that my son-in-law Benjamin Payne continue
in the possession of the negro woman Hannah which I lent to his wife Susannah
during his natural life provided he does not move the said negro nor suffer her to
be removed out of the county of Fauquier and if he should attempt to do so my
will and desire is that my executors shall take possession of the said wench with
her increase to dispose of as hereinafter directed.
Item: It is my will and desire that at the end of eight years from the date of
these presents that there be an equal division of the increase of said Hannah
among my daughter Susannah’s children and that each of the said children shall
possess and enjoy their division when they come of age or marry and that if
either of them should die before they come of age or marry that in that case the
division of said deceased be equally divided among the survivors of them.
--posted at http://genforum.genealogy.com/rousseau/messages/26.html