In the Name of God Amen I Edward Ware of Amherst County and Parish of Lexington being Very Sick and Weak of Body but in perfect mind and memory thanks be to God the Same, calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and knowing that is appointed for all men to die, I do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, that is to Say principally and first of all I give & Recommend my soul to almighty God that that gave it and my Body to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian like manner at the Descretion of my Executors nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall Receive the same again by the power of Almighty God and touching Such worldly Estate that has pleased God for to Bless me with in this Life I give & Dismiss and Dispose of the same in the following Like manner & form I Give unto Mark Ware five Shillings Sterling and to Each of Mark Ware Children five Shillings Sterling, Item I give James Powell four hundred Acres of land whereon he now Live and Negro Toby forever; Item I give William Powell Two hundred and fourteen acres whereon he now Live & Negro ----Gloucester forever Item I give John Powell four hundred acres of Land he now on and Negro Jeffrey forever, one hundred pound, Item I give Edward Powell Two hundred acres of [land] I now Live on and a Survey Joyn it and three hundred and fifty one Acres over Pedlar on the Rich Mountain and Negro Dina one feather Bed and furniture one Horse Saddle and Bridle, one Cow and Calf forever, Item I give Elizabeth Joplin Two hundred Acres of Land Joyning W. Higginbotham and Negro Frank and his Increase forever, one feather bed & furniture Item I give Anna Campbell half of that Tract of Joyning W. Gordon and Negro Agg and her Increase forever, Item I give Sarah Ware half of that Tract of Land Joyning W. Gordon and Negro Doll and her Increase forever and one Horse and Side Saddle one Cow and Calf one Feather Bed and furniture, Item I Lend my Beloved Wife Lettis Ware all my Estate that that I have not Disposed During her Natural Life or Widowhood and then for to be Equally Divided Between James Powell, William Powell, John Powell, Edward Powell, Elizabeth Jopling, Anne Campbell and Sarah Ware, I Constitute make and ordain James Powell, William Powell, John Powell, Edward Powell the Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament and I do hereby utterly Disalow Revoke & Disanul all and every other former Will and Testament Legacies bequests and Execution by me in any wise [or wife] before named Willed & Bequest Ratified and Confirmed this and no other for to be my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have Set my hand & Seal this first Day of June In the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Seventy Nine
Signed Sealed and Published Pronounced ]
and Delivered by the said Edward Ware ]
as his Last Will and Testament, In the ]
s/ Edward Ware (Seal)
presents of us
Peter (PC) Carter
s/ Roderick McColloch
s/ Elizabeth McColloch
At a Court held for Amherst County the third Day of July 1786. This Last Will and Testament of Edward Ware Deceased was this Day presented in Court by James and William Ware Alias Powell two of the Executors therein named and proved by Oath of Peter Carter & Roderick McCulloch Witnesses thereto, whereupon the said Executors with Thomas Lucas and John Crawford their Securitys Entered into and acknowledged their Bond on the penalty of five Thousand pounds and took the oath Required by Law, and the said Will was Ordered to be Recorded.
Test. s/ Wm. Loving Clk
Will Book 3, pages 9-12, Amherst County, Virginia
Transcribed by John Harry
Smallwood, Jr. - Jackson, Mississippi
May 1994
Contributed by him on on Mar 27, 1997