Will of Robert BURTON

written 3/29/1798 probated 7/9/1798

Mecklenburg County, Virginia Will Book 4, page 67, Will of Robert Burton

In the name of God, Amen, I, Robert Burton of the County of Mecklenburg being sick and weak of body but of perfect and sound mind and memory, praise be therefore given to Almighty God for the same, do make and ordain this my present last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say first and principally I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping through the merits of the death and passion of my Savior Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life and my body I recommend to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named and as touching the disposition of what temporal estate as it hath pleaseth Almighty God to bestow upon me I give and dispose thereof as followeth first I will that my debts and funeral charges be paid and discharged.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving son Archer Burton one Negro man by the name of Joe and one bed and furniture and no more of my estate.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving son Robert Burton one Negro man by the name of Lowe(?) and one bed and furniture.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving son Elisha Burton one Negro woman by the name of Ceck(?) and bed and furniture.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving son William Burton one Negro man by the name of Jack and one tract of land lying and being in the County of Mecklenburg it being the tract I had of Cage Burton being one hundred acres more or less and one feather bed and furniture.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter Miney Roffe one Negro woman by the name of Wine and one bed and furniture and one large copper kettle and no more of my estate.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving son John Burton two Negroes by the names Solomon & Jessee one bed and furniture and all the land that lies on the south side of Allen's creek it being part of the tract of land I now live on.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my loving son Allen Burton two Negroes by name Frank and Lewis and one bed and furniture and one young mare by the name of Flag and the plantation I now live on with the lands on the north side of Allen's Creek.

Item: I give and bequeath all the remainder part of my estate herein before not devised nor given away to be equally divided between my sons Robert Burton, Elisha Burton, William Burton, John Burton and Allen Burton to them and their heirs and assign forever.

Item: My will and desire is that my estate should not be appraised nor inventoried and I do hereby ordain and appoint my friend William Rowlett and my son John Burton full and sole Executors of this my last will and testament and do hereby revoke and make void all former wills and testaments by me heretofore made.

In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Burton to this my said last will and testament here set my hand and seal this twenty-ninth day of March One thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.

Robert R Burton (his mark)

In presence of
David Hudson
Herbert Hardy (his mark)
Elizabeth Hudson (her mark)

At a court held for Mecklenburg county the 9th day of July 1798

This will was proved by the oaths of David Hudson and Herbert Hardy witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and at a court held for the same county the 10th day of December following William Rowlett and John Burton the executors therein named personally appeared in Court and refused to take upon themselves the executorship of said will and on the motion of William Burton who with oath thereto and together with Edward Roffe and Joseph Batts his Securities entered into and Acknowledged their bond in the penalty of twenty Thousand dollars Conditioned as the law Directs Certificate was granted him for Obtaining letters of administration in the estate of the Said Robert Burton deceased with his Said will annexed in due form

Teste. William Baskerville, cc

Contributed by Shirley (Johnson) LaFleur