I James Baker of the County of Russell and State of Virginia, being in poor health but of sound mind & memory do make and publish this my last will and testament in the following manner that is to say:
First, I desire that all my just debts if I owe any ansd my funeral expenses shall be paid out of any personal estate that I may have at my decease.
Second, I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Highley the following boundary of land including my dwelling house where I live, containing about one hundred and eighteen acres by Nathan C. Fugate survey, and bounded as follows. Beginning at a black oak & gum on top of the ridge back of the peach orchard, corner of the tract laid off for Wm. Baker thence S58 E51 poles to a black oak N88 E48 poles to a stake S77 E78 poles to a white oak & gum on top of a ridge N3 E70 poles to a black oak & dogwood N72 W48 poles to a hickory and poplar N14 E35 poles to a white oak & black oak on top of a ridge N52 W18 poles to a chestnut oak S65 W9 poles to a poplar N40 W90 to a stake corner to the tract laid off for Wm. Baker and with its line N81 W159 poles to the beginning. I give her this tract of land in fee simple to dispose of as she may see fit. I also give her also the following personal property to be also at her own disposal as she may think proper. One horse beast her choice of all I have, two cows of her choice, all my sheep, all my hogs, all my household and kitchen furniture and all my farming tools & gearing & her saddle & my bees & all the geese & other poultry. I give her also one hundred dollars in money.
Third, I give and bequeath to my son Wm. Baker the following boundary of land containing by Nathan C. Fugate survey about one hundred and eighteen acres and bounded as follows. Beginning at a stake corner to a lot laid off for Highley Virginia and Mary Jane daughters of Wm. Baker and with a line of that lot S77 E35 poles to a sourwood, chestnut & chestnut oak, N86 E49 poles to a black oak & gum corner of the tract herein before described & with its lines S81 E159 poles to a stake N40 W16 poles to a black oak and hickory S77 W16 poles to a maple S18 W40 to a poplar and dogwood S85 W54 poles to a chestnut & sourwood on a ridge corner to the aforesaid lot laid off for the two girls & with its line N81 W155 poles to the beginning tract of land I give to my son Wm. Baker only for his natural life & at his decease I give it to his lawful children in fee simple, I also release to him about three hundred dollars which he owes me being all he owes me.
Forth, I give to my two grandchildren Highley Virginia & Mary Jane, daughters of my son Wm. Baker the following described tract of land in fee simple to dispose of at their pleasure, containing about one hundred acres by N.C. Fugate survey and bounded as follows. Beginning at a stake corner to a lot laid off for Joseph C. Baker and running S59 E27 poles to five small black oaks, N39 E25 poles to a poplar S70 E46 poles to a white oak S77 E30 poles to a stake foregoing tract given to Wm. Baker & his children & with its lines of it S81 E155 poles to chestnut & sourwood on a ridge N7 W49 poles to a bunch of locust sprouts west 84 poles to a white oak & black oak corner to the tract herein before given to Highly Baker and with a line of it N88 W196 poles to the beginning.
Fifth, I give to my son Joseph C. Baker the following boundary of land only during his natural life containing about one hundred acres by N.C. Fugate survey and bounded as follows. Beginning at a white oak and black oak in flat corner of Phillip Minton's land and running thence N30 W35 poles to a chestnut N871/2 W6 poles to a poplar S37 W70 poles to a chestnut oak on a ridge S66 E41 poles to a gum & sourwood S49 E99 poles to a chestnut and five dogwoods N36 E33 poles to two dogwoods & two chestnuts on top of the fukle ridge S59 E38 poles to a stake corner to the tract herein before given to the two girls and with its lines S88 E196 poles to the beginning this tract before stated. I give my son Joseph C. Baker during his natural life, and at his decease I give the same tract to his six children, Nancy, Ellen, Elizabeth, Sarah, Martha, Charles, and James, children of my said son Joseph C. Baker by his first wife, in fee simple to dispose of as they see fit, I also release him about the sum of five hundred dollars being all he owes me.
Sixth, I give to my son Nathaniel D. Baker, I release whatever he owes me, which I think is about six hundred dollars. I give him nothing more.
Sixth, To my daughter Mary Meade the wife of Archer Meade I give a tract of land of ninety three acres more or less, conveyed to me by E.S. & N.C. Fugate executors of Robert Fugate deceased jointly the tract on which Arcger Meade now lives. I also give her a small tract adjoining the above containing about seven acres and bounded as follows. Beginning at a hickory in a hollow N20 W8 poles to a poplar & spanish oak S38 W37 poles to a stake in a line between John Baker & Archer Jessee S58 W30 poles to a small sourwood S201/2 E22 poles to a hickory in George W. Thompson tract of land, I give her only during her natural life & at her decease I give the same land to her children in fee simple to dispose of at will. In addition to the foregoing bequest I give her three hundred dollars some of which she already has, but I will settle with her and take her receipt so as to show the balance due her.
Seventh, To my grandchildren James M. Jessee, Jinny Jessee, & Archibald Lee Jessee, children of my daughter Sally Jessee deceased, I give a tract of land containing about one hundred acres, bounded by the lands of George W. Thompson, Phillip Minton, the Martin Jessee tract & the lines of the tract herein given to children of Joseph Baker deceased. I also give them one hundred dollars each.
Eighth, I give to my eight grandchildren, children of my son John Baker deceased & to my two great grandchildren, one of them the child of Nathaniel Baker deceased, who was the son of John Baker deceased, and the other child of Highley Hmilton who was the daughter of Joseph Baker deceased, the following tract of land containing about one hundred & ten acres be the same more or less. Bounded by the land of Martin Jessee deceased, Noah Jessee, Joseph C. Fugate and the tracts of land here in before bequeathed to Mary Meade and by the line of the tract herein before given to Sally Jessee's children, this line between these two latter tracts was run & marked by John H.S. Fugate, Archer Jessee was a chain carrier and can show the line, the names of the eight grandchildren referred to in the foregoing clause are James Baker, Sally Baker, Nancy Hamilton (once Baker), Joseph Baker, these are children by John Baker's lawful wife, and Mary Elizabeth, Amanda, Samuel, and George, these latter four are illigitimate children of John Baker deceased, I also give to the ten devisees named in this latter clause one hundred dollars to be eually divided between them except that I have already paid three of said children their part of the one hundred dollars to wit, James, Highley, and Mary Elizabeth, and they are to have no more of the hundred dollars, but the rest of say $70.00 is to be eually divided between the other seven.
Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint my friend Robert L Wolford executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all other will by me heretofore made and declaring this to be my only true last will and testament. Given under my hand and seal this 14th day of February 1885.
James Baker (Seal)
The foregoing instrument of writing was signed sealed and acknowledged by James Baker as his last will and testament in our presence who in his presence & at his request & in the presence of each other signed the same as witnesses.
Noah Jessee
W.B. Aston
At a court begun & held for Russell County at the courthouse thereof on the 7th day of April 1885. The last will and testament of James Baker was this day produced in court and proved by the oath of Wm. B. Aston one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, who stated upon oath that he witnessed said will at the request and in the presence of the said James Baker and in the presence of the other subscribing witnesses thereto, whereupon said will was ordered to be recorded.
Teste C. J. Dickenson D.C.