A copy of the following will of Benjamin Sullivan was found in the 1821 suit in chancery Sullivan vs. Ficklen among the Fredericksburg District Court papers at the courthouse of the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia.  The original will was contained in the now lost Stafford County Will Book DD. (Old General Index to Wills p. 460).

    In the name of God Amen, I Benjamin Sullivan of the County of Stafford and state of Virginia, being weak but in perfect sense & memory, do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament in manner & form that to say I Give & bequeath my estate both real & personal in the manner hereafter to Wit --

    Item I Give & bequeath unto my loving wife Susannah Sullivan the tract of land whereon I now live containing one hundred & forty acres, also another tract containing ten acres with all my stock of horses, cattle & hogs & all my household & kitchen furniture of all & every kind whatsoever.  I also give her my ox cart & gears of all kinds with all the plantation tools of every kind whatever during her natural life & at her death my desire is that the whole be equally divided between my eight children or their representatives equally share & share alike that is to say between Marman, Benja, Casson, James, Martin, Kitty, Patty &
Jenny.

    Item I give unto my wife Susannah my negro man Charles during her life & at her death to be divided between my children, it tis my desire & request that my negro woman that I purchased from the sale of John Mountjoy called Charlot with her five children to wit Billy, Hannah, Washington, Sam & Polly -- to remain with my wife until my just debts be paid or satisfied & it tis my will and desire that Charlot with her five children & her futer increase & her five children heretofore mentioned to be free & to be emancapated from all slavery.  In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this sixteenth day Feb'y 1803.

Benjamin Sullivan (SEAL)
In the presence of
Nathl. Fox, Pressly (x) Sullivan
William Sullivan

Stafford County Court Sep: 10th 1821,

    The last Will & Testament of Ben: Sullivan dec'd was proved by the oath of Robert Henning as to the hand-writing of Nathl. Fox one of the Witnesses thereto & ordered to be Recorded.
                                        Teste
                                                                    Jno.
M. Conway C.S.C

This article can be found in the Virginia Genealogical Society Magazine, Volume 28, 1990 contributed by William L. Deyo.

Lynne Charles
Charlesr@erols.com
Fredericksburg, VA.