Will: Ann Bell

Ann Bell's Will

Prince William County, VA Will Book I, Page 16

Dated 14 August 1797; Proved 7 February 1804

In the name of God Amen, I Ann Bell of the county of Prince William do make this my last will and testament in manner and form as follows,

Item, I give to my son Barton Bell one shilling sterling

Item, I give to my daughter Rebeckey Bell one shilling sterling

Item, I give to my son John Bell one shilling sterling

Item, I give to my son Walter Bell one shilling sterling

Item I now give and bequeath unto my two youngest daughters Viz. Darkey Bell and Martha Bell and the heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten the whole of what I may dye possessed of their paying all just demands against me or my estate.  And should either die without heir lawfully begotten the longest liver of them two to have all.  Lastly, I constitute my two youngest daughters Darkey and Martha Bell my whole and sole Executrix and Administratrix of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills ever made by me.  In witness I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven.

Ann {X her mark} Bell {seal}

Signed in presence of

William Carter

John Carter

At a Court continued and held for Prince Wm. County, Feby. 7^th, 1804.

This last will and testament of Ann Bell deceased was presented to the Court and being proved by the oaths of Wm. Carter and John Carter was ordered to be recorded.

Teste.

John Williams

Will: Benjamin Cole

BENJAMIN COLE

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

Prince William County, Virginia

Will Book P, page 324

In the name of God Amen I Benjamin Cole of the County of Prince William and state of Virginia being weak and afflicted in body, but sound in mind and of a disposing memory do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following viz. I give to my loving wife Prudence Cole all my Estate real and personal during her single life (after my just debts are paid) except my servant.

I give America which slave and her increase I give and bequeath to the said Prudence Cole as her absolute property to forever to dispose of in any way she may choose to do. And as Eliza Sims has lived with me ever since the death of her husbands It is my will that no charge shall be brought by my heirs or Executors or those who may take charge of my estate against her and her three children up to my death by reason of their support by me.

It is my will that Elizabeth Holliday who now lives with me and my daughter Susan Cole shall live with my wife free from any charge by my heirs, provided neither of them do marry. It is my will that Elizabeth Holliday who now lives with me shall receive from my estate a cow and calf or the value thereof at the death of my wife.

It is my will that each of my Children that has not had a cow and a calf from me shall when they marry, have ___ (?) and a bed also from my Estate. As I have let my son Bernard Cole have a mare which I paid forty dollars for I will that he account for that sum out of his part of my Estate.

It is my will that after the death of my wife all my estate real and personal which may remain in her possession at her death shall be sold by my son Lawrence Cole for the best price he can get and the proceeds equally divided among my Heirs. And I appoint my wife Prudence Cole and my son Lawrence Cole my Executrix and Executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking and annulling all wills heretofore made by me in witness my hand and seal this 20th day of May eighteen hundred and fourth four.

Benjamin [+ his mark] Cole {seal}

Signed and acknowledged in the presence of us

Seymour Lynn

James D. Boughannan

Moses Copin

In Prince William County Court, September 6th, 1847

This last will and testament of Benjamin Cole decd. was presented to the Court proved by the oaths of Seymour Lynn and Moses Copin and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of Lawrence Cole the Executor therein named, who made oath thereto and together with Seymour Lynn his security entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of $2000 conditioned as the law directs certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate of the said will in due form.

Teste J. Williams c. c.

PWCo Historic Site Holiday Events

December 10

Rippon Lodge Holiday Open House

11am – 4pm $5 per person, free for children under six

Rippon Lodge will be decked out for the holidays.  Join us for music, light refreshments and holiday crafts for kids.  Last tour 3 pm.  Please dress for the weather.  

Rippon Lodge Historic Site, 15520 Blackburn Road, Woodbridge VA 22192, (703) 499-9812

December 10

Slave Holidays

11am - 4 pm; $7 per person, free for children under six

Staff will provide unique hands-on tours about enslaved life during the holiday week from Christmas to New Years.  Learn about how the enslaved community celebrated the holidays and how they resisted against the institution that kept them enslaved.  Tours begin on the hour with the last tour at 3 pm.  Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. 

Ben Lomond Historic Site, 10321 Sudley Manor Drive, Manassas, VA 20109 (703) 367-7872

December 17          

Civil War Christmas at Brentsville

1pm – 7pm; Free (pictures with Santa are an additional cost depending on  picture size)

During the winter of 1861, Prince William County was home to nearly 70,000 soldiers who spent Christmas here instead of in their homes.  Walk through camps by candlelight and interact with the soldiers and learn about Christmas customs of the past.  Enjoy a musical performance in the historic Union Church at 5 & 6pm.  Visit with Santa and have your picture taken. 

Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, 12229 Bristow Road, Bristow, (703) 365-7895

Lecture Series at the Old Manassas Courthouse

January 19

Lecture - General Lee Takes Command

7 pm, free, donations accepted

Historian and actor David Palmer will present a unique 1st person program as General Robert E. Lee during the time leading up to the Second Manassas Campaign.

Old Manassas Courthouse, 9248 Lee Ave., Manassas, VA  For More Information Contact: 703-792-4754

January 26

Lecture - Prince William County’s Civil War General – Life of Gen. Richard S. Ewell

7 pm, free, donations accepted

Historian and biographer Don Pfanz will give a detailed overview of the life Confederate General, Richard S. Ewell.  Raised in the Nokesville area of Prince William County, Gen. Ewell had a distinguished career in the US Army before the Civil War and was one of Robert E Lee’s trusted lieutenants during the Civil War.  Mr. Pfanz’s book “Richard S. Ewell: A Soldier’s Life”, is considered the authority of the life of this much overlooked but influential Civil War general.

Old Manassas Courthouse, 9248 Lee Ave., Manassas, VA For More Information Contact: 703-792-4754

 

Marriage Notices: Occoquan

Virginia Argus

May 1, 1807

Married, on Tuesday evening last, Mr. James Taylor, of this city, to Miss Maria Gordon, of Occoquan.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

June 28, 1809

Married, on Sunday evening last, by the Reverend Mr. Robins, Mr. Solomon Parsons, of Occoquan, to the amiable Miss Harriot Coffer, of Fairfax county.

~ ~ ~ ~

Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

January 7, 1819

MARRIED, On the same day, by the Rev. Mr. Spiller, Mr. Thomas West to Miss Elizabeth Gray, of Prince William.

On the 25^th, by the Rev. Mr. ---, Mr. Thomas Moore, of Fredericksburg, to Miss Margaret Fisher, of Occoquan.

~ ~ ~ ~

Alexandria Herald (Alexandria, VA)

March 24, 1820

MARRIED. At Occoquan, Va. On Thursday 16^th inst. By the Rev. Wm. Allen, Mr. Thos. Reeves, M D of Prince William county, Va. To the amiable Miss Eliza, eldest daughter of Mr. John Shaw, merchant, of the fomrer place.

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Alexandria Herald (Alexandria, VA)

March 27, 1820

MARRIED. On Tuesday last in Dumfries, Va. By the Rev. Mason L. Weems, Mr. Henry C. Slade, merchant of this place, to Miss Charlotte Ewell Weems, daughter of the Rev. M. L. Weems, of the former place.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

July 12, 1834

MARRIED. At Occoquan, on Tuesday, the 8^th instant, by the Rev. Mr. Smith, George R. Spalding, of Charles County, Md., to Miss Mary, daughter of Michael Cleary, Esq.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

March 10, 1840

MARRIED. On the 3d instant, in Occoquan, Prince William County, (Va.) by the Rev. Mr. Weems, Mr. George Knight to Miss Mary McCarty, daughter of Mr. Chalaham McCarty, that place.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

March 8, 1852

MARRIED. At Occoquan, Prince William County by the Rev. Leachman, Leland A. Lynn to Catharine, daughter of the late John T. Selecman.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

April 2, 1858

MARRIED. At Occoquan meeting house, March 14^th, 1858 by Elder Lloyd Kidwell, Mr. Benoni Cornwell, and Miss Cordelia Ann Cornwell. At the same time and place, by the same, Mr. Leroy Cornwell, and Miss Columbia E. Cornwell, (two Brothers and two Sisters,) all of Prince William Co., Va.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

August 11, 1863

MARRIED. On the 2d inst. By the Rev. Dr. W. M. D. Ryan, George H. Gill, of Baltimore to Miss Maggie A., fourth daughter of the late John T. and Jane M. Selecman, of Occoquan, Prince William county, Va.

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Alexandria Gazette (Alexandria, VA)

October 17, 1866

MARRIED. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Grace Church by Rev. Henderson Suter. R. Rollins Fowle, of Alexandria, to Barbara W. Saunders, daughter of the late Dr. Addison H. Saunders, formerly of Occoquan, Prince William County, Va. No cards.

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Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, DC)

March 12, 1885

MARRIAGES. In this City, on Tuesday, 10^th inst. By the Rev. Mr. Post, Dr. A. Sanders, of Occoquan, Prince William County, Virginia, to Miss Ellen M. Moore, daughter of the late Thomas Moore, of Alexandria, D.C.

Upcoming Events at PWCo Historic Sites

Please mark your calendars for these special events: 

November 12
Open-Hearth Cooking Class at Brentsville10am – 1pm, $40 per person; space limited, reservations required.
Gear up for the Thanksgiving season by learning the skills of open-hearth cooking. Join an experienced open-hearth cooking historian and learn the basic skills needed to prepare food over an open fire. You will learn how to build a fire and will prepare and cook three different dishes. End the program by enjoying a taste of the food you cooked. Class will take place in the ca. 1850 Haislip Farmhouse. 
Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre

December 10
Rippon Lodge Holiday Open House and Welcome Home Celebration11am – 4pm $5
Rippon Lodge will be decked out for the holiday season.  Join in on the welcome home celebration of the portraits of Thomas and Christian Blackburn.  Living history, music and 18th century country dancing will take place.  Refreshments and holiday crafts for kids will be available.
Rippon Lodge Historic Site

December 11
Slave Holidays11am - 4pm; $7
Staff will provide unique hands-on tours about enslaved life during the holiday week from Christmas to New Years.  Learn about how the enslaved community celebrated the holidays and how they resisted against the institution that kept them enslaved.  Tours begin on the hour with the last tour at 3 pm. 
Ben Lomond Historic Site

December 17     
Civil War Christmas at Brentsville3pm – 9pm; $5  
Join us for a celebration of the holiday season in the old Union Church featuring music by Brentsville High School students, refreshments, children’s crafts, and a visit from the real Victorian Santa all by a roaring bonfire.
Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre

Will: William Griffiss

WILLIAM GRIFFISS Will

Prince William County Will Bk M, pg 363

19 Apr 1824; proved 07 Nov 1825

In the name of God Amen I WILLIAM GRIFFISS make and declare this my last will and testament hereby revoking all others heretofore made by me.  In the first place I give and bequeath all my goods chattles and personal property of any discription to my beloved wife MILLY GRIFFISS during her natural life subject nevertheless to the payment of all my just debts and my funeral expences and excepting also one new feather bed and bedding one gun one cow a pair of spoon moulds and a pewter dish hereinafter specifically divided.  In the second place, I give and bequeath to my son RICHD. JOHN R. GRIFFISS the above excepted new bed and bedding and gun but should my son aforesaid die without issue then it is my will and desire and I hereby devise the sd. Bed and bedding and gun to my son WILLIAM GRIFFISS, to whom I now devise the above excepted buffalo cow and spoon moulds to him the said WILLIAM and his heirs forever.  And it is my will and desire and I hereby devise and direct that on the decease of my wife all that part of my property herein before devised to her during her natural life with the increase thereof shall be equally divided among my five children hereinafter named to wit to my son RICHARD JOHN R. GRIFFIS one fifth part to WILLIAM GRIFFISS one fifth part to my daughter KITTY ANN one fifth part to my daughter ELIZABETH ROTTER one fifth part and to my son SAMUEL S. HARRISON one fifth part to them and each of them and their heirs forever.  To my son PAREGRINE to whom I have already given as much as I shall be enabled to give to my other children I hereby give and bequeath one pewter dish as a token of affection.  I hereby constitute and appoint  my wife MILLY GRIFFISS and my son RICHC. JOHN R. GRIFFISS the Executor & Executrix of this my last will and testament.  To all which I hereby subscribe my name and affix my seal this 19^th day of April in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four.

WILLIAILM GRIFFISS

Signed sealed & delivered in presence of

WILLIAIM H. FITZHUGH, LEWIS ADIC

At a Court of Quarterly Sessions held for Prince William County  November 7^th 1825.  This last will and testament of WILLIAM GRIFFISS decd. was presented to the Court and being proved by the oaths of WILLIAM H. FITZHUGH and LEWIS ADIC is ordered to be recorded.

Teste, PHIL. D. DAWE

Newspaper Tidbits

The Washington Post

May 27, 1893

ARRESTED HIS WIFE.  Rev. Dr. Payton Takes His Unfaithful Wife to a Police Station.

Baltimore, May 26.—Rev. Oscar C. Payton, of Manassas, Va., arrested his wife in this city to-day and took her to a police station, where he charged her with having broken her marital vows.

Rev. Mr. Payton says they were married six years ago.  They have no children.  Six weeks ago, he says, his wife told him that she wanted to come to Baltimore to visit some friends.  He gave his consent, and his wife left home.  During the interval they corresponded, and he sent her money.  Finding that she refused to return home, he sent his wife's brother here and upon his report the husband came to town.  Mrs. Payton was known here as a Mrs. Carr.  She is about twenty-five years of age.  She says that she never loved her husband; that he was cruel to her, and that he was too old.  Mrs. Payton will go back to Richmond, Va.

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The Washington Post

May 22, 1909

MOTHER OF 11 WEDS AGAIN.  Was Congratulated by Roosevelt on the Birth of Triplets.

Manassas, Va., May 21.—William Breeden, Jr. and Mrs. Nicholas Breeden, his sister-in-law, of Prince William county, were married here yesterday.  Mrs. Breeden has eleven living children, of whom there were two sets of twins and one set of triplets in succession.

When Mrs. Breeden's triplets were born the fact was reported to Theodore Roosevelt, then President, and Mr. Roosevelt replied with a congratulatory letter.

Loose Papers: Report by Treasurers of Sales of Delinquent Lands to the Commonwealth

From PWCo Clerk's Loose Papers

Abstract of Form of Report by Treasurers of Sales of Delinquent Lands to the Commonwealth, under Act approved February 26, 1886

Office of the Treasurer of the County of Prince William

Brentsville – June 8, 1887

Date of sale:  Feb. 7, 1887

I hereby report that, after giving the notice required by law, on the 2^nd day of May, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, I sold the following described tracts or parcels of land, lying in the county of Prince William, state of Virginia, to the Commonwealth of Virginia, there being no other bidders for 1885 herein named, for taxes, penalties, costs and levies due thereon respectively:

Name of person charged with taxes	Quantity of land charged	Local description of land	Am't of taxes and penalty due	Am't of levies and penalty due	Quantity of land sold
Samuel C. Boggs	196	Near Lansdown	2.55	3.25	196
Wallace Brewer	64	On Occoquan River	.74	1.05	64
R. M. Clarke, trustee	104 ½	Adjoins Hutchinson	1.81	2.30	104 ½
J. E. Cole	18 ¾	On Cabin Branch	.29	.39	18 ¾
R. L. Cardell	250	On North Run	4.30	5.41	250
Nancy Carney	100	Adjoins Carter	.87	1.08	100
J. C. Carter	17 ½	Part Falkland	.61	.75	17 ½
J. H. Carter executor	38	Part Falkland	1.43	1.61	38
Bladeu Dulany	50	On Broad Run	2.17	2.40	50
M. J. Foley & R. H. Henson	1117	Poplar Hill	4.06	5.07	117
Chas. H. Hunton, est.	1 lot	Buckland	2.17	2.56	1 lot
J. B. Hunton & E. Smith	19 ½	Part Buckland Mill	.85	1.02	19 ½
Hunton & Brother	4 lots	Buckland	4.33	5.25	4 lots
Hooe & Johnson	148	Adjoins McLean	7.72	8.57	148
Augustus Jacobs	207	Part Enfield	9.35	1114	207
Same	141 ½	Adjoins Ish	1.86	2.17	14 ½
Silas Jewells	25	On Lucky Run	.32	.42	25
John Kerns	112	Albaton	1.48	1.83	112
Sallie Leache	4 ¾	Part Waterloo	.22	.26	4 ¾
John Langzher & others	6	Part Mile Tract	.26	.38	6
Olivia D. Lee	5 ½	Near Greenwich	.23	.42	5 ½
Horace McCall	1 lot	Buckland	1.30	1.89	1 lot
C. A. Marstellers, est	15 ½	On Darkins Branch	.40	.46	15 ½
Morum issued land unimproved	1210	On Potomac River	7328	9161	1210
Jesse Nailor	9	Part Liberia	.39	.44	9
Bartholomew Oastley	270	On Chappawamsic	3.51	4.38	270
John H. Purcell est	188	Adjoins Beavers	1.65	2.04	188
Benjamin Pridmore	141	Forest	1.83	2.29	141
Catherine Petty	50	Forest	.65	.82	50
L. G. Prescott	½	Gainesville	.61	.71	½
Amos Purdon	120	On North Run	1.62	1.95	120
T. B. Robinson	295	Leesylvania	1532	1916	295
John Robertson	34 ½	Past Liberia	1.79	2.02	34 ½
Henrieta Robertson	10	On Piny Branch	.35	.36	111
H. C. Smith	23	Bailey & Burg	.51	.61	23
J. C. Shea	16	On Manassas Gap Road	.58	.62	16
J. R. Shirly, est	1	Near Gainesville	.11	.21	1
R. H. Swart, est	92	Part Mt. Atlas	3.20	3.78	92
Delia Smith, est	443	Near Lansdown	5.49	6.87	443
J. W. Smith	150	Near Lansdown	1.96	2.46	150
William Strother	24	On Goose Run	.30	.39	24
John Towles	129 ½	Near Gainsville	2.82	3.41	129 ½
T. B. Warder, est	11	On Cattail Branch	.25	.38	11
G. A. Whiting	9 ¼	On Cedar Run	.61	.73	9 ¼
Thornberry Warder	71	Studley	.91	1.15	71