Will: William Alexander (Effingham)

Will of William Alexander
PWCo Will Book K, pg. 286
Proved: 2 May 1814

I William Alexander of Effingham in Prince William County make this my last will & testament. I hereby confirm to my children respectively the property which I have heretofore given them. 

I give & bequeath to my son Laurence Gibbons Alexander one fourth part of my horses & sheep & one third part of my cattle and two feather beds & their furniture and I hereby confirm to him the Slaves which I have heretofore given him Viz. Seymour, Sawney, Nero, Dick, Jess, Will (of Juno), Polly, big Lucy, Hester, Sidney, Sukey, George, Mary & the two twins (of Polly) with their future increase. 

I give & bequeath to my son William Segismund Alexander one fourth part of my horses & sheep he accounting in his part of the horses for the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars which he has already received. I also give him one feather bed & its furniture. I give to my Executors hereinafter named in trust for my Grand Daughter Jane Alexander Slaughter the following Slaves to wit Lotty, Nancy, Kitty, Lewis & William & their future increase & one bed and its furniture, which trust shall continue untill my said Grand Daughter shall arrive to the age of twenty one years, or marry, on the happening of either of which events the trust shall cease & the property be delivered absolutely to her, but I reserve to my wife the use of Negro Lotty just above mentioned for & during my said wifes life and I direct in case my said Grand Daughter Jane A. Slaughter shall die before she attains the age of twenty one years or marries, all the property herein bequeathed to her shall be equally divided amongst my four sons Philip, Gerard, Laurence & William, & the issue of such of them as may then be dead leaving issue such issue to take the part to which his or her parent would have been entitled if living. 

One moiety of the lands lying in Fairfax county (formerly Loudon) which I purchased of Newtons Executors I gave to my son John Stuart Alexander, the remaining moiety lying on Bull run I devise to my Executors to be by them sold, and the proceeds to be equally divided amongst my sons, Philip, Gerard, Laurence, William, & my Grand son Robert (son of Robert) & provided that if before a division of the sd. proceeds, any one of the Devises should die leaving issue such issue shall take the part the father would have been entitled to if living & to any other Lands which I may be entitled to excepting the Farms commonly called Effingham, Congress and Massey Dale.

I devise to my Executors to be by them sold & the process divided in the same manner and subject to the same limitations as those in the County of Fairfax. My lands in Prince William County commonly called Effingham, Congress & Massey Dale and all other my property real & personal not heretofore disposed of in this will I give & bequeath to my wife Sigesmunda Mary Alexander for & during her life, & after her death I desire that my personal Estate may be divided amongst my sons, Philip, Gerard, Laurence & William, my son Philip accounting in the division for negro Fran if she be living at the time of the division. The lands after my wifes death to be divided equally amongst my sons Philip, Laurence & William agreeable to quantity and having regard to an equal division of the Woodlands as will appear by a survey made (by Mr. Daniel Grant) of the whole Farms, in such division I desire that my son Philip's part be laid off on the Congress Farm, Laurence's part on the Effingham Farm & William's on the Massey Dale Farm. If either of my said sons Philip, Gerard, Laurence or William shall die leaving issue living at the time of his death or before the abovementioned Division shall have been made such issue shall be entitled to the portion to which his her or their father would have been entitled if living but if either of my said sons shall die before the said division without leaving issue living at the time of his death, or before such division shall take place, such Decedents part both real and personal shall be divided amongst the survivors of my said four sons, and the issue of such as may be dead leaving issue which issue shall take the part to which the father would have been entitled if living.

I desire that my Estate may not be appraised and I appoint my wife Sigesmunda and my sons Philip, Gerard & Laurence my Executors. In Witness of all of which I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this tenth day of September in the year 1813.

Wm. Alexander {seal}

At a Court held for Prince Wm. County May 2nd 1814

This Last will and testament of William Alexander decd. was presented to the Court by Laurence G. Alexander one of the Exors. therein named and it appearing to the Court that the said Will is all in the handwriting of the said William Alexander by the Oath of William Foote it is ordered to be recorded. And at a Court held for sd. County May 2d 1814 Laurence G. Alexander one of the Exors. named in the last will and Testament of Wm. Alexander decd. came into Court and made oath to the same according to law and having taken the Oath of an Executor and performed what is usual in such cases Certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.

Teste   Phil. D. Dawe   Ct. Cur.