Will: Robert Latham

Will of Robert Latham
PWCo. Will Book O, pg. 21
Proved 3 June 1833

In the name of God Amen

I Robert Latham of the County of Prince William & State of Virginia, being well stricken in years and being infirm of body but of sound mind & memory  calling to mind it is appointed for all men to die and wishing to continue peace & harmony amongst those that shall survive me & are heirs of the worldly goods God ahs blessed me with, do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following Viz:

1st. It is my will & desire that all my just debts which are but few should be punctually and speedily paid.

2nd. I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Sarah Latham two negro girls, one called Celia, who was originally called Senar & the other called Eliza also one bay mare called Bety and a bed & furniture together with thirty dollars which it is my wish my sons John Latham & Thomas Latham shall pay her when they collect the sale money. It is my will & pleasure that the above bequests shall be possessed by her uninterruptedly & to be finally at her disposal as she may see fit.

3rd. I give & bequeath unto my son John Latham, four negroes, one boy named Moses, one Woman named Delilah, one girl named Harriet, and a boy named Randle there is an old woman in my family named Ann. It is my wish that my son John Latham should take charge of her & do with & for her, what may be just & right for her & himself. I also give unto my son John Latham the plantation & the appurtenances thereto belonging on which I now reside.

4th. I give & bequeath unto my five grand children, Robert Cundiff, Margaret Elizabeth, Lucy Ann, Thomas Richard & Susannah, by my son Robert Latham decd a negro woman named Nancy & her son named Charles, which the widow of the deceased has in possession. Also I give unto my above named five grand children five hundred dollars, that is one hundred dollars to each of them & to be paid to them as they severally come of age, by John & Thomas Latham, or their representatives.

5th. I give & bequeath unto my son Thomas Latham five negroes, named Harry, Agnes, Jane, Esther & John.

6th. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Lucy Latham five negroes named Charlotte, Ann, Martha, James & Washington. I also give & bequeath unto my Daughter Lucy my riding horse & one bed & furniture. Also in consequence of my son John Latham's possessing the place whereon I now live it is my will that he shall pay to my Daughter Lucy one hundred dollars, in five equal annual payments the first payment to be made twelve months after the sale.

7th. My will is that every thing shall be kept together & the farm cultivated as usual until the end of the present year & that the proceeds of the farm shall be sold as part of the estate.

Lastly I desire that all my property not named in the above bequests consisting of horses, cattle, sheep & hogs, one Waggon, one cart & a gig, with plantation utensils & all the house hold & kitchen furniture, shall be sold at the end of the year, with the crop raised on the farm, & the money arising from the proceeds of the sale, after deducting the thirty dollars bequeathed to my wife and five hundred dollars to my five grand children, the balance after my debts are paid shall be equally divided among my three children John Latham, Thomas Latham & Lucy Latham. It is my wish that my sons John Latham & Thomas Latham shall settle my business agreeable to this my last will & testament in friendship & brotherly affection. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal this 18th day of February one thousand eight hundred & thirty three. (1833)

Robert Latham {seal}

Signed, sealed, published & delivered by P. Robert Latham as his last will & testament in presence of us:

Theron W. Newman
Albert Newman
Dean James
David James

At a Court of Quarterly Sessions held for Prince William County the 3rd day of June 1833.

This last will and testament of Robert Latham deceased was presented to the court and being proved by the oaths of Theron W. Newman and Albert Newman the two subscribing Witnesses thereto is ordered to be recorded.

And on the motion of John Latham and Thomas Latham Exors therein named who made oath thereto and together with Theron W. Newman & James D. Tennille their securities entered into and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of $10000 conditioned as the law directs. Certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate of said will in due form.

Teste.  Jn. Williams  Ct. Cur.