Will: Theodore Vandenburgh (1853)

Theodore Vandenburgh Will

Prince William Co. Will Book Q pg. 147

In the name of God, Amen I Theodore Vandenburgh of the County of Prince William and State of Virginia, being of sound mind and memory, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament. I give and bequeath to my mother Emily Vandenburgh all of my personal property, also one hundred acres of land from the South end of the last I purchased from Jesse E. Weeks Senr. Known as the home and mill tract, commencing at the Spriggs and Dumfries road and running Easterly on the line between Mr. Keys and myself to the first corner at the stock yard and then running an easterly course until it strikes the east line of sufficient width to make one hundred acres, the aforesaid land and chattels I wish to be freed from all encumbrance out of the avails of the balance of my Estate, after my just and lawful debts are paid. The balance I give and bequeath unto my father, John W. Vandenburgh to have the use of or interest during his lifetime for the support or so much of it as he may need of either principle or interest at his decease the balance I give bequeath and devise unto my brother Wyndent Vandenburgh and my sisters Frances, Mary, Elizabeth, and Caroline Vandenburgh to be divided in equal shares between them. I do nominate and appoint my Father Jno. Vandenburgh to be the sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, and I do hereby empower him as such to dispose of my Estate, except the one hundred acres bequeathed to my Mother Emily Vandenburgh, either at public or private sale as he may judge best, and invest the same in real or personal property after my just and lawful debts are payed, and the one hundred acres bequeathed to my Mother shall be discharged from all encumbrances. In testimony, whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal, and publish and decree this to be my last Will and Testament, in presence of the Witnesses named below, this 9^th day of April one thousand eight-hundred and fifty-three.

Theodore Vandenburgh {seal}

Signed, sealed, declared and published by the said Theodore Vandenburgh as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence and each others have subscribed our names as Witnesses hereto

John M. Payne

Robt. E. Utterbach

A. B. Between the 10^th and 11^th lines from the bottom of the first page the word principal was omitted through mistake, and afterwards ad[d]ed.

John M. Payne

Robt. E. Utterbach

At a court held for Prince Wm. County on the 2d day of May 1853 this last Will and Testament of Theodore Vandenburgh decd was proved by the oaths of Jno. M. Payne and Robt. E. Utterback witnesses thereto, and was ordered to be recorded and at a Court of quarterly Sessions held for said county on the 6^th day of June 1853 on the motion of Jno. W. Vandenburgh the executor named in the last will & testament of Theodore Vandenburgh decd. who made oath and together with Thomas B. Alexander and Maklow S. Lindsly his Seryd. entered into and ackd. a bond in the penalty of $500.00 conditioned as the law directs certificate is granted the said Jno. W. Vandenburgh for obtaining letters of administration on the said decedents estate in due form.

Teste, P. D. Lipscomb, clk.

Friend of Friends Friday: Jesse Bates and John Douglas

Alexandria Gazette – November 19, 1839

On Friday last, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, as two colored boatmen, the one a free man named Jesse Bates, the other a slave named John Douglas, belonging to Mrs. Cannon, of Prince William county, Virginia, were quarreling on the south bank of the Washington Canal, near Messrs King and Hill's wood yard, Bates, the free man, seized a gun, which was loaded with shot, and discharged its contents into the right leg of Douglas.  The entire load of the gun lodged a little below the knee, in the leg of the unfortunate man, shattering the bone and mangling the flesh in a shocking manner.  On examining the wound it was ascertained by Dr. Lindsly and Dr. Hall that immediate amputation was necessary; and the poor fellow's leg was taken off by Dr. Lindsly, attended by Drs. Hall and Dawes; in a short time after the negro was removed to a convenient house in the neighborhood.  In the mean time, Bates has been arrested and taken before Justice Mosell, who, after examining such witnesses as appeared at his office, committed the prisoner to the county jail.

From the examining magistrate we learn that it appeared, by the testimony, that the wounded man was the assailant, and that when Bates fired at him, the former was going at him with a billet of wood for the purpose of striking him.

Since writing the foregoing notice, we learn that the unfortunate negro died about 11 o'clock, on Friday night, in six hours after his leg was amputated.  It appeared from the testimony of Dr. Dawes, who was examined before the Coroner's inquest, held on the following day, that about two hours after the operation the poor man appeared to be doing well; but, in three hours afterwards he became restless, and gradually sunk until 11 o'clock, when he died.  – Nat. Int.