
In the Name of God, amen, I John Newton of Lower
Machedach in Westmoreland County in Virginia being in perfect
health and sound mind make this my last Will and Testament this
19th of August, 1695 hereby revoking all other Wills and
Testaments whatsoever, and first I recommend my Soul to God,
believing for eternal rest & Salvation through Jesus Christ my
Savior, and my body I desire to be decently buried by my
Executors hereafter named upon some of the Land which I have
purchased and my worldly goods which God hath graciously given
me I give as followeth,
Item I give unto
my Eldest son John & his heirs & assigns forever, what land I
have at Charlton & Camilsforth in Yorkshire and that house in
Hull which was my Fathers, the Land I bought of Joseph Laycock
and also I give him and his four children One Thousand Pounds of
Tobacco apiece, and I give unto my Son Joseph Newton and his
three Sons 1000 lbs of tobacco apiece, and I give unto my son
Benjamin Newton and to his Daughters one Thousand pounds of Tobo:
apiece; and that thousand I give to John & to Joseph and to
Benjamin, I will it be paid them at my death by my Executors;
and the Thousand apiece to each of Grandchildren, I will that my
two sons Gerrat Newton & Thomas Newton pay it equally between
them, the first year after the death of my wife unto each
Grandchilds own Father for the use of their Children and they to
pay it to each child as they shall attain to 18 years of age and
further I give to my sons John Newton, Joseph Newton & Benjamin
Newton and their Widows, if they continue their widows; so long
that they shall be tole free for their whole families seven
years after my death, at either my mills at Totashee, or at my
mills in the freshes of Rappahannock river which they please to
make use of, but if their widows marry then to be no longer tole
free;
Item I give to my Son Garrat that 1000 Acres
of Land I bought of Thomas Short with all the overmeasure
contained whether the bounds which layeth in the freshes of
Rappahannock Rivers & the mills which I have built there, to him
and the male heirs of his body lawfully begotten and for want of
such heirs then to my Eldest Son John Newton and to the heirs
males of his body Lawfully begotten and for want of such heirs
then I give the said Land and Mills to Joseph Newton my son and
from him to his son John and the heirs males of his body
Lawfully begotten, and for want of such heirs then I give the
said Land & Mills to my eight heirs at Law forever, but his Gift
of this Land and Mills is with the reservation, that my said Son
Gerrat or they to whom it shall descend to at my death shall pay
four Thousand pound of Tobacco to John Newton's 4 children, as I
have before devised, and my said Sons John, Joseph & Benjamin
and their widows shall be tole free as above and also pay to my
loving wife his mother, five thousand Pounds of Tobacco & Caske
every year during her life in Lieu of her thirds or dower
hereof, I likewise give to my said Son Garrat Newton foure
negroes Tim, Nan, Will and Sarah, and the Issue of their bodies
from this date, and to entries as above and all at my death,
Item I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Newton my moiety & half
part of that 21500 Acres of Land formerly Henry Walkers, and now
granted to myself & Colonel Fitzhugh by deed from the
Proprietors office, he have promised to take no advantage of
Survivorship, to her and to the heirs males of her body Lawfully
begotten, and for want of such heirs then I give the said Land
to John Newton my Grandson, the Son of Joseph Newton and to the
heirs males of his body Lawfully begotten, and for want of such
heirs then I give the said Land to my eight heirs forever, also
I give my said daughter a negro boy Wappen & a negro girl Betty
and the Increase of their bodies from this date, and at the
death of my wife the Negro girl Roase and the Increase of her
body, but my wife to have the use and labour of the said Girl
for her life, and the use of all my Plate for her life, and then
I give the said Plate to my said Daughter, and I give her my
said Daughter and her Estate into the Tutorage and Guardianship
of her mother if she lives so long, if not then to Brothers,
Garret and Thomas, untill she shall be married or attain the age
of 18 years.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my Son Thomas
Newton and to his heirs males of his body Lawfull begotten 350
Acres of Land at Totashey which I bought of W. Swillivant and my
mill at Totasley with the two acres belonging to her, but for
want of such heirs then I give this said Land & Mill unto
Benjamin Newton my son and to the heirs, etc., but want, etc,
then to my eight heirs at Law forever, but this gift of this
Land & Mill is with the reservation that my said Son Thomas or
they to who it shall descend to at my death shall pay 4 Thousand
Pounds of Tobacco to the other 4 of my Grand Children, 3 of
Josephs children and 1 daughter of Benjamin as is before
devised, etc. and also pay unto my loving wife his mother 5000
lbs of Tobacco & Caskes every year during her life in lieu of
her thirds or dower, and I also give her the labour and use of a
Negro Frank and a negro Sue for her life, and at her death if
living then to be equally divided betwixt my 3 Sons John, Joseph
and Benjamin, they first being Valued and then Cast Lotts, which
Brother shall have them, he paying his other Brothers their
portions; The rest of all my worldly good not hereby devised, I
give to be equally divided amongst my 4 Executors hereafter
named they paying all my Just Debts, this my gift to my wife is
in lieu of all thirds dower paraphernalia and pretended Claims
whatsoever; I make appoint and ordaine my loving wife, my Son
Gerrat Newton, my Son Thomas Newton and my Daughter Elizabeth
Newton to be my Sole and absolute Executors to perform this my
last Will, and I earnestly intreat my loving friend Colonel
William Fitzhugh to advise and assist my said Executors and in
case of differences to decide all matters betwixt them, I hereby
command my 3 Children and Intreat my wife to accept of his
judgement, and so not to go to Law, In witness whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and Seale the day and year above written.
John [(SEAL)] Newton
Signed Sealed & Delivered by the said Newton
to be his last Will before us Dessamach Dalton, Charles Tillery,
Ellender Tillery.
This Codicil made by me the Subscriber this
21st day of December 1696. Declareth that my Son Gerrat shall
not pay his mother five Thousand pound of Tobacco a yeare
because the profits of the mill will not bear it, and therefore
he shall only pay her two Thousand pounds of Tobacco yearly for
her life instead thereof, also that Gerrat shall not [have] the
within named negro Will as also that Gerrat shall not be one of
my Execrs, only the other three, Roas, Thomas and Elizabeth
shall be my Executors, and that I give Gerrat all Cattle Hoggs &
which belongeth to me, that is now or shall be on his plantation
at the little falls, I also confirm to him & his wife Rebecca a
small Deed of Gift I made to him and her when I was up to see
them first at their Plantation, about the beginning of October
last and it is then dated and is for five hundred Acres of Land
where they live, taking the whole length of the Pattent from the
river to the back line, and this whether they have or have not
heirs males, I give to my Eldest Son John that negro Josh I
bought of W. Bolton, and the labour and use of Negro Will I give
to my wife Roas during her life, but the negroe I give to my
Three English Sone to be delivered of living at her death, and
to be divided between my said 3 Sons, as negroes Fran & Sue is
to be divided; I give unto my grandson John the son of Joseph
two Hundred acres of that Land I bought of Capt. Swann, next
adjoining to William Smith 50 poles to the breadth on the river
and the length of the Land of from the River to the back line,
this to him and his heirs, etc.
John [(SEAL)] Newton
Witnesses: Charles Tillery, Ellinor Tillery,
Dessamach Dalton
Additional change to Codicil, changing the
distribution of land, not dated, and witnessed by:
Richard Lee, John Hines, Elizabeth Needam,
signed by John Newton(Seal) in Westmoreland.
At Court held for the said County the 28th day
of July 1697. This last Will & Testament of John Newton deceased
above written, with the endorsed Codicils were this day proved
in Court and probate granted. Testee: James Westcomb.