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Stafford
County, Virginia In the name of God Amen this 21 Day of July in the year of our Lord on thousand Seven hundred twenty three I Mathew Keen of the County of of Stafford being sick and weak of body but of perfect and sound memory considering the uncertainty of Life and that it is appointed for all men once to dye make this my last will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say I comment my soul to God who gave it me in sure and certain hopes of a glorious Resurrection to Eternal Life through the only merits and mediation of my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesis Christ in whose only merits I trust for Pardon and remission of my Sins my body I Commend to the Earth to be buried in a Decent and Christian manner at the discretion of my Executrix hereinafter named and as to what Worldly goods and Estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I Give Devise and bequeath the Same in Manner and form following vizt. Imprimis I give Devise and bequeath unto my Dear and Loving wife Bridgett one negro boy named Matt unto my said wife for Ever. Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Withers the Land whereon she now lives and so to the true bounds I sett and marked unto her husband James Withers which true bounds I desire he may not Exceed dureing the Life of My Dear Wife and I further desire that my said Daughter may have the said Lands within the said bounds without any disturbance troubled or contest Whatsoever dureing my wifes life as aforesaid Item I give Devise & bequeath unto my said Daughter Elizabeth Withers after the decease of my Loving Wife Bridgett all my whole Estate of Land as well as the tract of lands where on I now live as any other Land that may or ought to come to me to my said Daughter Elizabeth Withers Twenty shillings to buy her a Ring to wear in remembrance of me. Item I give & bequeath unto my Son in Law James Withers one five year old steer Item I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Field on feather bed and the furniture thereunto belonging [--?--] that bed that is now in the Trundle bedstead. I also give unto my Said Grand Daughter the Pewter that is now lay'd aside for her and which is properly her own to her and her heirs forever. Item I Give and bequeath unto my Grandson John Withers after the Decease of my loving wife my Buckaneer Gun Item I give Devise and bequeath unto Elizabeth Emett one heifer of the age of three years at the Expiration of her Time to her and her heirs for Ever. Item I give Devise and bequeath unto my Dear and Loving wife Bridgett the remainder and residue of my Estate of what Quality Specie or Quantity Soever it ne within or without as well as Personall unto my said Loving wife Bridgett and to her Disposal for Ever and I do hereby make ordain appoint and constitute my Dear and Loving wife Bridgett and none other my Whole and Sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making null amd voyd all former and other will or wills by me at any time heretofore made Declareing this to be my True Last Will and Testament whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and affixed my Seal the Day and year first above written.
Mem. That on the 25th day of Febry 1730 I read the within written Will to Mathew Keen and he acknowledged it to be his Last Will & Testament allowing the following Clause. Jos. Green Whereas the Land the within named Mathew Keen now lived upon is bequeathed to his Daughter Eliza Withers after his wifes Decease this day being the 25 of Feb 1730 the sd. Mathew Keen In Presence of Several Witnesses hath Gave & bequeathed the sd. land wch. he now lives on to Jno. Withers Eldest Son of the sd. Eliza Withers after the Decease of his Loving Wife Bridget Keen. |