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Will of George Dabney of King William County, Virginia
24 October 1729
[The Virginia Genealogist, Volume 21, Number 4, October-December 1977 pages 307-310,
Contributed by Prentiss Price Richmond, Virginia. The following copy of the will of George
Dabney is among the Dabney papers at the Virginia Historical Society. It is printed with the
permission of the Society.]
In the name of God etc., I George Dabney of King Wm. County do make this my last Will and
Testament in manner and form following.
I give to my daughter I Mary Pettus twenty Shillings Current money.
I give to my grandson Dabney Pettus son of Stephen Pettus one Negroe boy named Frank.
I give to my Grandson George Anderson, my Negroe man Peter and Twenty pounds Sterling,
when he arives to the age of Twenty one years Complete, upon this proviso that his father permits
him to live with my Executors, or Either of them, untill he is of the said age and if he should die or
his father should Take him away from my said Executors before he Attains the said age, That then
my will is that his bequest Remain wth. my Execrs. and be applyd to the uses of the Residuary
legacy given by me of my Negroes stock etc. at my home Dwelling Plantation.
I give and Bequeath to my son George Dabney and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, and
for want of Such to my son William Dabney and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, all
and Every part of that Tract of land whereon I now live, and all Improvements thereon, Together
wth. the other Plantation on the same, wheron he and said George lives with this Proviso, that my
loving wife Eliza. have the use and Occupation of the said plantation whereon I now live and all
the Improvements. Thereon During her natural life.
My meaning by this Intail is that the land Mentioned in the above legacy shall always Remain in
the name of the Dabneys, I allso give and Bequeath to my said son George Dabney and his heirs
forever, Six hundred acres of my Twelve hundred acres of land on Cubb Camp Creek in Hanover
County at the upper End thereof, and that the same be laid off to him and them so as not to
prejudice the Settlement and Plantation I have already made on the said land for my son William
Dabney.
I also give unto him the said George Dabney the one half of the stock of whatever Nature, and
half of my houshold stuff on my said plantation on Cubb Camp Creek. I likewise give unto him
the said George Dabney and his heirs forever, all the negroes that he has now in his Possession
and also my negroe fellow Tom now living at Cubb Creek. I allso give unto him all the houshold
Stuff and stock where he lives or is in his Possession, my new Trooping saddle and furniture
pistolls and holsters my new Silver hilted sword, and Brandy Still and the Equal half of my
wearing Apparrel. I give and Bequeath unto my son William Dabney and his heirs forever all that
my five hundred acres of land and Plantation Thereon in Hanover County Between the Southanna
of Pamunkey and Taylors Creek, and allso I give unto him the said William Dabney and his heirs
forever all that my Tract of land and Plantation in Hanover County on Wolf swamp Together with
the houshold Stuff and Stock of Cattle, horses and hogs, There on the two Plantations.
I Give allso to my said son William Dabney and his heirs forever all that six hundred acres of land
and Plantation Thereon belonging to me, being the lower half of my Twelve hundred acres of land
on Cubb Camp Creek in Hanover County, to be laid out for him as Design'd by my legacy to my
son George.
I allso give unto him the said William Dabney the one half of my stock and houshold Stuff, I have
on my said Plantation at Cubb Camp Creek. I allso give my said son William Dabney my Walnut
writing Desk, my old pistols and holsters, all my Silver Buttons, my Silver Tankeard and Twelve
Silver spoons and half my wearing Aparrel. I allso give to my said son William Dabney my Six
negroes and their Encrease to him and his heirs forever, I mean the future Encrease to Witt:
Sambo, Moll, Samson, Moll, Jack and Will.
I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Susannah Dabney and her heirs forever my Six Negroes
and their Increase to Witt. Robin, Sarah, Simon, Jammie, Toney and Tom, I allso give unto
my said Daughter Susannah Dabney her Rideing horse and side Saddle and one fether Bed and
Furniture of the best in my house.
I give to my loving wife Elizabeth Dabney all her wearing aparrel Rideing horse, Side saddle etc.
To be Disposed of as she Thinks proper.
My Will and Desire is that after my Depts and Legacys paid the Remaining part of my Estate shall
Continue Remain and be for the use of my loving wife Eliza. and the children hereafter Mention'd
Thus To Witt. That all my Crops of Tobacco be yearly shipt to England under my Mark and that
they with what I have allready there be applied to the maintenance of my loving wife and my said
Two Daughters Sarah and Judith Dabneys, and finding Negroes in her care with Ncessarys and
Repairations, and that what shall Remain in England or not Arived in goods before my wifes
Death, be devided in four parts between my son William Dabney and my Daughters, Susannah,
Sarah and Judith Dabneys And my will is that the Negroes not Disposed of after my wifes
Death, I give to be Equally Divided between my said Daughters Sarah and Judith Dabneys and
their heirs forever, and I allso give to be Equally Divided between them Two, all my Stock of
Cattle, horses, hogs, sheep etc. and Crops not Disposed of at my wifes death (on) my home
Plantation, To be Equally Divided between them Two. My meaning by the above Bequeast is that
what money or Effects in England and not Arived in Virginia belonging to my estate at the Death
of my said wife, be Divided Equally between my said son and Three Daughters above Mention'd
and that my Debts and Legacys be paid out of it and my Personal Estate at my home Plantation,
and that my loving wife have the use of both money in England and Negroes not given away,
Excepting those to the Two younger Children during her Natural life, and that she shall not be
Obliged to give Security nor Return any Appraismt. to Court, I being fully Satisfied of her
faithfull mannagmt. of the Trust hereby Reposed in her, But that Immediately upon her Decease
my Surviving Executors shall give Security and Return an Inventory to Court of the estate in her
hands in order that the same may be made forthcoming to the uses above Mention'd.
Lastly I hereby Constitute and appoint my said loving wife Eliza. Dabney and my said Sons
George and William Dabney, Executors of this my last Will and Testament In witness whereof I
have hereto set my hand and Seal this twenty fourth day of October 1729.
(On the back is Written:) A True Copy of my father's Will. William Dabney.
Notes:
[Notes in the Dabney papers state the testator, George Dabney died in 1744. He was, however
dead by 11 April 1734. Among the Land Office Papers, Miscellaneous Surveys, at the Virginia
State Library is a survey of 494 acres made 11 April 1734 for George Dabney of land in Hanover
County on both sides of Cubb Creek, which states that 400 acres of the above land was granted to
George Dabney of King William County by patent 9 July 1724 and by him left by will to his son
George Dabney of the said county, and 94 acres was king's land.]
[The will of George Dabney and several land patents granted to him are mentioned in Charles
William Dabney, "The Origin of the Dabney Family of Virginia" in The Virginia Magazine of
History and Biography, v.45, pp.121-43.]
For further search into the William Finley-Mary Pettus wedding location, the following location
of Pettis-Dabney estates have been located.
Pettus:
Charlotte County, Dabney will 1788. John Will 1799
Halifax County, Charles will 1797. Elizabeth will 1799
Louisa County, John will 1770, Thomas Walters will 1791
Lunenburg County, Thomas will 1779, John Sr. will 1781, Sarah will 1798, John inventory 1799.
Mecklenburg County, Thomas inventory 1797, Harriott inventory 1799
Spotsylvania County, William will 1798
Dabney:
Beford County, Cornelius will 1792,
Henry County, William inventory 1799
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