Michael Blue Will 1840

Date: 27 Oct 1840 to 28 Mar 1842
Location: Hampshire, Virginia, United States

Will of Michael Blue, Hampshire County, Virginia, 27 Oct 1840. Proved 28 Mar 1842.

In the name of God amen, I Michael Blue of the county of Hampshire in the State of Virginia being weak in body but of sound disposing mind, memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being desirous to settle my world affairs and thereby to be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following.

First, I give to my beloved wife the one third part of all my land. I give the following slaves, Daniel, Barbara, Phoebe, Elizabeth, Phillis, Rebecca & Louise and her choice of four head of horses, and ten head of milch cows, and all the hogs I may leave, and all the sheep. Also four sets of gears, and all the ploughs & harrows and one wagon. Also all my household & kitchen furniture except the following bequest, out of said furniture and further she shall have one year provisions for herself and family, and

Secondly I give to my son Mich [NOTE: this is a typed manuscript, wherein the typist read “Mich,” instead of Uriah, first born child of Michael & Fanny Blue], one Negro woman Letty. Also all the money and other goods that I have given him as an advancement. Also after the decease of his mother, Negroes Daniel Sr. and Barbara.

3rd I give and bequeath to my son Thomas, Negroes David & Rebecca. Also all the money and other goods that I have already given him.

4, I give and bequeath to my son John, Negro Daniel. Also all the goods and chattels that I have given him as an advancement. Also one thousand dollars in cash, which sums shall be paid him by my executors within six months after my decease in the event I should not give it him in my life time. Also Negro Elizabeth and her issue to be sold & divided amongst my children after the decease of his mother.

5th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Hannah Kuykendall, the wife of James Kuykendall, Negroes Julia & Lucy. Also all the money and other goods that I have already given her as an advancement.

6th. I give and bequeath to my son Michael, Negro Benjamin. Also one horse saddle & bridle , his choice after his mother takes hers. Also one bed and bedding. Also Negro Pheby after the decease of his mother.

7th. I give and bequeath to my son Lawson, Negro Samuel. Also one horse saddle & bridle, his own choice after the former is taken, and one bed & bedding. Also Negro Phillis after the decease of his mother, and the former when he arrives of age.

8th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Charity, Negro Clem. Also one horse saddle & bridle, her choice after the former two beds and bedding, one set of table silver spoons and tea spoons, & two p[ai]r of bedsteads & bearow (bureau?), and set of chairs, two cows and calves. Also Negro Rebecca after the decease of her mother, the former when she arrives of age of twenty one years. Also five hundred dollars that my son Michael shall pay her on her arriving at the above age. Also Negro Clem after the decease of her mother. Also my son Lawson shall pay a like sum one year after the above payment, and my executors or the guardian of my son Garret shall pay her a like sum after she arrives of age as soon as the rents of his portion of the land may enable them to do so.

9th. I give and bequeath to my son Garret, Negro Charles and after the death of his mother, Louise. Also one horse saddle & bridle. Also one bed & bedding, and further my will is in event my son Garret shall stand in need of said horse my executors shall retain in their hands out of the money arising from the sale of my personal property one hundred dollars for the purchase of said horse, saddle & bridle over and above his equal share of said property.

And further I give and bequeath to my three sons viz Michael, Lawson and Garret, all the land, share and share alike, on this condition that each of them shall pay my daughter Charity the above specified sums, and the profits arising from the balance of land after my wife third is laid off shall be divided equally amongst my four youngest children until my daughter Charity shall arrive of lawful age and then, to be divided between my above named three sons and after the decease of their mother they my three son shall have my land to them and their heirs forever, and further my will is that all my property not devised shall be sold at publick sale by my executors, and the money arising from the sale after paying off all my debts shall be equally divided amongst all my children, share and share alike, and further all the personal property devised to my widow that may remain after her decease shall be sold and the money arising from such sale shall be equally divided between my four youngest children, share and share alike.

And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear sons Thomas & Michael Blue to be my executors of this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me made, ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have set my hand, affixed my seal this 27 day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty. Michael Blue (seal)

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the above testator as and for his last will and testament, who at his request have subscribed our names as witnesses to the same. John Earsom, John Donaldson, Thomas Walker

At a court held for Hampshire County on the 28 day of March 1842, the last will and testament of Michael Blue decd was presented in court, proven by the oaths of John Earsom, John Donaldson, [and] Thomas Walker, witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of Thomas Blue [and] Michael Blue, the executors therein named, who made oath according to law, certificate of the probate thereof [was] granted them in due form on their giving security. Whereupon they with Garret W. Blue & John Donaldson their securities entered into, and acknowledged bond in the penalty of five thousand dollars, conditioned as the law directs. Teste Jno B. White, C^{[1] [2]}

[Punctuation, paragraphing and highlighting added for clarity.]

Research Notes

• There are 7 slaves bequeathed to Michael Blue's wife, Fanny Lawson Blue. For each of these slaves, the Will provides a back-up enslaver to take ownership of the slave after the wife's decease. * Most of of the enlsaved people listed in this will also appear, with birth dates in the ^[3] Some of them also appear in the 1860 Slaves Schedules of Hampshire County, Virginia of the children of Michael Blue or in the 1893 will of Samuel Cochran.

Sources

1. ↑ Probate:"West Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1724-1985"
   Wills; Author: West Virginia. County Court (Hampshire County); Probate Place: Hampshire, West Virginia
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 9087 #524734 (accessed 22 March 2022): Will Book 1, pp. 102-104, no. 89, Michael Blue Will (FHL# 0815334, DGS4715538, image 74-75): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-CSSY-V3?i=73&cc=1909099&cat=95551
2. ↑ Slaves of Michael Blue
3. ↑ Bible of of Thomas Blue.