Will of Charles Lambert, Bedford County, Virginia, 1839

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]

This is the transcribed will of Charles Lambert of Bedford County, Virginia. His will was written on 1 March 1839. Codicil witnessed 20 May 1839. It was proved in Court on 23 December 1839. ^[1]

The image quality was excellent and handwriting was very clear
Spelling, punctuation and line breaks are as per the original document.
Crossings through have been included struck out
Paragraph breaks at change of bequest, and bold text are my own for ease of reading.
When possible, I included the completion of the word, if missing, in [square brackets].
If you see just the square brackets with a space, there is a word or words missing.
A Question Mark is noted when I was unable to make out the words due to the bled through.

Persons Listed:

• Charles Lambert, Testator
• William Lambert, sold land to Testator
• Moses Penn, owned adjoining property
• David Douglass, owned adjoining property, Executor, Witness
• James, Enslaved black man
• Thomas Sledd, sold land to Testator
• Martain P Burke, owned adjoining property
• Samuel Hobson, owned adjoining property
• Elizabeth Jones (Lambert) Diner, Testator's father willed her land
• Unnamed wife of Testator
• Thomas Sale, Executor
• William Allen White, Executor, Witness
• R. A. Sale, Witness
• Sarah Ann Lambert
• David, enslaved person
• Randolph, enslaved person
• Peter, enslaved person
• Frank, enslaved person
• Jurdin, enslaved person
• Isham, enslaved person
• Billey, enslaved person
• Albert, enslaved person
• Ben, enslaved person
• Alvin, enslaved person
• Callohill, enslaved person
• Spotswood, enslaved person
• Bob, enslaved person
• Lewis, enslaved person
• Randal, enslaved person
• James, enslaved person
• Hawkins, enslaved person
• Aggy, enslaved person
• Amy, enslaved person
• Caroline, enslaved person
• Nancy, enslaved person
• Lucinda, enslaved person
• Milley, enslaved person
• Ailec, enslaved person
• Mary Ann, enslaved person

---

In the name of God Amen. I Charles Lambert of the County of Bedford
and State of Virginia being weak in body but of sound and perfect mind
and memory, blessed be Almighty God for the same, do make and publish
this my last will and Testament in manner and form following that is say
after all my just debts is paid which I hope will be but few, my will
is that all my black people of every age or sex, shall be free. I also leave
all my horses and work oxen and waggon or cart to moove them to the
State that my after named executor shall advise them to move to and
whereas and of my black man has had the misfourtin to loose his
feet by being frost bitten, my will is that the tract of land that I
bought of William Lambert joining the land of Moses Penn & David
Douglass shall be rented for the supporte of the said black man James during
his natural life the said land is not to be sold or divided nor any parte
of it is to be cut down or cleared out side of the present fences, any timber
wanting for reframing the fence must be taken of the land joining the
lands of David Douglass that parte of wood land joining the land of
Moses Penn is never to be cut down. If the said black man James

Page 2

should die my will is the rents of the said lands shall be for the benefit of any
old black people who are not able to support themselves by their labour, also the lands
I bought of Thomas Sledd joining the land of Martain P Burke and Samuel Hob
-son my will is that the said lands shall be for the use of the said old slaves
but no parte of the said lands shall be cut down out side of the present fences
I hope my after named executors will see that this my will may be carried
into full affect. My will is that the tracts of land on Read Creek in the County
of Bedford, and the tract in County of Rockbridge shall be sold and the money
arising from the lands shall be to cloth and move the said black people to
the State my after named executors shall advise them to move to and whereas
the lands whereon I now live on was willed by my father after my death
to Elizabeth Jones Lambert now Elizabeth Jones Diner of the City of Rich
=mond and my will is that she shall receive one dollar and no more of
my estate. If she has any children they and each of them shall receive one
dollar and no more of my estate. My will is that all the rest of the estate of
every kind shall be sold to pay any debt I may owe. If the woman I
married and left me between forty and fifty years and robed me of
allmost all I was worth should live longer than I do I hope my executors
will contest that she shall have no parte of my estate. Signed, Sealed, pub
=lished and declared by the above named Charles Lambert to be his last will
and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names
as witnesses in the presence of the Testator. I appoint Thomas Sale, David
'Douglass and William Allen White Executors of this my last will and
Testament.

C. Lambert (Seal) March 1^st 1839

David Douglass R. A. Sale W^m A. White

It is also my will that if I die on this land I now live on, that my
body shall be buried where my blacks has been buried, in a Christian like
manner. It is also my will that Sarah Ann Lambert shall have my Sec
-ortary at my death.

C. Lambert (Seal)

Signed, Sealed & acknowledged
in presence of
David Douglass March 1^st 1839
R. A. Sale' 1839
W^m A. White May 20^th 1839

Names of my black people
'David, Randolph, Peter, Frank, Jurdin, Isham, Billey, Albert, Ben, Alvin
Callohill, Spotswood, Bob, Lewis, Randal, James, Hawkins, Aggy, Amy, Car
=oline, Nancy, Lucinda, Milley, Ailec, Mary Ann, Marthey, Metilda, Nelly,
Parthena, Frances

At a Court held for Bedford County the 23^rd day of December 1839
This last will and Testament of Charles Lambert deceased was produced in Court
and proved to be wholly in the handwriting of the Testator, by the oath of John
A. Wharton and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of William A.
White one fo the executors in said will named who made oath and gave bond &
Security conditioned according to law, certificate is granted him for obtaining a
probate thereof in due form. The other executors in said will named having
declined to qualify.

R. C. Mitchell

Link to Inventory of Charles Lambert, 1839

Sources

1. ↑ Will books, 1763-1914; general indexes, 1754-1976: "Will books, 1763-1914; general indexes, 1754-1976"
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99P6-2ZYM (accessed 9 October 2023)
   citing Catalog: Will books, 1763-1914; general indexes, 1754-1976 Will books, v. 9-10 1835-1842
   Film number: 007645301 > image 327 of 487.