Will Q1:57 (1830) – William Henry Fitzhugh
Indecipherable and questionable words are in brackets [ ].

I William H. Fitzhugh of Ravensworth do hereby make my Last will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say. I request that my body may be interred in the Family burying ground at Ravensworth with as Little parade as possible, and in the presence of none but my most intimate friends and my servants. I also desire that as soon as possible after my death three [neat] monuments of stone or marble of Pyramidal form be procured at a Cost not exceeding one hundred dollars each, and be placed over the graves of my Father my mother and myself, neither monument having any other inscription than the birth death and name of the person whose location it is intended to designate.

To my dearly beloved wife Anna Maria Fitzhugh, I give and bequeath for her sole and exclusive use during her natural life, all that part of my Ravensworth estate not herein otherwise disposed of. I also leave her the time and services of all my negroes (not granted to others) till the year eighteen hundred and fifty, also the unrestrained use during her life, of the [???], books, household furniture, carriages, and stock and farming utensils on the Ravensworth estate, not otherwise disposed of, together with the specific sum of one thousand Dollars to defray her personal expenses during the year of my death. I also leave to her in Trust for the purposes hereinafter designated, that part of my Ravensworth estate lying south of a line beginning at the Letter L in [?Maceys] survey and running to the corner made by Mr. Craiks Land with the tenement occupied by Mrs Harper and with the dividing line between them to Tho. Janncys Land,” The whole of my Lands, household furniture, stock and farming utensils in Stafford, a tract of of(sic) Land in Spotsylvania County deeded to me by William Wilson, my Lots & Lands in Alexandria & elsewhere, all my Bank, road, and other stocks, all the debts due or that may become due me, all the rents and arrearages of rents due or that may become due by the end of the year in which I die, all the money in hand or in Bank, all that portion of the produce of my different farms (usually sold) that may be on hand, first directing what may be necessary for the use of the Farm during the next year, the time and services of my negroes at Arkindale¹ (not otherwise disposed of) till the year 1850, to be employed exclusively on the Arkindale farm, and my other property real or personal of which I may die possessed, but which is not mentioned or otherwise disposed of in this will “In Executing this Trust it is my desire that all the property embraced in it shall be employed in the most profitable and advantageous manner and my Trustee is authorized for this purpose to Convert any portion of it into money at such times and in such modes, as she may deem best, the money accruing therefrom or its interest being employed in the following manner, viz. in paying 1st the necessary expenses of my funeral and of this will, 2. the necessary expenses of my whole estate up to the end of the year in which I die, 3. the costs of the monuments directed to be bought 4th, the specific Legacy of one thousand dollars to my wife 5th: an annual Legacy thereafter of one thousand dollars to the same, 6th: the interest on my debts and the other pecuniary Legacies hereinafter bequeathed. 7th: the principal of those debts and Legacies and 8th: in purchasing government bank, or such other safe stocks as may be expected to yield a fair interest:”

After the year 1850, I leave all my negroes unconditionally free, with the privilege of having the expences of their removal to whatever places of residence they may select defrayed. And as an encouragement to them to emigrate to the American Colony on the Coast of Africa where I believe their happiness will be most permanently secured, I desire not only that the expences of the emigration may be paid, but that the sum of Fifty dollars shall be paid to each one so emigrating on his or her arrival in Africa. And I desire that the charges on account of my negroes be paid out of the following funds especially set apart and vested in my Trustee for that purpose viz: The money due me by E K Meade for a Legacy left by his Sister Susan, a fund which I am now compleating (sic) establishing in some life insurance society savings Bank in the U States and the proceeds of the First fund heretofore designated, when released from the several charges upon it. To my dear Sister Mary Lee Custis, and my dear niece Mary Ann Randolph Custis I leave each a Legacy of one thousand Dollars. And to the latter and her heirs forever, I moreover leave the reversion of that part of my Ravensworth estate and its appendages, bequeathed to her Aunt during her life. Had my property been in money I should have made a more ample provision for my sister and niece, both of whom I sincerely love, but having little else than Land and negroes, I think it unnecessary to add to the map of these descriptions of property in which they are already participating. To my highly valued and sincerely beloved friend Mary Caroline Goldsborough, daughter of Rob. H Goldsborough of Myrtlegrove, whom at the very early period of her life, I adopted in the spirit of the sincerest affection as my daughter, I give and bequeath (to her and her heirs forever) all that portion of my Ravensworth estate, beginning at what is usually known as the dividing line of Ravensworth near Bazel Williams, running with said dividing line to the mouth of the lane at the corner of my Pohick farm, thence with the Pohick Rolling road to the corner of the Lands sold by me to Presley Barker, then with the said Barkers line to the back line of Ravensworth, thence with said back line in two courses to the beginning, containing according to the imperfect survey made by Mr. Burke about 1300 acres. I also leave to M. C. Goldsborough the sum of two thousand dollars, also all the stock and farming utensils and products on the Pohick farm at the time of my death, also four good work horses to be taken from Ravensworth, ten head of Cattle, a wagon ox Cart, two good [?barsh] and four Corn ploughs to be taken from Arkindale, also the time and services on said Pohick farm of Pepe Douglas his children and grand children till the year 1850, of all which I beg her acceptance in Testimony of the sincere affection I have always borne her, and of my grateful recollection of the kind manner in which my affection was returned. Having entire Confidence in the intelligence and good feelings of my beloved wife A. M. Fitzhugh, I hereby leave her the sole Executrix of this my last will and Testament at the same time revoking any other will I may heretofore have made and neglected to destroy. In Testimony of all which I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 21st day of March 1829.

W. H. Fitzhugh (seal)

Codicil

As the Trust fund first created in my will may and possibly will be more than sufficient to meet all the charges upon it, I desire that what is left may be equally divided between my wife and niece.
March 22 1829 W. H. Fitzhugh (seal)

At a Court continued and held for the County of Fairfax the 18th day of August 1830 This last will and Testament of William H. Fitzhugh with a Codicil annexed and this day presented in Court by Anna M. Fitzhugh Sole Executrix therein named, and the same being found to be wholly in the handwriting of the Said W. H. Fitzhugh by the oath of Robert P. Taylor, Charles P. Catlett and William Moss; is on motion admitted to record – And the said Executrix having performed what the Law required, a Certificate is granted her for obtaining a Probate thereof in due form.
[?Tested-] Wm Moss, Cle[rk]

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