Loudoun County Wills 1793-1797

Loudoun County, Virginia

pp. 280-283

Be it remembered that this twenty-first day of the second month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, John Hough, of Loudoun County in the state of Virginia, being in good state of health of body and sound disposing mind and memory, yet calling to mind the uncertainty of time, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, touching the disposal of my temporal estate, hereby revoking all other will or wills by me heretofore made and this only to be taken for my Last Will and Testament and no other.

Imprimis.  I will that all my just debts (not much) be fully paid and all such legacies as I may hereafter mention in this instrument of writing.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son, William, and his heirs and assigns, my land on both sides of Goose Creek, being about four hundred acres, with the mills, houses and appurtenances thereto belonging, the plantation above the Kittocton, I have made him a deed for 415 acres.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son, Samuel, and his heirs and assigns, the land and plantation near Leesburg and Tuskerora Branch where John Griffith now dwells as a tenant, and to include all my land joining William Ensley, William Means, Thomas Cimings, John Campbell, etc., being above three hundred acres, the house and lot in Leesburg, I have made him a deed for No. 13.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son, Jonah, twelve hundred pounds to be paid from the sale of my mansion house, my mills and land on and about Kittocton Creek, being upwards of seven hundred acres, which land and premises I hereby order and direct my executors or the survivors of them to sell and convey to the purchaser all the above land and premises in the best manner they can get so as to procure the above mentioned sum immediately and paid to my son Jonah.  And that Jonah shall possess the property until such sale can be made and the money paid him.  I also give unto my said son Jonah, two feather beds, one table, six chairs, half the plate, spoons, half the tea tableware, half the kitchen furniture, two horses, his choice, two cows and two calves.  I also give him my wagon and gear.  I also give him ten pounds to be paid him annually for the maintaining of his mother, which that he shall do in a decent manner, otherwise some other of her children shall receive the sum of fifteen pounds and perform the service.

Item.  I give to my wife the other half of tea tableware and the other half of my kitchen furniture, her bed and furniture, six chairs, one table and the tea table and one cow.  I also direct that my executors make such other comfortable maintenance for her as may be found necessary over and above what is mentioned for my son Jonah to perform.

Item.  I have given to my son Mahlon my land and mills in the gap of Short Hill and made him deeds for the same, which being his share except any further dividend I make in this writing.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my son Amos, and to his heirs and assigns, one thousand acres of land in Monongalia County, near the Laurel Hills and near Cheat River, which I purchased of Samuel Canby.  I also give my said son twenty acres called The Mill Seat, joining the above tract for which I have deed recorded in Loudoun County which he sold to his brother, William.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my grandson, Benjamin Hough Canby, his heirs and assigns, one lot of land in the town of Leesburg, No. 66, with all the houses and tanyard thereon.

Item.  I give and devise unto my granddaughters, Mary, Rachel and Sarah, children of my son, John, deceased, one hundred pounds to each of them to be paid by my executors from the sales of my property as may be directed, anything that I have paid or may pay them and charged in my books to be deducted from the above legacies.  I have paid my granddaughter, Elizabeth Nicklin, nearly as above to each of the others.  I give to my grandson, Samuel, brother to the above named girls, the sum of fifty pounds to be paid as above directed when he shall arrive at the age of twenty-one years, if he arrives to that age, if not, to be equally divided among all his surviving sisters.

Item.  I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Sarah Mason, for hundred pounds over and above what she has received (being above one hundred and forty pounds) and that the aforesaid four hundred pounds shall be counted paid in the advance I have made in erecting the mill on Limestone Run, and is part of what I have advanced more than her husband, Abraham Mason, who by agreement is to hold one moiety or half part of the mill and land belonging thereto; now my will is that no other fund shall be applied for the above payment.  And whereas I have been at great expense in building a mill on the Limestone Run, one moiety of the said mill and land above mentioned, is by agreement and partnership in the property of Abraham Mason, upon his paying one moiety of the expense, now my will is that if the said Abraham Mason will pay to my executors or secure to be paid two hundred pounds Virginia currency (that not half the value) then I devise he may have the preference and be entitled to whole estate in that place.  Upon his refusal to purchase as aforesaid, my will is that my executors sell and convey the same to any person or rent the same.

Item.  Whereas I have several parcels or tracts of land, one in Hamshire County near the South Branch, 200 acres; another in Shenandoah County near the Narrow Passage, 73 acres; another on Happy Creek joining Jacob ? who has agreed to purchase the same; one house and half acre lot in Leesburg, joining Jacob Tanner, No. 63, all which I desire may be sold by my executors or the survivors of them; and whereas I have considerable sums due me on bonds and otherwise and money I may have on hand with all the remaining part of my estate, in this state or elsewhere, either real or personal, I will to be sold (except the bond and money) by my executors and divided as followeth, to my son Amos, one hundred pounds, or to his heirs, with legacies before mentioned and the remainder to be divided between my son John’s children, one share, my sons William, Samuel, Mahlon, Amos, Jonah and my daughter, Sarah Mason.

And lastly, I nominate and appoint my sons, William, Samuel and Mahlon, my executors to this my Last Will and Testament.

This instrument of writing contained in three pages was signed, sealed and declared by John Hough to contain his Last Will and Testament in presence of us the subscribers:  Mahlon Janney, John Hollingsworth, Benjamin Steer.

This will wrote by my own hand, John Hough

At a Court held for Loudoun County April the 10th, 1797.  This will was proved by the affirmation of Mahlon Janney, John Hollingsworth and Benjamin Steer, the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded.  And on the motion of William Hough, Samuel Hough and Mahlon Hough, the executors therein named, who made affirmation according to law, and with Charles Bennett, John Binns and Abraham B. T. Mason and Israel Janney, their securities, entered into and acknowledged their bond in the penalty of ten thousand pounds conditioned as the law directs, certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.  Teste C. Binns, County Clerk