William Wigginton is my 7th great-grandfather, born in England. He moved his family to Stafford County, Virginia, where the first notice I have is June 28, 1689, when he ‘giveth for his marke ye right ear cropt with ye left ear slitt half downe.’

It’s been difficult to find information on land William Wigginton owned. In a Stafford County deed of John Baylis of March 1728, he lived on Augustines Run, adjacent to William Wigginton, Peter Byram, and Richard Rout.

William’s daughter, Ann Anaple Wigginton, married George Mason. The two were the parents of my Benjamin Mason who married Elizabeth Berkeley. George Mason died at a young age and Ann married William Butler as her second husband.

William Wigginton supposedly lived to the age of about 90 years – rather old for that time period.

In his will are his two granddaughters by his deceased son William – Ann and Sarah – along with a small bequest for his daughter-in-law, Mary Wigginton.

Next mentioned is his son, Henry Wigginton, and five grandsons – Peter, William, Henry, Roger and Benjamin.

Daughter Mary married a Mr. Young. Son John Wigginton and son-in-law William Russell and grandson Nicholas Russell each receive one shilling, as well as my ancestor Ann (Anaple Wigginton Mason) Butler. I feel sure that they received a portion of their inheritance at their marriage or arrival of age.

There seemed to be some concern as to whether William Wigginton was in his right mind when his will was written – four years after his death!  Son Henry Wigginton died in 1736, leaving bequests to children William, Henry, Elizabeth, Peter, Ann, Sarah, Jane, Benjamin, James, Winifred and Mary, and his wife Sarah.  Perhaps the other heirs were questioning whether their share of William’s inheritance was large enough! Four individuals were brought to court in 1737 to testify to the soundness of mind of William Wigginton at the time his will was written. You will find these testimonies after the will.

Will of William Wigginton

Aquia Creek, Stafford County, Virginia 1732

Stafford Co VA Will Book M: 1729-1748; Pages 85-86  

In Name of God, Amen. I William Wigginton, of Stafford County, Virginia, being weak of body but of perfect sense, do make this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following.

First.  I give and bequeath my body to Earth from whence it came, to be decently buried.  My soul to Almighty God that gave it.

Secondly.  I give to my Granddaughter Ann Wigginton, daughter of William Wigginton, deceased, twenty one pounds of pewter and one large chest made of wild cherry tree wood with a lock and a key, and one large saddle mare and one feather bed, bolster, blankets and rug belonging to it, and one six gallon iron pot.

Thirdly.  I give to my Granddaughter Sarah Wigginton, the daughter of William Wigginton, deceased, twenty one pounds and a half of pewter and one large table and one feather bed, bolster,  blankets and rug and one two gallon iron pot.

Fourthly I give to my two Granddaughters above mentioned the half of my cattle, sheep and hogs to be equally divided between my two granddaughters above mentioned, and all the above mentioned articles I do leave in and under the care and possession of Mary Wigginton, widow of William Wigginton, deceased, until my two granddaughters shall come to the years of 18 or marriage day.

The other half of my cattle, sheep and hogs I give and bequeath to my four grandchildren, the sons of Henry Wigginton, Sr.: that is to say William, Henry, Roger and Benjamin Wigginton, to be equally divided when they come to the year of one and twenty.

Fifthly.  It is my will and order that my cattle sheep and hoggs shall be equally divided on May Day in the year 1733 & the one half of my cattle sheep and hoggs I leave in the care of my son Henry Wigginton and the other half in the care of my daughter-in- law Mary Wigginton until my grandchildren comes to age or marriage.

Sixthly.  I give and bequeath to my grandson Peter Wigginton, my plantation where John Northcutt now lives and all my land orchards, gardens, houses, timbers, fence and all the other edifices thereunto belonging unto my above said grandson Peter Wigginton, the son of Henry Wigginton, Sr., and his heirs and assigns forever,  but in case my grandson Peter Wigginton, above mentioned, should die without heirs, then to fall to my son Benjamin Wigginton, the son of Henry Wigginton, him and his heirs and assigns.

Seventhly.  I give unto my Son Henry Wigginton my bed I now lie on with all the furniture belonging to it with the curtains and valances and all the remainder and part of my estate,  only the legacies aforementioned.

Eighthly.  I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Young one shilling.

Ninthly.  I give and bequeath unto my son John Wigginton one shilling.

Tenthly.  I give unto my son-in-law William Russell and my grandson Nicholas Russell each one shilling.

Eleventhly.  I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann Butler one shilling.

Twelfthly.  I give to my daughter-in-law Mary Wigginton one shilling.

Thirteenthly.  It

is my will and I do make my son Henry Wigginton my whole and sole Executor of this my within mentioned estate   and last will and testament.  Witness my hand and seal November the 27^th 1732.

William Wigginton, his seal

Witnesses James Stark, John Sebastian, James Crowdus (?)

At a Court held for Stafford County the 11^th day of April 1733

The within last Will and Testament of William Wigginton, deceased, was presented into court by Henry Wigginton, the Executor therein named who made oath thereto according to law and was also approved by the oaths of James Stark and James ?, two of the witnesses thereto, and admitted to record on motion of the said Executor, his performing what is usual.  Certificate was granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.

Testimonies

Garrett Oneal, being sworn and examined, June 14, 1737, said that when he went to the house of the deceased he saw Leonard Knight writing the supposed will of the deceased in the same room where the decedent lay sick and as he thinks it was towards the conclusion of the same that he did not hear the deceased give any directions about and that he did not hear if the Executors should keep it upon which the deceased asked who was the Executors and Knight told him and the deceased said Aye and that this Deponent refused signing the will as witness because he thought the deceased was out of his senses, but seeing other people sign the same as witnesses, but believed he was at the same time out of his senses and the reason why he believed so was because he thought he was then dying and further says that Knight asked the deceased whether he acknowledged it to be his last will and he answered yes and says he believes it was about a quarter of the hour from the time that he came into the house till the same was signed and says that John Hill, one of the witnesses to the will after this deponent had refused to sign it, refused to sign it for the same reason, but upon Knight saying that if he only was to sign it, it would do the said Hill to sign and so did the deponent and this deponent says he believes the deceased lived about a week after he had signed the will.

At Court continued and held for Stafford County 14^th June 1737, this deposition of Garrett Oneal concerning the will of William Wigginton, deceased, was sworn to in open Court and ordered to be recorded.

Leonard Knight being sworn and examined concerning the will of William Wigginton, deceased, saith that he was sent for to make his will by his own daughter, who was mother-in-law to the deceased and when he came he told the deceased he was come to make his will and asked him if he desired it and he said yes.  Whereupon he made it according to the deceased directions and he says that as he wrote it, every paragraph, he asked him if it was to his mind and he said yes, and so this deponent kept asking him till the end and says that he asked the witnesses to sign the will who he ?

because they said they thought he was dying and out of his sense, upon which the deponent bid them go and ask him and they did and he was in his sense several times and he answered yes and at last turned his face away from them and further says the decedent owned it to be his last will and his hand and seal.  Leonard Knight

At a Court continued and held for Stafford County June the 14^th 1737.  This deposition of Leonard Knight concerning the will of William Wigginton, deceased, was taken sworn to in open Court and ordered to be recorded.

Sarah Oneal being sworn, concerning the will of William Wigginton, deceased, saith that she was present when the will was signed and witnessed and she thinks that he was in his sense when he signed the will and hath no reason to think to the contrary, only when the person that wrote the will, one Leonard Knight, carried the will to him and asked him whether the Executors should keep it he asked who were the Executors and she believes that to be the reason people thought hm to be out of his sense and further says that about a week after she had singed the will she went to see him and told him that there was a dispute about his will and that people thought he was out of his senses and then asked him whether he remembered the will and to the best of her remembrance he answered yes and seemed to be satisfied with what he had done and she thinks he was in his senses when she had this discourse with him.

At a Court held for Stafford County the 12^th day of July 1737 Sarah O’Neal in open Court made this statement concerning the will of William Wigginton, deceased, which is administered to be recorded.

John Barber being sworn and examined concerning the will of William Wigginton, deceased, saith that he went to the house of the deceased with Garrett Oneal and his wife and asked him how he did and shook hands with him and the people present being in dispute whether he was in his sense or not, by the desire of some of them he asked him if he was and he answered yes, which was just before he singed his will and this deponent thought he was in his senses.

At a Court held for Stafford County 12th day of July 1737 John Barber in open Court made this statement concerning the will of William Wigginton, Deceased, which is administered to be recorded.