In the Name of God Amen I Robert Reade of York County in York Hampton Parish being of perfect mind & memory do make this my last Will & Testament in manner as followes, makeing Void all former Wills by me made, declaring this to be my last Will & Testament. First I Give & bequeth my Soul to God my Creator, & my body I Give to the Earth to be decently buried: And for the worldly Estate it has pleased God to bestow on me I give & bequeth in manner as followes. Item I Give & Bequeth unto my son Thomas Reade & his heyres for Ever my Three half acres or or [sic] Lots of Land lying & being in York Town with all houses and Profitts thereto belonging, also a Parcell of Land joyning thereto by Estimation five acres be it more or less, wch Land I bought of my brother Thomas Reade. And in Case my sd Son Thomas doth deceace in his Monority or without isshew lawfully begotten, then my will is that my daughter Mildred Reade & her heyres for Ever have have [sic] & ienjoy all the aforesd Lands & premises. Item I Give & bequeth my Land wch I lately bought of my Son Jno: Reade being in St Stephans Parish in King & Queen County Containing Seven hundred forty & fore Acres more or less to be Equally devided between my Three Sons George, Samuel & Francis Reade & there heyres for Ever. And if any of my sd Three Sons George, Samuel or Francis shall deceace in there menority or without Isshew lawfully begotten, then my Will is that his or there part of ye aforesd Land shall be Equally devided between the Survivers or any of there heyres. And I do hereby impower & Ernestly request my loving freinds [sic] Mr. Jno: Baylor, Mr. Thos: Nelson, Capt: Lawre: Smith, my brothers Benjn: & Tho: Reade, and my Son Jno: Reade or any three of them as soon as my son George shall cum to ye Age of Twenty & One Years, that then they my aforesd freinds, doe devide ye afresd Land into three Equall parts, & that Each part as much as much [sic] as can con:veniently be have a proportionable part of Plantable Land or Timber, my Son George to have ye first Choyce, of ye sd parts of Land, my Son Samuel to have the the [sic] next Choyce & the other part to remain for my Son Francis & that this sd devision be put upon ye Records of King & Queen Cont. Item I Give & bequeth to my loving wife Mary Reade & her heyres for Ever Two Nego Men named Grinig & Jeffery, Two Negro women named Jeney & B___ with all there increase they shall have after ye date of this my Will, & one Malatto Man named Harry. Item I Give & bequeth to my daughter Margaret Nelson & her heyres for Ever One Negro Man named Will, One Negro woman named Abo Hannah & one Negro girl named Grace wth all ye increse they shall have after ye date of this my Will. Item I give & bequeth to my Son Jno: Reade Twenty Shillings Currt. Money being all I intend he shall have of my Estate Reel or personal, he having an Estate in Land & Otherwayes far greater than I am able to give to any of my other Children. Item I Give & bequeth to my Son Thomas Reade & his heyres for Ever One Malatto Man named Dick Brookes, one Negro woman named Beck and one Negro woman named Nimeno wth all ye increase they shall have after ye date of this my Will. Item I Give & bequeth to my Daughter Mildred Reade & her heyres for Ever One Negro Man named Peter, One servant boy named James Hanson—bound by ye Churchwardens to serve to ye Age of One & Thirty years & Ten pounds Currt: Money. Also One Negro woman named Brigget wth all the increase she shall have after ye date of this my Will. Item I Give & bequeth to my Son George Reade & his heyres for Ever One Negro boy named Tony, One Negro Man named Boy Will & One Negro girl named Bettie wth all ye increase she shall have after the date of this my Will. Item I Give & bequeth to my Son Samuel Reade & his heyres for Ever One Negro boy named Ned, One Negro boy named Pemey & One Negro girl naed Jone wth all ye increae she shall have after ye date of this my Will. Item I give & bequeth to my Son Francis Reade & his heyes for Ever One Servant boy named Richard Hanson bound by ye Churchwardens to Serve to ye Age of Thirty & One years, One Negro boy named Rinig, One Negro boy named Frank & One Negro girl named Sue with all ye increase she shall have after ye date of this my Will. Item it is my Will that within Three months after my deceace all my Goods, Chattels and Estate whatsoever being not already bequeathed be appraised by fore, honest, understanding men appoynted by ye Corte & Sworn & after my debts & legacies be paide, ye Remainder by devided into Twenty & Three Equall parts, five parts thereof I give to my loving wife Mary, & ye other Eighteen parts to be Equally devided . . . between my six Children Margaret, Thomas, Mildred, George, Samuel, & Francis or ye Survivers of them or any of there heyres, & that an Inventory of ye Appraisemt: & what Each Childs part is be put upon ye Records of York Cont. Item It is my will that if any of my aforesd: Children, Vizt Margaret, Thomas, Mildred, George, Samuel or Francis shall decease in menority or without Isshew lawfully begotten, in such Case his or there part so deceaceing both Negros & all other Estate whatsoever shall be Equally devided among the Survivers or any of there heyres. Item it is my Will that if Corn & other provission that shall be made & ye Goods that shall be sent for or in ye house at ye time of my deceace which are actually for wearing apparrel shall not be inventoried nor brought to the aforsaid appraisemt: but shall be made uce of for the Cloathing the family & farther support thereof. Item it is my will that when my Children cum to Age, if it be in Crop. time then such of my Children wth there Estates shall stay with whom they shall live with untill ye Christmas following & that then they with there Negroes or other Servants be well Cloathed & have for themselves & Negroes or other Servants Each of them Three barrels: of Indian Corn & that there Negros or other Servants carry away with them such beding as they then shall have. Item I do by these Presents fully impower & make my loving wife Mary Sole Execex of this my last Will & Testament to doe Execute & perform all things herein Exprest according to the true intent & meaning thereof. Lastly I do Nominate, Appoynt, and Make my loving brother Mr. Thomas Reade, my loving Capn: Capt. [sic] Lawrence Smith & my Son in law Mr Thomas Nelson Overseers of this my Will to See the same be performed according to the true meaning thereof. In Wittness whereof I have hereto Sett my hand & Seale this 30th day of Decemr 1712
Robt: Reade
Signed, Sealed & Acknowledged in the presence of us
William Allen
Thomas Webster
Basel (his mark) Wagstaff
(York County, Orders, Wills. Etc., 1709-1716, Reel 6, 236, 241-243).
On 18 May 1713, an inventory for the estate was presented, including slaves Grinidge, Jeffery, Will, Boy Will, Harry, Dick, Peter, Ned, Tony, Jemmy, Grinny, Jenny, Bess, Hannah, Beck, Bridget, Nemonah, Betty, Jone, Sue, Grace, Sarah, and James and Richard Hanson, indented [sic] Mulattoes (York County, Orders, Wills, Etc., No. 14, 1709-1716, Reel 6, 253).
