Mary Lilly was the wife of Robert Read. Her will was proven 20 November 1722, in York County, Virginia. The copy was later damaged. She willed slaves to her heirs: an unnamed Molatto Boy, Will, and Hill, Sarah, ______lina, and others whose names are lost.
The following is a transcription of what remained legible:
In the name . . . parish in ye County of York . . . Sense and memory do make my . . . her and form following Imprs I give . . . y body to ye earth from whence it came to be . . . discretion of my Exr hereafter to be named . . . large silver Tankard to my loving son . . . and bequeath my small silver tankard and to . . . loving son Samuel Read Item I give . . . silver poringer one silver tumbler and 6 six silver spoons . . . son Francis Read Item I give and bequeath my . . . Tweedlum and 20 shillings to buy a Ring to my loving daught . . . th. Item I give and bequeath one Molatto Boy . . . ks to my loving son Samuel Read Item I give . . . negro boy named Will and one negro boy named Hill to . . . Francis Read to him and his heirs Item I give a . . . Granddaughter Mary Nelson one negro man named . . . and one negro woman named Sarah and one negro . . . lina to her and her heirs in case she// dies without he . . . ll is that her brother John and his heirs have ye said t . . . I give and bequeath to my grandson Wm. Nelson one T . . . n after my first debts and funeral expenses are . . . rden part of my estate which is not already given and bequ . . . ally divided among my three sons viz: John . . . Francis but in case either of them die without heirs . . . dying be equally divided among ye surviving Item I nominate . . . point my loving son John Read my whole and sol exr of this . . . and testament revoking all other wills heretofore by me made . . . ppoint and desire Mr Benj and Mr. Thomas Reade to be Trustees . . . will; in witness whereof I have set my hand 26 Nov 1722. Mary Reade. (York County Deeds, Orders, Wills etc., 16, 1720-1729, Reel 8, 165)
