[In the left margin] 105 At a court held for the County of Southampton on Thursday the 11th Day of January 1758 This Inventory was returned & ordered to be Recorded Test R Kello Cl [In the left margin] John Fort's Will In the Name of God Amen the 10th Day of January one thousand Seven hundred & fifty three I John Fort of Southampton County and Parish of Nottoway being sick & weak in body but of Perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God for the same therefore calling to mind the mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye do make & Ordain this my Last Will and Testament that is to say Principally & first of all I Recommend my soul into the hands of almighty God that gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buryed in a Decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my executor nothing doubting but at the General Resurrections I shall receive the same again by the Mighty power of God and as Touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleas'd God to bless me with in This life I Give Devise and Dispose of the Same in the following Manner & form ~~~ Imprimis I give and bequeath to my Son Elias Fort the Plantation whereon he now Live's with two hundred and twenty acres of land adjoyning it being a Morate of the first survey on ye West Side of Buckhorn Swamp I Likewise give to my Son Elias Fort three Negros one Boy Named Tom one named Mingo one Girl Named Jone to him and his Beirs forever ~~~ Item: I give and Bequeath to my Son John Fort a Moraty of four hundred & Sixty acres of Land Lying on the East side of Buckhorn Swamp begining at the fork I Likewise give to my Son John Fort three Negros one Boy named James one named Peter one Girl named Hannah to him and his Heirs forever I likewise give to my son John one Feather bed & furniture Six Pewter dishes Six plates three Cows & three Sows & pigs one horse & Saddle one Iron pot to him & his Heirs forever Item I give and Bequeath to my son Henry Fort the other part of the [In the left margin] 106 / Tract of land before given to my son John Lying on the East side of the Buckhorn Swamp to him and his Heirs forever Item: I give and Bequeath to my son Joshua Fort after the Death of my Loving wife the Plantation where on I now live with all the Lands Adjoyning Except one hundred & fifty acres more or less hereafter given to my Son Arthur Fort to him and his Heirs forever. Item: I give and Bequeath to my son Arthur Fort one hundred and fifty acres of Land be the Same more or Less with the Plantation Joyning to Christopher Foster's Land it being the Land excepted out of the Land Devised to Joshua & Bounded as followeth begin= =ing at a Corner white oak of Christopher Fosers Land then a Strait Course to the Mouth of the Logg house Branch then the Same Course to the Creek then up the Creek to the Branch between the said Forster's & the said Plantation I Likewise give and bequeath to my son Arthur Fort my Buckhorn plan= =tation with two hundred & seventy acres of Land adjoyning it being a Moiaty of the Survey before Devised to my Son Elisah him and his Heirs forever ~~ Item: I give and Bequeath to my Grandson Henry Thomas one Negro Girl named Sue to him and his Heirs forever Item: I give and Bequeath to my Daughterd Lucy Grisard two Negros one Boy Named Sam one Girl hamed Moll to her and her Heirs forever, I Likewise give to my Daughter Lucy one Featherbed & furniture three pawter Dishes three plates ~~~ Item: I Leave the Labour of my negros Dick Ned Cate Amey Agg Frank Bess & Venus to my well beloved wife Rebecca Fort Dureing her Natural Life or untill my Son Joshua Should Come of age at which time my will & Desire is that the Negras above mentioned and their increas may be Equally divided among my four Children, Henry, Joshua Arthur and Betty to the the use of them and their heirs forever I Likewise Leave the use of the plantation whereon I now live to my well beloved wife Dureing her Natural Life and Likewise the Use of my Buckhorn Plantation and the other Plantation Devised to [In the left margin] 107 my son arthur Joyning to Christopher Forster untill my Son Arthur shall Come of age I Likewise leave the use of all the remainder of my Estate to my well beloved wife Dureing her Natural Life and then to belqually Divided among my four Children Benry Joshua Arthur and Betty. Likewise my will and Desire is that my Tract of land in North Carolina Lying on Swift Creek & Buffallo Swmp be Sold by my Executor for the most that can be had and the Money arrising to be Equally Divided among my five sons Elias John Henry Joshua and Arthur I do Likewise Constitute make & ordain my well beloved Wife Rebecca Fort my whole & sole Executrix of this by last will & Testament all & Singular my before mentioned premises by her to be possessed & Enjoyed and do hereby utterly disalow Revoke & disannul all & every other former Testaments Wills Legacies & bequest & Executors by one in any way's before Named Wills & Bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this & no other to be my last will & Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal the Day and Year first above written Sign'd Seal'd Publish'd } Pronounced & declared by } the sᵈ John Fort as his } John Fort /Ls/ Last will & Testament in } Presence of us } Peter Butts } John Forster } Arthur Forster } David + Newsom (his seal) } At a court held for the County of Southampton in Thursday the 8 Day of March 1753 This Will was presented in Court by Rebecca Fort the Executrix therein named Proved by the oaths of Peter Butts John Forster & Arthur Forster Witnesses thereto and Ordered to be Recorded and on the notion of the said Executrix who made oath according to Law Certificate was granted for obtaining a probat thereof in due form giving security Test R Kello Cl