and white washed and a kitchen twelve and fifteen with a back chimney, also a smoke house. And whereas some years ago I jointly, with my brother James Gray, purchased several tracts of land in the County of Nansemond on one of the said tracts we have created at our joint and equal expense a saw and grist mill and other valuable building and whereas a tract of land purchased by us of Wills Cowper and Coy was conveyed to me alone and whereas I gave my said brother my bond for the conveyance of an equal dividend of the said tract and no bonds or division having been agreed on between us. I do hereby impower my executors when such division is agreed on or made to convey one moiety of the said tract unto my said Brother or to his assign to Join him in the sale of all the property we jointly hold in the said County of Nansemond - And for the payment of my debts I do hereby direct my Executors to sell my proportion of lands and all my interest in the saw and grist mill which I hold jointly with my brother James and they are hereby fully impowered and authorised to convey the same to any purchaser or purchasers - and whereas there are since the joint purchase of the lands as above expressed various expenditures of money both by my brother and myself and the accounts of which have not been bequeath- ed or settled and as I conceive them to be very complicated and perplexed and having the fullest confidence of the integrity and Justice of my said brother, I desire that his settlement of the expences [sic] may be admitted and passed by my Executors and the court without the formality of an oath - And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my brother James Gray, my sons Joseph Thomas and Edwin and my friend Daniel Simmons Executors of this my Last Will and Testament recommending to them in a particular manner the education of my little son Henry - In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty third day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight. Signed sealed ratified published and declared by the Testator as his last will and testament Benja Ruffin Benja Ruffin junr Edwin Gray Samuel Kello At a Court held for the County of Southampton the day of June 1790 This Will was presented in Court by Edwin Gray, the Executor therein named, proved by the oath of Samuel Kello one of the witnesses thereto, and cond and at a court held for the said County of Southampton the 11th day of October 1790 this Will was further proved - [page break] of Beryl Ruffin, another witness thereto and having been before proved by the other witness is ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said Executor, who made oath according to law, certificate is granted him for obtaining a Probat thereof in due form giving security whereupon &c -