Will of Giles Travers of Stafford Co, VA, 1717
Contributed by Kathleen Much
Sparacio, Ruth & Sam; Abstracts of Land Causes Prince William County, Virginia, 1790-1793 (McLean, Virginia, The Antient Press, 1992) pp 32-33. “Page 335-337, May 1791
“In the name of God Amen, the first day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventeen, I Giles Traverse Gentleman living in Stafford County in the Colony of Virginia, being sick and weak of body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be to God for it, Therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following; that is to say, first & principally, I give my Soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it to me and for my body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the might power of God, And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give devise bequeath & bestow the same in manner following; I give and bequeath unto my Daughter, Elizabeth, four hundred acres of land beginning at the Landing Run and so running out round to compleat it & I give to my Daughter, Elizabeth, that land above Deep Run being about one hundred and sixty acres. I owe unto my Daughter, Elizabeth, Negroe Dick & Negro Dick & Negroe Jack & Negro Nubb. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter, Elizabeth, two beds with Canvas Ticks & the furniture belonging to them; Negro Betty being with Child & if it lives I give the Child to my Grand Daughter. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter, Ann, the Plantation where I now live & all the remainder of the land when my Daughter has hers. I give unto my Daughter, Ann, Negroe Giles & Negroe Peg & Peter & Roger & two feather beds and furniture, and I give unto my Daughter, Ann, at the day of marriage, two new Rugs and two pair of Blankets to paid out of the Rents of Occoquan. I give and bequeath to my Daughter, Million, all my land above Occoquan. I give unto my Daughter, Million, a Negroe called Bess & a Negroe called Phillis, & a Negroe called Tony and a Negroe called Sarah. I give unto my Daughter, Million, two feather beds & furniture at the day of Marriage, two new rugs and two pair of blankets to paid out of the rents of Occoquon and I give unto my Daughter, Million, twelve barrow hogs at the day of marriage three years old apiece and the rest of my hogs to the family use and all the remainder of my personal Estate to be equally divided between my three Daughters; And my will is that if John Cave, should bring any of the Estate to Appraisement that he shall forfeit all his Estate that belongs to his Wife and the part to be equally divided between my Daughter, Ann, and my Daughter, Million, And I make and ordain my loving Brother, Rawleigh Traverse & my son in law, John Cave, my full and whole executors and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and annul all and every other former Testament Will Legacies Bequests and Execution by me in any wise before this time named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
“Signed sealed published pronounced & declared by the said Giles Travis as and for his Last Will & Testament. In presence of us, Tho: Ellzey, Edwd. Watts, James Jervers.
“Giles sig GT Traverse
“At a Court held for Stafford County the 11th September 1717, The Last Will and Testament of Giles Travers, deced, was presented into Court by Raleigh Traverse & John Cave, his Executors who made oath thereto and the same being proved by the oaths of Thomas Ellzey & Edward Watts witnesses thereto the same is admitted to Record, And upon the motion of the said Raleigh Traverse and John Cave and their performing what is usual in such cases, Certificate is granted them for obtaining a Probate thereof in due form.
“George Mason, C. S. C.
“From Lib:H, folio 679. From the Record True Copy. H. Tyler, C.S.C.”
Elizabeth TRAVERS m1 John CAVE m2 Lewis ELZEY
Ann TRAVERS m1 William CAVE m2 Thomas DENT
Million TRAVERS m. Joseph WAUGH
Source: John Bennett Boddie, _Historical Southern Families_, vol. 2,
and also ‘The Register of Overwharton Parish Stafford County, VA
1723-1758,’ by George Harrison Sanford King. On pp. 247-248, King
states that Elizabeth was the only daughter by Ann WAUGH.