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From: PHHGENE <>
Subject: Will of John Graham
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 18:39:20 EST

In the name of god, amen! The 29th day of July, a. d. 1771, I John Graham,
being sick in body but of sound mind and memory, thants to god almighty, and
call to remembrance the uncertain estate of this transitory life, and that all
flesh must yield to death, when it pleaseth god to call, I do
make, constitute and ordain and declare this to be my last will and
testament in manner and form following, revoking and annulling by these
presents all former wills and testaments, either written or by word of mouth;
this to be my last and none other.
I first recommend my soul to god, my savior and redeemer, and my body to dust,
to be decently buried , at the discretion of my executors hereafter named and
appointed, and as to my worldly goods which god has granted me, I leave and
bequeath in the following maner, viz:
to my oldest son, Lanty, I devise and leave my plantation whereon I dwell, to
him and his heirs forever, upon his allowing my beloved wife living off it,
with what stock she pleases to keep; also
she said Lanty is to give six pounds to James Graham's son John, and six
pounds to his brother John's son John; also to my daughter Anne, I leave
thirty pounds, besides my roan horse and chest drawers; to my beloved wife,
Elizabeth Graham, I leave 20 pounds, my bay mare, two cows, her choice of the
flock, and all the household plenishings; to Jane Lockridge I leave fifteen
pounds; to Rebecca, my buckels, and to her son John one cow; also to Robert
Graham half the mill that belongs to me; to my two daughters Florence and
Betty, ten pounds each; to my two sons, Robert and John Graham, ten pounds
each; to Rebecca, Lanty's daughter, I leave ten pounds; all the rest of my
estate remaining to be enjoyed by my wife whilst unmarried, but if married to
be divided equally between my daughters Flora, Jane, Betty, Anne, and if she
never marries, to be left by my said wife to her four daughters here named at
her death. I also appoint my beloved wife and son, Lanty Graham, to be my
executors. I hereby revoke all other will and testaments, appointing and
making this my last.
In the eleventh year of our Sovereign Lord George, King of Great Britain, and
c. and in the year of our lord, 1771. signed, sealed and published and
pronounced in the presence of
John Graham ( seal )
Witness:
Joseph Robinson (thought to be a son in law married to Rebecca)
John Kinkead (later Kincaid married Anne, daughter of John)
John Armstrong
At a court for Augusta county, November the 19th, 1771, This last will and
testament of John Graham, dec. was proved by the oath of John Kinkead and John
Armstrong, two of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.
And on a motion of Lanty Graham and Elizabeth Graham, the executors therein
named, who made oaths according to law, certificate is granted them for
obtaining a probate thereof in due form, they haveing with security entered
into and acknowledged their bond according to law.
Teste: Wm. A. Burnett, clerk
In addition to the above will Augusta county records show that in 1763 John
Graham deeded each of his three sons John, James, and Robert, considerable
quanties of land, on the calf pasture river and it is to be presumed that he
shared a like portion of his estate to each of his daughters.
The original farm of 696 acres lies on both side of the calf pasture river; is
mostly bottom land, and is located about four miles below Deerfield and 25
miles N. E. of Staunton.
On another adjoining tract of land owned by Graham there was a grist mill
built by him about 1755. There is little doubt that this was the first mill
built in this section of the country.
From the "History of Highland County, Virginia"
by Oren F. Morton Clearfield Company, Baltimore MD

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• Will of John Graham by PHHGENE <>