Transcribed by Sharon Barrett Kennedy
The Will of Peter Lyon, Sr.
In the Name of God Amen this Fourth Day of September one thousand seven Hundred & sixty: I Petter Lyon Sen. Of the county of Albemarle & Parish of St. Ann being sick in Body but of good & perfect Memory thanks be to almighty God & Calling to Remembrance ye uncertain State of this Transitarry Life & that all Flesh must yield unto death when it shall Please God to Call; Do make Constitute ordain & declare this my last will and Testament in Manner & Form Following Revokeing & Annulling by these presents all & every Testament & Testaments, Will & Wills heretofore by me made & declared either by word or writing & this is to be taken only for my Last Will & Testament & none other now for ye Selling of my temporal Estate & Goods & Chattles & Debts as hath pleased God for above my Desire? To bestow upon me I do order give & Dispose the same in manner and Form Following, (that is to say) First I will that all these Debts & dues as I owe in right? or account by my Death or Funeral shall be paid or ordered to be paid within Convenient time after my Decease by my Executors hereafter named:
First I give & bequeath unto my Loveing wife Margret Lyon her thirds of all my Estate Real & personal & that she shall have one Cow taken off the Holl for Repairing her House she now lives in & the Remainder of the said Cows price to her use, Together with her Bed & Household Furniture she now poseseth such as her & hert pot pan & putter; & further that my son Petter Lyon shall be obligest to find his Mother wood for firing and yt. Sufficiently & fall Dureing her Lifetime if not Ten Shilling in Lew thereof yearly & Son Nicholas shall be obliged for his part to find his Mother yearly three Barrels of Corn & both of them equally shall be obliged to find her yearly a Sufficient Quantity of meat. & next I give & bequeath unto my Loveing son Petter Lyon the Plantation where he now Liveth, Together with one Hundred Acres of Land now in his posesion Together with ye orchard & fields according to a Division made before Alexander Blane & John Lyon Elisha Lyon between the said Petter Lyon & Nicholas Lyon Together with all Movables? Now in his posesion & thirdly I give & bequeath unto my Loveing son Nicholas Lyon one Hundred & Fifty acres of Land Lying along ye Mountain now in his posesion with Houses, orchards fields Together with such part of the Movables? as he hath in posesion & fourthly I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Bealy wife to John Bealey a certain Tract or parcel of Land Supposed to be Fifty Acres of Land Lying along Alexander Blanes line & Joyning Millers line upon ye Creek Runing Down to the Mouth of the Spring Branch Corners upon a poplar thence to the Head of the Spring which lyeth between both plantations thence up ye Road Road to Nicholas & Joyn his Line now in the posesion of the Said Elizabeth & John Bealy for & Dureing the said Elizabeth Bealey Life & John Bealy Widdowhood & after the Experation of ye aforesaid time the said Tract or parsal of Land Given unto the Elizabeth Bailey & John Bailey is to be returned unto Peter Lyon or his Heirs with all its Improvements Cleer & free of all Debts & Incumbrances and further I will that my Stock & other Materals should be equally Devided into three Equal Parts that is to say Between my two Sons & my wife and lastly I will yt. If the said Nicholas Lyon should Dye without an Heir Lawfully begotten of his own Body that ye said Petter Lyon Bro to Nicholas Lyon shall be Heir of all his Real Estate: I do hereby constitute & ordain Petter Lyon Nicholas Lyon & George Blane for my Executors In Witness hereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written.
Peter Lyon his Mark
(A "P&L" in a "logo")
Signed Sealed & Delivered
In the presence of us…
Alexander Blane
(his)
Hannah H. Blane
(mark)
George Blane
At Albemarle May Court 1764
This Will was proved by the Oaths of Alexander Blane & Hannah Blane two of the Witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded
And at a Court held for Albemarle County the Eleventh Day of October 1764
On the Motion of Peter Lyon & Nicholas Lyon who made oath according to Law Certificate is granted them for obtaining probat of the said Will in due from
Given Security which they with John Lyon there Security entered into & acknowledged their Bond accordingly.
Test.
John Nicholas, Clerk