History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...

404 DESCENDANTS OF PETER MONTAGUE.
parish in Essex County being very weak but in perfect memory, thanks be to
God for it, have thought fit to make this my last will and testament, revoking
and making void all other wills by me heretofore made. First and principally
I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God hoping for salvation
through the meritts of my blessed saviour and redeemer Christ Jesus;
and as to my temporall estate after the due payment of all my just debts,
legacies, and funerall expenses; I dispose thereof in manner and form as
followeth. Imprimis I give and bequeath to my beloved son William Mountague
five hundred acres of land in Middlesex County at the place called
Mountagues Island, to him and his heirs.
Iteiti. I lend to my beloved son William Mountague my plantation
whereon I now live and the land thereto adjoining during his natural life, and
after his decease I give it to my grandson William Mountague he being the
eldest son of my son William Mountague :
to him and his heirs forever lawfully
begotten, and in case he should die without such heir lawfully begotten,
then my will is that the said land shall return to my son William Mountague
to him and his disposal.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son William Mountague one negro man
called Sam, one negro man called Will, one negro man called Degoe, one
negro man called Peter, one negro woman called Jenney.
Item. I give to my grandson William Mountague four hundred acres of
land which I have at the Dragon* to him and his heirs lawfully begotten and
in case he should die without such heir lawfully begotten then my will is that
the said land shall return to my son William Mountague to him and to his
disposal.
Ite?n. I give and bequeath to my grandson William Mountague one negro
girl called Nanny, one negro boy called Jimmy, one negro boy called Sampson,
one negro boy called Harry, one negro boy called George, with all the stock
belonging to the plantation, and in case my grandson William Mountague
should die without heirs lawfully begotten, then the said negroes to return to
my son William Mountague to dispose of them as he may see fitt.
Item. I give to my grandson Thomas Mountague one hundred acres of
land, being more or less, adjoining to my land which I have on the Dragon,
lying on the lower side of a tract of land which belongeth to my son William
Mountague, next to the main road, to him and his heirs lawfully begotten,
and for want of such heirs to return to my son William Mountague and to
his disposal.
Item. I give and bequeath to my grandson Thomas Mountague one negro
girl called Frank, one negro girl called Clorinda, one negro girl called Lucy,
one negro girl called Hannah, one negro boy called Mintus.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son William Mountague one negro
woman called Judy and my desire is that the increase of the two negro
women which I have given to my son William Mountague should be equally
divided between my two aforesaid grand children William and Thomas Montague
as before mentioned.
Item. I leave to my beloved son William Mountague all the stock which
is on the plantation whereon I now live and all the Tobacco and corn that I
have on all my plantations and one boat.
Item. I give to my beloved son one feather bed and new suit of Curtains
and Vallians head cloth and teaster and a new quilt.
Item. I give to my grandson William Mountague two feather beds, one
Rug, a pair of blankets, a pair of sheets, two pillows, Curtains and vallians,
with all my pewther and Iron pots and pot-racks.
*Dragon. Oldmixons Hist. Brit. Empire in America, London, 1741, Vol. 1, p. 4 IJ i say s '
" The Dragon was a great swamp or bog lying partly in Middlesex and partly in Essex,
nearly sixty miles long, overrun with briars, thorns and wild beasts."