John James and Dinah

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Husband John James

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1778 - Fauquier Co., Virginia
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 

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Wife Dinah

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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1 F Sarah James ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Peter Hitt (Abt 1726-1810)
           Marr: 27 Apr 1759 - Germantown, Fauquier Co., Virginia 1

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General Notes: Husband - John James

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WILL:

Fauquier Co., Virginia Will Book 1, pg 332:

In the name of God Amen I John James of the Parish of Hamilton and County of Fauquier being sick and weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be to God for the same do make this my last Will & Testament in manner & form following viz.
I bequeath my precious & immortal soul to God who gave it, in full hope of pardon & Remission of all my sins and transgressions, thro' the merits and mediations of my blessed Saviour & Redeemer Jesus Christ. My body to be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named and as to such Worldly Estate wherewith God has blessed me I dispose of the same as follows. ==
Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas James all that piece of Land lying on the Eastermost side of the Spring branch, which Land came by his mother, and as there is a small quantity of acres of the Land which came by her on the other side of the said Spring branch, I give to my said son Thomas in lieu thereof as much of my other lands adjoining the Lands already bequeathed which land I purchased of Griffin as will make with that which came by his mother a tract of Five hundred Acres in the whole and binding on Capt Gibson, Capt. Kenners & Rodham Tullos land to him and his heirs forever, but my Will is, that my said son Thomas shall not possess the said bequest till after the Decease of his mother. ==
Item I give & bequeath unto my son Benjamin James after his Mother's decease the plantation whereon I now live and as much land adjoining as will make a Tract of Five hundred Acres bounded as follows Beginning at the Corner of John Kerr's & my Land, thence up the Spring Branch to the Spring, thence from a marked white Oak South Six degrees East to the Waggon Road which leads from the Church to Brerebon Jones's the said Five hundred Acres to lye on both sides of the s'd Road, and joining the Land of John Crump Col. Wm. Eustace, & George Crump, also one Negroe boy named Tom which he already has in his possession, one feather bed & furniture, One Cow & Calf and two Ewes & Lambs But in case my said son Benjamin should die without lawful Issue the lands hereby bequeathed to go and belong to my son John James and his heirs forever. ==
Item I give and bequeath unto my son John James all my land lying on the Southwestermost side of the Waggon Road & Tullos's path containing by estimation Five hundred Acres be the same more or less also one Negroe boy named Moses, one feather bed and furniture, One Cow & Calf and two Ewes & Lambs to him & his heirs but my Will and desire is that if my said son John should died without Lawful Issue, the lands hereby bequeathed shall be equally divided between my son Thomas James, and my Daughters Sarah Hitt, Ann Tullos, Hannah Humes, Elizabeth Bradford, Mary Conway Dinah Thompson & Susannah James, & their heirs forever. --
Item I give to my daughter Susannah James a horse, Bridle & Saddle, one feather bed and furniture, one Cow & Calf, and two Ewes & Lambs, to her and her heirs forever
Item I give to my Granddaughter Hannah Finnie a Bed & furniture a Cow & Calf and a horse to her and her heirs forever ==
Item I give and bequeath to my Grandson Benjamin James a horse Bridle and Saddle, one bed & furniture & one Cow & Calf to him and his heirs forever. ==
Item I bequeath to my loving wife Dinah James all the residue of my Estate both real & personal during her life, and after her decease all the land not already bequeathed to my Children I leave to be equally divided among my Daughters Sarah Hitt, Ann Tullos, Hannah Humes, Eliz'a Bradford, Mary Conway, Dinah Thompson & Susannah James and their heirs forever, and such other Real or personal Estate as she shall leave at her decease to be equally divided among all my Children, Sons & Daughters and their heirs forever but my Will & Intent is, that the negroe boy named Tom now in possession of my son Benjamin James shall Bar him so much in his proportion in the division to be made at his mother's decease as the said Negroe Tom shall be valued at ==
Item my will is that such of my Slaves as I have heretofore lent to my Children & their increase after the decease of my wife shall be returned and divided with the rest of my Estate among all my Children, and if any of my Children should die before such Division takes place and leaves lawful Issue then the Issue be intituled to the same share the parent would have had Lastly I hereby Constitute and appoint my dear and loving wife Dinah James, and my Sons Thomas James, Benjamin James & John James Executrix & Executors of this my last Will & Testament hereby revoking all former Wills by me made & Declaring this to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my Seal this Sixth day of November 1777. ==

John James LS

Sign'd Sealed & Declared to
be his last Will before us
The words (other real or) interlined
in the second page before Signing
Wm. Grant, John Kerr,
____ Markham, Marmaduke Brown. ==

At a Court held for Fauquier County the 25th day of May 1778 this Will was proved by the Oaths of William Grant, Marmaduke Brown and John Kerr Witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded. And on the motion of Dinah James & Thomas James the Executrix and one of the Executors therein named who made Oath and executed and acknowledged bond as the Law directs Certificate is granted them for obtaining a probat thereof in due form. ==
Teste J. Brooke CC

FURTHER INFORMATION:

There is further information in Earl J. Hitt's database. There are numerous mistakes in his version of the will. Some do not change the meaning, e.g., inserting 'Almighty' before 'God'. Others do, e.g., the word 'spouse' routinely replaces the word 'issue'. Contrary to Earl's assertion George James (second husband of Lucy Rosser, widow of Peter Hitt II) does not appear in the will and is thus presumably not a son of John James.

1 Earl J. Hitt, "http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com db: hitthaynie."