York County Records # 6, 1677-1684, p 39
8 Feb 1677/8
In the name of God Amen I Elizabeth Hansford of Hampton Parish in York County being visited with sickness by the hand of Almighty God & weak in body but of sound & perefect sinse & memory calling to mind the uncertainty of this transitory life & being willing & desirous to settle things in order doe constitute ordaine appoint confirme & make this my last will & testament in manner & form following hereby revoking & annulling all former will or wills whatsoever whether writen or nuncupative.
Imps I commend my soule unto hands of almighty God my Create Jesus ?? My Redeemer, hoping and assuredly believing in and through his bitter death & passion to have full pardon & free remission of all my sins and to rise with the righteous at the resurrection. And my body I Bequeath to the ground from whence it was extracted to be decently interred to the discetion of my Executrix hereafter named and as to that worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me I dispose as followeth
Item I give & bequeath unto my sonne William Hansford & his heirs forever that seat of land now in the possession of William Coman scituate & lying & being in Bruton Parish being my right & due as being the surviving child of Mr. Richard Jones my father deced
Item I give & bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Hansford and her heirs forever that seat of land now in the tenure occupation & possession of John Buce Scituate lying and being in Hampton Parish and adjoining on the land of Mr. Thomas Barber and due to me as the surviving child of my above named father, Mr. Richard Jones deced
Item I give & bequesth unto my sonne Thomas & daughter Mary Hansford this seat of land whereon I now live part whereof is in the possession of William Hutton my now tenant to them & their hyers and in case of the death of either in minority and without legitimate hyers then to the survivor.
Item I give & bequeath unto my sonne John Hansford & his heyrs that seat of land in New Kent County ???which?? is pattented by my Mother Elizabeth Jones in right of my brother Richard Jones deced and doth now descend to me as his only sister
Item I doe give & bequeath unto my ??kinsman?? Mr. William Coman the benefit and profitt of that plantation whereon he liveth for this term of seaven yeares hee plantting one hundred apple tree at thirtie foote distance & keeping the same securely fenced & leaving the housing & orchard securely fenced & tenantable
Item my will is that out the estate be purchased one woman servant to attend & waite on my sonne John Hansford whom it hath pleased God to ?disable & that five hundred pounds of tobacco caske be paid annually to Mr. William Coman for his care in looking after him and after his deceased to be void
Item as to my personall estate I desire & my will is that the same be equally divided among my children at the discretion of my Executrix
Item as to my children considering their age & not knowing where better to place them have no other or better confidence than in the persons under written (VIZ) To Mr. William Coman my sonne John to my beloved Mr. Charles Hansford Thomas & Mary & to Mr. David Condon my daughter Elizabeth & my sonne William whom I desire carefully to look after them and to uppbring them in the nurture and fear of the Lord
Lastly I doe appoint my loving brother Mr. Charles Hansford & my loving neighbor Mr. David Condon Executors of this my last will & testament and doe desire my loving friend Mr. John Baskervyle to be overseer of this my will desiring him to see the same ??promised?? according to the intent and purpose thereof.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seale this eight day of February Ano Dom 1677/8 I do also out of my estate give unto my overseer twenty shillings to buy him a ring.
Elizabeth {her mark} Hansford
Signed sealed and published
as the last will & testament of
Mrs. Elizabeth Hansford
Ed . Mundy Thomas Mountfort
Probate in ?Cur? ?Cour?? E??? 24 April 1678 ?psacrament?? Ed. Mundy et
Tho. Mountfort et recordat ?????? die et-an predict-
P John Baskervyle ????
Transcribed by Bill Adams, January 1997.