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belonging or adjoining, being between five and six thousand acres, also a small tract of land adjoining to the land of the Revd. Mr. Lee Massey purchased by my father of Giles and Benoni Tillett, and in general all my lands between Potomack river, Occoquan river and Pohick creek in Fairfax County, excepting and reserving unto my Executors the right and privilege of keeping three Quarters, upon the said land to be considered as part of the common stock of my Estate for the benefit of my younger children, and of working the same number of hands as are worked at the said three Quarters respectively at the time of my death, with the right and privilege of getting timber for the proper use of the said three Quarters or plantations on any part of the said lands, that is to say one Quarter in the bottom of Dogues Neck (commonly called the Occoquan Quarter), until all my sons come of age, with all the land which I have usually tended and made use of at the said Quarter, and such other convenient and adjoining land as is necessary for the use of the same, and the benefit of suffering all the stock properly belonging to the said Quarter to range and run at large in the said Neck, and the two other Quarters at Hallowing's Point and upon the land I bought of William Courts, until all my sons except the youngest come of age, with all the land between [the] upper line of the said tract bought of William Courts, the river and the great marsh, and the benefit of all the stock properly belonging to the said two Quarters, ranging and running at large within the new Neck fence, my Executors keeping the said Quarters and plantations in good order and repair and delivering up the same accordingly at the respective expiration of the times aforesaid, or when the crops then growing thereon are finished, unto my said son George Mason or his heirs. But if my said son George Mason should die under age and unmarried, it is my will and desire and I hereby direct and order that all the lands herein devised unto him shall go and descend unto his heirs at law and his heirs forever, in the same manner as if my said son George had been in the actual possession of the same before his death, and shall not be divided among my residuary Legatees hereinafter named.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my said son George Mason and his heirs forever when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years or marrys, whichever shall first happen, the seven follow

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ing slaves to wit Alec, Bob, Dunk, yellow Dick, Bob (the son of Occoquan Nell), Peter (the son of great Sue), Judy and Lucy together with all the slaves which shall properly belong to and reside at my two upper Quarters in Dogues Neck adjoining to the great marsh at the time of my death, (except such of them as may happen to be any of the slaves by name specifically bequeathed to some of my other children,) also all my stock of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs which shall properly belong to and be wintered at my said two upper Quarters in Dogues Neck, at the time of my death, with all the plantation utensils and implements of husbandry thereto belonging, also one fifth part of all my Books and household furniture in and about my dwelling house, but if my said son George Mason should die before he comes of age and unmarried, then and in that case it is my will and desire and I hereby direct and order, that all the slaves as well as all the personal Estate hereinbefore bequeathed him, shall be equally divided between my other surviving sons, and for that purpose shall remain in the common stock until my other sons respectively come of age or marry. Item: I give and bequeath unto my said son George and his heirs forever, all my stock in the Ohio Company as a member thereof, together with my share and part of all the said Company's lands, but whatever ballance (if any at the time of my death) appears by my books of account to be due from me to the said Ohio Company is to be paid out of the common stock of my Estate in the same manner as any other debts.I also give and bequeath unto my said son George Mason my Gold watch which I commonly wear, also a large silver salver which being an old piece of family plate I desire may remain unaltered. And I confirm unto him his right and title to a negro man named Dick given him by his grandfather Mr. Eilbeck, and likewise his right and title to two negro men named Tom and Liberty exchanged with him by me for two other negroes given him by his grandmother Mrs. Eilbeck, also to a large silver Bowl given him by my mother in which all my children have been christened, and which I desire may remain in the family unaltered for that purpose. And whereas my son George will soon be of age, and if I should happen to die during the minority of my other children they will probably live with him, and he may not chuse to charge his brothers and sisters with their board, altho' it must put him

VOL. II.-30

to considerable trouble and expence, then and in that case therefore, I give unto my said son George whilst my children live with him as aforesaid the right and privilege of taking in any year from any of my Quarters whilst they remain in the common stock, such Quantity of provisions for his family's use, and also of employing such and so many of my house servants in his family as he and my other Executor shall judge reasonable and necessary for the above mentioned purpose and adequate to the expence and trouble thereby occasioned, without being accountable for the same.

Item: I give and devise unto my son William Mason and his heirs forever when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years or marrys, whichever shall first happen, all my lands upon Chickamuxon and Mattawoman Creeks in Charles County in the Province of Maryland, that is to say all my lands in Christian Temple Manor and my tract of land called Stump Neck (formerly called Dogues Neck) with two hundred acres of land thereto adjoining and included in the same original patent, excepting and reserving to my Executors the right and privilege of retaining and keeping in their hands as part of the common stock of my Estate, for the benefit of my younger children, until all my sons come of age the last mentioned tract of land called Stump Neck with the said two hundred acres of land thereto adjoining, and of keeping a Quarter thereon and working the same number of hands for the purpose aforesaid as worked on the same at the time of my death. I also give and devise unto my said son William Mason and his heirs forever, in like manner, a tract of one hundred and fifty acres of land (whereon George Adams now lives) near Port Tobacco in the said county and province, the same being one moiety of a tract of land called Partnership, and if my said son William should die before he comes of age and unmarried, then and in that case I give and devise all the above mentioned Lands upon Chickamuxon and Mattawoman Creeks unto my youngest son Thomas Mason and his heirs forever, and the above mentioned tract of land near Port Tobacco (upon which George Adams lives) I give and devise unto my son Thomson Mason and his heirs forever.-Item: I give and devise unto my said son William Mason and his heirs forever when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years or marrys, whichever shall first happen, the two following slaves to wit Milly (the daughter of Kate) and Sampson (the son of Mr. Eilbeck's Bess),

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also one-fifth part of all my Books and household furniture in or about my dwelling house. I also give and bequeath unto my said son William Mason my silver Watch which I formerly used to wear, and I confirm his right and title to a negro lad named Cato given him by his grandfather, Mr. Eilbeck.

Item: I give and devise unto my son Thomson Mason and his heirs forever when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years or marrys, whichever shall first happen, all my land in Thompson's patent (repatented in my own name) between Dogues Run and the south Branch of little Hunting Creek, excepting and reserving to my Executors the right and privilege of settling two Quarters with eight working hands on each upon such parts thereof as they shall think fit unless the said Quarters shall be settled thereon by me in my lifetime, and retaining and keeping in their hands one of the said Quarters so settled by me or them, with land thereto adjoining sufficient to work the hands belonging to the same as part of the common stock until all my sons come of age. I also give and devise unto my said son Thomson Mason and his heirs forever, in like manner, all my lands upon both sides the north branch of Little Hunting Creek contained in Thomas Stafford's patent, Thomas Sandiford's patent (repatented in my own name), George Brent's sale to William Browne and part of Ball's patent which I bought of Mr. Sampson Darrell, also all my land in Mason's and Hereford's patent upon the branches of Dogues Run and Accotink, being one moiety of the land devised by my Grandfather, Col. George Mason decd. to his daughters Elizabeth and Rosanna, also a small tract of land contiguous thereto originally patented by one William Williams and purchased by my father of Winifred Ball, daughter and heir at law to the said Williams, it being the land whereon Edward Violet lived, also a tract of about four hundred acres of land patented by my father upon the upper side of Dogues Run adjoining to Matthew's patent, and in general I give and devise unto my said son Thomson Mason and his heirs forever when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years or marrys, whichever shall first happen (except as before excepted) all my lands upon the branches and waters of Dogues Run and little Hunting Creek in Fairfax county, being in the whole about three thousand, three hundred acres, and if my said son Thomson Mason should die under age and unmarried, then and in

that case I give and devise all the above mentioned lands in Thompson's patent between Dogues Run and the south branch of little Hunting Creek (being about thirteen hundred acres), and also all the above mentioned lands in Stafford's and Sandiford's patents in George Brent's sale to William Brown, and part of Ball's patent which I bought of Mr. Sampson Darrell being about seven hundred acres upon both sides the North Branch of little Hunting Creek, unto my youngest son Thomas Mason and his heirs forever; but it is my will and desire and I hereby direct and order that all the other land hereinbefore devised unto my son Thomson Mason shall if he die under age and unmarried, as aforesaid go and descend unto my eldest son and heir George Mason and his heirs forever, in the same manner as if my said son Thomson had been in the actual possession of the same before his death. Item: I give and Devise unto my said son Thomson Mason and his heirs forever, when he arrives at the age of twenty one years or marrys, whichever shall first happen, the two following slaves to wit Sall (the daughter of Lucy), and Joe (the son of Mr. Eilbeck's Bess), also one fifth part of all my Books and household furniture in and about my dwelling house, and I confirm unto my said son Thomson Mason his right and title to a negroe lad named Cupid given him by his grandfather Mr. Eilbeck.

Item: I give and devise unto my son John Mason and his heirs forever when he arrives at the age of twenty-one or marrys, whichever shall first happen, all my lands adjoining to and near Rock Creek ferry upon Potowmack River, that is to say the lands contained in Thomas Ousley's, Thomas Gowing's and my father's patents (all repatented in my own name), with the lands I purchased of Ellis and Bradie and of Daniel Jennings, and a small tract of land I took up as vacant land between my other tracts, and in general all my land between Four Mile Run and the Lower Falls of Potowmack River in the parish and county of Fairfax being about two thousand acres. I also give and devise unto my said son John Mason and his heirs forever, in like manner my Island in Potomack River opposite the mouth of Rock Creek which I hold under a patent from the Lord Proprietor of Maryland by the name of Barbadoes. I also give and devise unto my said son John Mason and his heirs forever, in like manner all my lands upon and between the main south run of Accotink and the branches of Difficult Run in

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