In name of God Amen this 21 Day of July in the Year .. 1723 I Mathew Keen of County of Stafford being Sick .. but of perfect .. Memory .. make this my last Will and Testament .. as to Worldly Goods .. I give in form following vizr.
Imprimis I give unto my Dear and Loving Wife Bridgett all my land that I now live upon during her natural Life ..
Item I give unto my said wife Bridgett one Negro Boy named Mott ..
Item I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Withers the Lands whereon she now lives and so to the true bounds I sett and marked unto her husband James Withers which true bounds I desire he may not exceed dureing the life of my Dear wife and I further desire that my said Daughter may have the lands within the said bounds with out any Disturbance whatsoever dureing my Wifes life ..
Item I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Withers after the decease of my Loving wife Bridgett all my whole Estate of land as well the Track of Lands whereon I now live as any other land that may or ought to come to me to my said Daughter Elizabeth and the heirs of her body ..
Item I give unto my said Daughter Elizabeth Withers Twenty shillings to buy her a Ring to wear in remembrance of me.
Item I give unto my Son in Law James Withers one five year old Steer.
Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Fields one feather bed and the furniture thereunto belonging that bed that is now in the Trundle bedstead. I also give unto my said Grand Daughter the Pewter that is now lay’d aside for her and which is properly her own to her and her heirs forever.
Item I give to my Grandson John Withers after the decease of my Loving Wife my Buckaneer Gun.
Item I give unto Elizabeth Emmett one heifer of the age of three years at the experation of her Time her and heirs ..
Item I give unto my Dear and Loving Wife Bridgett the remainder of my Estate of what Quality Specie or Quantity Soever it be within or without as will real a Personall .. and I do hereby make my Dear and Loving Wife Bridgett and none other my whole and sole Executrix of this my last Will ..
Presence of James Sewers, John Edge.
Mathew Keen
Memrndm. That on 25th day of Febey. 1730:1 I read the within written will to Mathew Keen and he acknowledged it to be his Last Will allowing the following Clause.
Whereas the Land the within named Mathew Keen now lives upon is bequeathed to his Daughter Eliz: Withers after his Wife’s Decease this Day being the 25 of Feb: 1730:1 the sd Mathew Keen in presence of several witness hath gave the sd land wch he now lives on to Jno. Withers Eldest Son of the sd Eliz: Withers after the Decease of his Loving Wife Bridget Keen.
At a Court held for Stafford County the Fourteenth Day of April 1731 The last Will and Testament of Mathew Keen was presented in Court by Bridgett Keen his Executrix therein named who made oath thereto according to Law and being Proved by the oaths of John Edge and Joseph Treen Two of the Witnesses thereto it is admitted to Record and on the motion of the said Executrix and her Performing what is uual in such cases Certificate is granted her for obtaining a Probate thereof in Due form She Giving sufficient Security.
Written 21 July 1723 and Probated 14 April 1731
Sparacio, Ruth and Sam (compilers), Virginia County Court Records, Stafford County, Virginia, Will Book (Liber M), 1729-1748, McLean, Virginia, 1987, pg. 8, Will of Mathew Keen, Stafford County Will Book M, pg. 26-27.
| Lucie Field's Genealogy Web |