Will of Peter Evans

Title

Will of Peter Evans

Date

1796-12-02

Description

These document pages contain a list of family member information for Peter Evans of Botetourt County taken from Augusta County records, and followed by his hand written will. The will was written on December 2, 1796, and he passed away in 1797.

Image 1: A list of family information for Peter Evans who passed away in 1797. This page also describes where the record was obtained from with a description of how the deceased obtained three tracts of land totaling 1200. It reads, “This information obtained from: See Chalkley’s Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Vol. 1, page 245, Vol. 3 page 298; Kegley’s Virginia Frontier page 189, etc. After their father’s death, older brother Daniel deeded to Peter the 3 main tracts, of 400 acres each. Peter built his home on the one called “Cedar Spring”. Daniel lived in the old Mark Evans house, but held the 87 acre tract at Chrystal Spring, with the Evans Mill. When Daniel died all the…”

Image 2: “...Evans lands, except that along the River, clearly belonged to Peter. On 15 Mar, 1755, valuation of improvements on the “Naked Farm” on waters of Roanoke, formerly the property of Daniel Evans and now in the possession of Peter Evans: 18 acres cleared and well fenced under corn and rie, also ten acres of clear meadow; 100 fruit trees, # 1.0.0.; 1 lay house 15 feet by 10, # 1.10.0; 1 corn crib, 15 feet long and 4 feet wide, # o.10.0; 1 spring house 18 feet long and 12 feet wide, # 0.15.0; 5 head of horses and 1 breeding sow, # 40.15.0; 1 wagon and gears, 1 ax and grubbing hoe, and 2 plows and gears, #26.0.0.; 1 stack rie, and 1 stack oats, # 11.15.0.; 22 head neat cattle, #33.0.0.

This is certainly a lot of improvements in a very few years. At the same time he was adding other land; so that when he had a survey made in 1792 there were 1910 acres in this main tract.

To improve the title even more; on 6 Dec. 1792, Daniel’s two daughters and their husband’s deeded to Peter any and all interest they may hold in the lands. (see Bot. Co., Va. Deed Book 4, page 421.)

His wife Mary inherited land on North Fork Roanoke River from her father, Thomas Tosh.

On 2 Dec. 1796, Peter wrote his will; named wife, and all the children, except Barbara, who may have been deceased. Son Thomas inherited the part in the area now at Washington Park, and his mother lived with him. Son William inherited the old Mark Evans home part; son Mark got the lower part; son Jonathan the part where Wheeler lived; and son John got the tract on North Fork of Roanoke River.

In a deposition filed in the suit: Tosh vs. Evans in 1838; about Thomas Evans; ‘ - his family lived badly in the midst of plenty. Thomas having no wife and his mother, a very old woman.’ "

Image 3: This page is the handwritten will of Peter Evans. It reads, “In the Name of God amen. I, Peter Evans of Botetourt County and state of Virginia being very weak in body but of sound mind and memory calling to mind that it is apoynted [sic] for all men once to die do apoynt [sic] this my last Will and Testament my spiritual part I recommend to God that give it and my temporal part I recommend to the Earth to be buried in Christian Church at the discretion of my Successors and as touching such worldly Estate as it pleased God to bless my worth in this life, I dispose in the following manner and form that is to say first of all I give unto my son Mark Evans the low part that is Sutten Place. I give my son Thomas Evans the place whereon I [illegible] live and the place where Wheeler lives on I give to my son Jonathan Evans and the upper part I give to my son William Evans the upper part of [illegible] on the dry run and across by [illegible] to be divided equally among [illegible] good wife and equally my four sons and I give to my son John Evans that tract of land on the north fork of Roan Oak [sic] my wife Mary Evans to have her living on the place whereon I know live during her…”

Image 4: “...Widowhood I also give unto my wife three Neager [sic] Boys [illegible] Tom and Dan for her support and all the stock for the support of the of the [sic] family I give my daughter Betsy Evans Sampson and Tommy [illegible] and a horn [illegible]. I also to give to my daughter Catren Evans Negros Billy and Peggy Thomas and such , the other Negros - Fan [illegible] + Josh to be valued and [illegible] down [illegible] my five sons, John, Mark, Thomas, William, and Jonathan. I also leave that land on the River to be sold and fifty pounds to pay to Betsy Evans and fifty pounds to be payed [sic] to my daughter Catren Evans and the remainder for the [illegible] an the [illegible] that is in the land the bond that is due when collected the money to be divided between sons equally and I and a payment my wife Mary Evans and Jonathan Tosh my [illegible] and sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament in witness I have here and set my hand and sole [sic] this second day of December one thousand seven hundred and ninety six.
This Peter Mark Evans [seal],

Daniel McNeall
John William
Patty Williamson

At Botetourt January Court 1797
This last Will and Testament of Peter Evans was submitted into Court and proved by the oaths the oaths of the three Witnesses thereto submitted and after the motion of Mary Evans and Jonathan Tosh the Executor and Executor therein named, Probate is granted them in due form they having taken the oath and entered into Bond with security according to law all of which is to be recorded.
[Illegible signature]”

Format

Image/jpeg

Subject

Wills

Last Testament

Estate

Estate Inventory

Botetourt County

Enslaved People

Type

Text

Coverage

Botetourt County, Virginia; Augusta County, Virginia

Rights

No Copyright - United States http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Provenance

Provided to Botetourt County Libraries by the Katherine Harris Estate.

Item