One of the fun things about visiting the Fauquier Co., VA Courthouse in Warrenton was to see a room filled with bound copies of property records: wills and deeds.1 One of the services our government provides is the to collect and validate how our property is to be transferred when we cannot do so for ourselves, and who owns what land at any moment now or in the past. Considering that all citizens agree that these records control the ownership of vast amounts of wealth it’s a wonder that these documents are so easily accessed, and the offices that maintain them often operate with less security than a bank or jewelry store in many cases. The most valuable property these offices hold, in my opinion, is stories.
Herein is the story of a son of the second son of JJR, the first born on this continent after his father and mother and older brother left Siegen in Germany to immigrate to colonial Virginia with thirteen other families. Henry lived a long life, dying at 84 but surviving four of his children including his son Spencer who is the next link in our line.
Who knew feather beds were so valuable that they are mentioned right up front, just after land and money? Apparently so, as Henry specified that son Elijah would get SECOND choice of feather beds, while daughter ‘Caty’ is offered FIRST choice:
“In the name of god amen. I Henry Rector of the County of Fauquier and state of Virginia being sick in body but of perfect mind and memory make this my Last will and Testament, my Temporal Estate I bequieth[sic] an dispose of in the following manner, In xxxxx,
I give and bequieth unto my beloved Wife all that I now possess my land being one hundred and fifty acres, more or less my horses Cattle and Stock of every kind that I have all the household furniture and Plantation utensils to be her own and at her disposal during life and at her decease to be Divided in the following manner: To my son Elijah and give and bequieth the sum of Thirty five Pounds Virginia money the second choice of Feather beds with the furniture belonging thereto, A mans Saddle, and the next Colt the mare has after the one she is now in foal with, he paying the season for the horse some plantation utensils such as plows hoes axes mat…locks wedges hand saw and Drawing knife, the saddle he know has but should he die before his mother this bequest shall be null and void to all Intents,
To my Daughter Caty I give the sum of Twelve Pounds the first choice of featherbeds with the furniture belonging there to the Colt that the mare is now in foal with, A woman’s Saddle and the loom with the gear belonging thereto and should she die before her mother this bequest shall be void except the bed which shall be her Daughter Polleys. These articles mentioned above in case the said Elijah and Caty do survive their mothers Death shall be theirs free and Clear of all encumbrances and shall not exclude them from any Equal parts of whatever property shall then remain until which time all and every species of property that I now have shall be my wife’s and not subject to Division of any kind.
[A]t her Death all that may then remain, the above legacies excepted, shall be sold to the highest bidder and an Equal Division made between all my children then living respecting the hundred acres of land that my son Spencer* lived on in consequence of a promise made to him, I leave it to his Children Edward, John, Henry, Mary Ann and Pency to be equally Divided between them, on Condition that they pay my Children one Thousand weight Crop Tobacco which I leant their father to pay for some land he bought at fourteen shillings per Hundred with Interest from Eleven years back from the Sale of these presents, and in case they refuse to do so they forfeit all claim to the land which shall then be sold with the rest of my property and thereby utterly revoke and disannul all former bequests and legacies by whereto fore in any wise left, or made declaring ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and Testament.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this Eighth day of January, One Thousand seven hundred and ninety nine. Signed, Sealed, and declared by the within Testator to be his last will and Testament in present to us:
Joseph Lloyd
Herzehiah Glasscock
William FinchHenry [his X mark] Rector SS”
*Spencer Rector married Mary Tiffin, who was born in Workington, Cumbria, England. Their children, named in this will. After Mary was widowed, she joined her parents and brothers who then all decided to move to Chillicothe, OH where our branch started its Ohio journey! More on this important part of our history elsewhere.
RectorSite 