Valentine Troop will, 3 August 1775

Know all men by theas Presence that I Valentine Troop of Granville in the County of Annapolis am Disposed to settle & order the affairs of my Earthly Inheritance in the Following manner I Being in my Right minde~ Item first Do ive my sole to God through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ & my Body to the ground in hops of a Resurrection~ and then I do Give & Bequeath to my Well Beloved wife Cattee all my Estate Both Real & Parsneal During her natural Life she providing for & Bring up all my Children During their minorrity~ & then to my youngest son Joseph (at the deth of my s’d Beloved Wife) Be at lawful age or above twenty one years old I Do Give & Bequeth to him the s’d Joseph All my s’d Estate Both Real & Persneal; He Paying the following Legecies viz. to my son Henry one hundred dollers; to my Daughter Cattee one hundred dollers; to my Daughter Elizabath Eighty Dollers; to my son George Eighty Dollers; to my son Jacob sixty Dollers; to my son John sixty Dollers; to my Daughter Mary sixty Dollars; to my Daughter Jenee sixty Dollars~ as also he paying all my lawful Debts & give me & my s’d wife Decent Bureal; Provided never the Less if my s’d wife shall Decease Before my s’d sonJoseph shall arrive to the age of twenty one years its my will that my s’d son John Heir & Inherit all my s’d Estate Both Real & Persnal he paying to my s’d son Joseph one hundred dollars & to all the sons & Daughters the Perticuler sums set to them as above & he paying my Debts & bureals as above~ and firther its my will that which of my two sons Either Joseph orJohn Do Inherit this my s’d Estate according as Providence shall order; that he pay the above s’d Legecies to the fouer oldest Legetees within fouer years after he shall Inherit, that is to say one quarter yearly; & in paying the fouer youngest its my will theay be Paid at any time within seven years (after the Death of the Last of us; that is me or my s’d wife) With Lawfull Intrest~ the fouer oldest to be paid in good merchantable grain the fouer youngest to be paid in neat stock~ and firther its my will in Case my s’d wife should Deceace before my s’d son Joseph arrives to twenty one years as then my s’d son John will Inherit by this my will I Do firther order that all my s’d sons Being miners Be put to out to Proper masters to lern sum Lawful trade Even such as theay the miners shall Chouse and that my s’d son John be at the Cost & Expence of Bring up all the Children till theay be of Lawful age~ and firther its my will that Catee my wife Be my Exetrex if she should out live me, if not then I appoint my son Jacob to Execute this my Last Will & Testement~ In witness of which I have set my hand and seal this third Day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy five in Presence of theas witnesses.

Valentine Troop

Witnesses:
Asarelah Morse

his
Francis X Miller
mark

Josiah Dodge