In the name of God, Amen.  I, John Burnett of Essex County being sick and weak of body, but of sound & perfect memory praise be to God for the same & knowing the uncertainty of this chancetory life & that all flesh is grass & must stoop to death & being desirous to settle things in order before I go hence & be no more seen, I do make this my Last Will & Testament in manner & form following:

 Imprimis, I give & bequeath my soul unto the hands of God Almighty my creator & maker who gave it to me assured by believing that I shall receive full pardon free & absolute remission of all my sins & saved in by & through the precious death of his Son my mediator & redeemer, Christ Jesus, & I bequeath my body to the ground from whence it was taken to be buried in a decent & Christian manner, as to my Executrix & Executor hereafter named shall be thought meet & fit & as for my worldly goods which God in his mercy has lent me, my will and pleasure is that they should be employed & bestowed as hereafter is appointed:

 #1    I give unto my dear & loving wife, Amey Burnett, one negro named Will to her & her heirs forever.

#2    I give to my son John Burnett a melato girl named Cate to him & his heirs forever.

#3    I give to my son Joseph Burnett a negro girl name Sue to him & his heirs forever.

#4    I give to my daughter Elizabeth Burnett a negro boy named Sam to her & her heirs forever.

#5    I give to my daughter Anne Burnett, a negro woman named Jenny to her and her heirs forever.

#6    I give to my daughter Amy Burnett, a negro girl named Moll to her & her Heirs forever.

#7    Further my desire is that my two sons, John Burnett & Joseph Burnett be of age at the year of 16 that they receive their estate then.

#8    I give all the rest of my estate equally to be divided between my loving wife and my five children to them & their heirs forever.

#9    Further my desire is that all my land may be equally divided between my two sons, John & Joseph to them & their heirs forever.  Further my will & desire is that my land be divided between them when they arrive at age 16.

#10  I hereby constitute, ordain & appoint my loving wife Amey Burnett & my well beloved brother, Thomas Burnett, Jr. my whole & sole Executors of this my Last Will & Testament some of my Will being on the backside of a sheet of paper wherefore I have affixed my hand & seal this 17^th day of September 1717.

Signed:  
John Burnett  

    Witnessed by:
James Boughan
John Fargeson
Thomas Ralton

Written: 17 Sep 1717    Essex County, Virginia
Proved:  21 May 1718  Essex Deed & Will Book 15: Page 45  & 46 

Estate Inventory

Transcribed by Kimberly Miller Bates