In the name of God Amen - I Arthur Lee of Lansdown, in the County of Middlesex, being of sound & disposing mind do make this my last will & Testament, revoking all others; this 27th day of July one thousand seven hundred & ninety two.
1st My Will is, that all my just debts be paid; and that my remains be interred in the vault of my dear parents: unless I should die at an inconvenient distance - 2d: I give to my most dear Brother Richard Henry Lee for his life only, all my Lands & Negroes, Houses, Stocks & furniture, except hereafter shall be excepted in the County of Middlesex - 3d: I give the said Lands, Houses, furniture Negroes & Stock; at the death of my said Brother, to his son Francis Lightfoot Lee, together with all my Lands in Kentucky, with my lots in the Town of Richmond, to him & his heirs forever -
4th: I give my said nephew F. L. Lee, the tract of Land in the Provence of Maine, granted to me by the state of Massachusetts, to him & his heirs forever. 5th: I give to my said nephew fifteen acres of Land, being a lot in the parish of Passyunk near Philadelphia to him & his heirs forever - 6y I give to my said Nephew my Stock in the Bank of North America - 7y I give to my nephew Cassius Lee my Lots in Norfolk, my Lands on the north side of the Ohio consisting of my shares in the Ohio Company, and my purchases from the U. States in the Seven ranges; and also my purchase from Col: Henry Lee of his military rights, consisting of eight thousand and five hundred acres - to him & his heirs forever - 8y I give to my said nephew Cassius Lee my post <illegible> 6 pr. Cents in the funds of the U. States -
9y: I give to my nephew Ludwill Lee all my french Books & Manuscripts - 10y: I give to my niece Flora Lee my set of white Tea China of seve together with the red & white seve china coffee cups, tea pot, milk pot bowl -
11th: I give to my niece Hannah Washington, one half acre lot, in Alexandria lying on Washington & Oroonoko Streets & letten on ground Rent to her & her heirs forever -
12th: I give to my niece Ann Lee a half-acre lot in Alexandria lying on Princess & Sth Asaph Streets which I purchased of Col: Henry Lee, to her & her heirs forever, & also my silver bladed dessert knives with pearl handles.
13th: I give to my niece Harriot Lee, the six lots in Alexandria sold to me by Col: Henry Lee and which by his agreement with me were to yield fifty pounds per annum ground rents to her & her heirs forever -
14th: I give to my niece Sally Lee one half acre lot in Alexandria No: of 6. on Duke & Royal Streets to her & her heirs forever - 15th: I give to my niece Lucinda Lee, one half acre lot in Alexandria lying on Duke & St Asaph Street & letten on Ground Rents to her & her heirs forever -
16th: I give to my niece Ann Brent a piece of plate as she may chuse of the value of twenty guineas -
17th: I give to my dear sister in law Rebeca Lee of Menokin my diamond ring & my gold sleeve buttons, with pictures in them - 18th: I give to my sister in law, wife of Richd Henry Lee a piece of plate of the value of ten Guineas - 19th: I give to my dear brother Francis Lightfoot Lee my gold enameled Snuff Box set with diamonds - 20th: I give all the residue of my estate, real & personal to my dear Brother Richard Henry Lee, if he should survive me, if not then to his son Francis Lightfoot Lee - 21st: I constitute & appoint my brother Richard Henry Lee my sole Executor; & if I should survive him, then I request my friend Ralph Wormeley of Rosegill to accept of that charge & of a piece of Plate worth thirty guineas for his trouble.
Arthur Lee
October 25th: 1792 Codicil – I give to my Nephew Cassius Lee, five Thousand dollars in lieu of the deferred six per Cents, which I give to my Nephew Francis Lightfoot Lee; & it is my wife that the aforesaid 5000 dollars should be paid out of my Bank stock given (No 6) to my Nephew F. L. Lee. Arthur Lee Bank Stock Dolls. 8000, Guineas, 20, 10, 30, total Gs 60, At a Court held for Middlesex County at the Courthouse in Urbanna on Monday the 24th day of December 1792. This last will and Testament with the Codicil thereto, of Arthur Lee (esquire) deceased was presented in Court by Richard Henry Lee esquire the executor therein named, and proved by the oaths of Ralph Wormeley and William Steptoe Gent: to be wholly written by the said Testators own hand, the same is admitted to Record; And in the motion of the said Executor who made oath according to Law, Certificate is granted him for obtaining a probate thereof in due form (giving security) whereupon he with William Steptoe his security, entered into and acknowledged their Bond in the penalty of five thousand pounds, with condition according to Law a Test Will: Churchhill Truly Recorded Test Will: Churchhill [...] State of Virginia and County of Middlesex [...] I Overton Cosby Clerk of the Court of the County of Middlesex aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing, is a true copy of the last will and testament of Arthur Lee esq. Deceased, and (x) of the Certificate of probate, (signed by Will: Churchhill former clerk) which are taken from the records of said county, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of said County to be hereunto affixed this 6th day of January 1804, and in the 28th year of American Independence. Overton Cosby State of Virginia & County of Middlesex to [...] In pursuance of the act of Congress of the United States of America, passed the 26th day of May 1790. installed, “An act to prescribe the mode in which the public acts, records, & judicial proceedings in each state, shall be authenticated so as to take effect in every other state” I James Rofs – presiding magistrate in the Court of the County of Middlesex aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing Copy of the last will and testament of Arthur Lee esq. deceased & of the Certificate of attestation by Will Churchhill former Clerk, and Certificate of Overton Cosby present Clerk of said Court, under the seal of said County, are in due form, Given under my hand & seal this 10th day of January 1804. in the 28th: year of the independence of the United States. James Rofs State of Kentucky Pendleton County Court Clerk's Office, Set. I William L. Kennell D. Clerk of the County court of the County aforesaid, do hereby certify that this instrument that this instrument of writing purporting to be the last Will and testament of Arthur Lee deceased, together with the certificates of probate and attestation hereon endorsed has been at the request of John Kentow, duly recorded in my Office, Liber C, page 328IC Given under my hand this 29th December 1817. William L. Kennell d.Clk. Kentucky [...] I Achilles Sneed clerk of the court of Appeals of the State aforesaid being truly authorized by law to receive and admit to record wills & other writings in my office do hereby certify that the foregoing instrument of writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Arthur Lee Esq. descd together with the certificate thereto annexed was produced to me in my office in Frankfort on the 11th day of Oct. 1822 and that the same is truly recorded. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name the day & year aforesaid. Achilles Sneed Cla From the original in the holdings of the Jessie Ball duPont Memorial Library, Stratford Hall.