Subject: Will of Nathaniel OWENS of King George Co. and Fauquier Co. VA

1 Nathaniel Owens 1730 - 1807
.. +Lnu Fnu (Last Name Unknown/First Name Unknown), but possibly MARDER/MARDERS
......... 2 Sarah Owens 1749 - 1831
............. +Hugh Gorden 1739 - 1834
......... 2 Samuel Owens 1755 -
............. +Vashty Owens
......... 2 William Owens 1760 -
......... 2 Rebecca Owens 1764 -
............. +Nathaniel Pettit
......... 2 [1] Nathaniel Owens 1764 - 1844
............. +Nancy Grayham 1770 -
......... *2nd Wife of [1] Nathaniel Owens:
............. +Mary Ann Yates 1784 -
......... 2 Behethelon Owens 1765 -
............. +Thomas Pettit - 1837
......... 2 Mary Owens 1775 -


The will of Nathaniel Owens was signed on April 9, 1807 and recorded in the Fauquier Court on September 10, 1807. The following is the text from Will Book 4, page 405:

--begin quote (the spelling is rendered as it appears in the original document)-

I Nathaniel Owens of the County of Fauquier and commonwealth of Virginia being convinced of the uncertainty of human life and of approaching mortality do make and ordain this my last Will and testament revoking all former wills by me made. First I give and bequeath to my step daughter Elizabeth Marder twenty pounds, to be paid by my exetors hereafter to be named to her or her heirs. Secondly it is my will and desire that whatever property both real and personal I am posssd of at my death shall be fairly sold by my exetors to the highest bidder excepting my slaves which are to have the priviledg of choosing their masters and to be sold by my exetors fairly at private sale to such person or persons as the said slaves may choose to serve at a fair price and after paying all just and legal claims against my estate and the legacy first mentioned that the residue be equally divided between the whole of my children and their heirs except my son Samuel's part which it is my will and desire shall be equally divided between my two grandsons, Reuben and William Owens, sons of my said son by the first marriage, and their heirs. And lastly I do nominate and appoint my friend Joseph Blackwell my two sons in law Allen Stewart and Thomas Pettit sole Exetors to this my last Will
and testament. In Testimony whereof I have herunto set my hand an affixed by seal this 9th day of April 1807.
Signed Sealed in delivered
in presents of
Jno. Kemper his
Walker Alsop Nathaniel X Owens Seal
Robert Kemper mark
J.P. Kemper

--end quote


On page 406 the will was recorded:

--begin quote-

At a Court held for Fauquier County the 28 day of September 1807
This Will was proved by the oaths of Walker Alsop Robert Kemper and John Kemper witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded and on the motion of Allen Stewart and Thomas Pettit the executors therein named who made oath and together with John White and John Kemper their Securities entered into and acknowledge bond in the penalty of Five thousand dollars conditioned as the law directs certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form.
Teste
H.R. Campbell

--end quote

COMMENTS:

J.P. KEMPER
The spelling of the name of the witness "J.P.Kemper" may be incorrect. The name is only partially legible and I have seen other transcriptions that render it as "J.D. Kemper".

Elizabeth MARDER
The final "r" in the name "MARDER" was slightly smudged in the will and conceivably could be an "n" or "MARDEN". In the final accounting by the executors of the will, dated September 30, 1814 and recorded on October 24, 1814 in the Fauquier Court, there is an entry for March 30, 1809 which shows the final letter is an "r": "Cash paid Eliza Marders Legacy.....$66.70." The writing of the name in the will had only five letters, so it is likely that the "s" at the end of the name in the accounting was the possessive "apostrophe ess" without the apostrophe being written. However, a series of traces of the name MARDER showed that the name has a number of variant spellings. The most common spelling is MARDERS, but it also appears as MARDIS, MORDERS, and in one case MARDURE.