In The Name of God Amen I William Hurst of Shanando County in the state of Virginia being very sick & weak in Body but in perfect Mind & Memory thanks be given unto God for it therefore calling to mind the Mortality of my body & Knowing that is appointed for all men once to die I do make and ordain this my last will and Testament that is to Say principally and finite (?) of all. I give & recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it Knowing I shall receive the same by the power of almighty God & my Body I recommend unto the Earth to be buried in Decent Christian Burial.
Item First I give & bequeath unto my beloved wife Judith Hurst during of her natural life Three Thousand Pounds of tobacco rents to be collected from the following parties Annually.
Item I give & bequeath unto my beloved son John Hurst a certain parcel of Land that he is now possessed of beginning at a gum tree or Bay oak on the upper end of a pond & Thence along the sd. hedgeroe Straight to the river, thence down the River to a certain Oak at the corner end of his meadow thence along the dividing fence between him & Ezekill Morgan up to the sd. fence to the corner in a hallow thence a Straight course over to a certain marked white oak by the corner of the field thence a straight course to the River by the user End of his field on condition of paying of five hundred # Tobo. unto my wife Judith annually in during her natural life.
Item I Give and bequeath unto my beloved son Wm. Hurst a certain parcel of Land that he is now possessed with Beginning at the river joining my son John thence along his line down a certain Hallow to the ford of dry run thence up the sd. run to Owings branch thence up the sd. Branch with in an Hundred yards of the path thence a straight course to the dividing ridge down the said Ridge to the Tussiky Branch thence the several water course to Johns upper corner on the river on condition of paying of five hundred pounds of Tobo. unto my wife Judith annually during her natural life.
Item I give & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Elizabeth Morgan & the heirs of her body a certain parsel of Land which she is now possessed with Beginning at my son John's lower corner thence down the river to the lower end of the bottom to a spring thence a straight course to a certain Spring in the head of a Holler near the road thence down the sd. Spring branch to the ford of dry run thence with my son William's line to John Corner thence along Johns line to a certain Oak at the beginning in condition that she or her Heirs do pay 500 pounds of tobacco unto my wife Judith annually during her natural life.
Item I give & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Judith Smith and the heirs of her Body a certain parcel of Land beginning at my daughter Elizabeth's Lower corner on the River thence down the River to George Harden's Corner up that Line the several courses to the Road to my daughter Elizabeth's back line to the Spring thence taking the straight line to the River on Condition that she or her heirs do pay 500 pounds of tobacco unto my wife Judith annually during the time of her natural life.
Item I give & bequeath to my beloved daughter Hannah Roy a certain parcel of Land beginning at the mouth of the Tussiky Branch thence up Goonies Run up to Williams Russell's line thence down the said line to my son William's line thence down the said line several courses to the beginning on condition that she or her Heirs do pay 500 pounds of tobacco unto my wife Judith annually during the time of her natural life.
Item I give & bequeath unto my beloved daughter Nancy Dyer all the remainder of my Land, included in that deed made to me by William Russell on condition that she or her heirs pay 500 pounds of tobacco unto my wife Judith annually during the time of her natural Life.
I do hereby certify this to be my Last Will and testament & do utterly disallow and annul & Revoke every other former Will & Testament Amen.
October 15 1780. /s/ William Hurst (seal) witnesses present Teste: John Hancock, John Roy, William Oweings . At a court held for Shanando County on Thursday the 29th day of March 1781 The last will & testament of William Hurst decd. was proved by the witnesses thereto & ordered to be Recorded Teste: Thos. Marshall Clk.
NOTE: William died on 21 Mar 1781 in Hawksbill Creek, Shenandoah County, Virginia.