Charles Moorman - From the About:

Will

Be it known to all men that I Charles Moorman of Louisa county, being of sound mind and memory, for which I desire to be thankful to the Lord, and calling to mind the uncertainty of this life, do make, constitute and ordain this my last will and Testament and do hereby dispose of all my worldly goods as follows:

Item, I give and bequeath to my son Robert all that part of my tract of land in Albemarle county on the branches of Totier that lies on the north side of Henry Wood and Spring Branch from Scott's line up said Branch to Wood's line and thence on the back line, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.

Item, I lend to my said son Robert the labor of the five following slaves, viz. Phyllis (Toby's daughter), Judy, John (Toby's son), Easter and Rachel, the males until they attain the age of twenty-one years respectively and females to the age of eighteen years, and then after that time it is my will and desire that the said five slaves and their increase shall forever hereafter be discharged to all intents and purposes from slavery or the service of any person whatsoever and that the said slaves and their increase shall enjoy all the benefits of freedom in the same manner as if they had been born free.

Item, I lend to my son Thomas the labor of the four following negro slaves, viz. Lucy, Hannah, Tom and Adam, in the manner as followeth, the three last named under the same limitation and to be made free after the same manner as the five slaves lent to my son Robert; my will is that the first named Lucy and Nell remain with her mother till she is of age or as long as her mother lives and that whoever shall keep her shall pay reasonable wages to my son Thomas until her mother's death, then she is to be under the same limits as the others to my son Thomas, to be made free at the age of eighteen years.

Item, I give and bequeath to my son Thomas all the remaining part of my tract of land in the County of Albemarle on the branches of Totier and also one feather bed and furniture and ten pounds current money, to himhis heirs and assigns forever.

Item, I lend to my son James the labor of the four following negro slaves, viz. George, Sary, Amy and Nellie, under the same limitations and to be made free in the same manner as the slaves lent to my son Robert.

Item, I give and bequeath to my son James three hundred and sixty acres of land on Camp Creek and Sycamore Fork, part of which I purchased of Charles Moorman and the other part of Richard Morris, also one feather bed and furniture and ten pounds current money, to him his heirs and assigns forever, and I likewise give him one colt at Totier, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give and bequeath to my son Thomas one hundred acres of land in the County of Louisa adjoining the land bequeath to my son James, being the land I purchased of David Bunch, to him his heirs or assigns forever.

Item, I give and bequeath to my three daughters, Elizabeth Lucy Johnson and Agnes Venable, and to the children of my daughter Judith Anthony, deceased, three hundred and sixty-seven acres of land, part of the tract whereon I now live, to be equally divided amongst them, to them and all of them respectively, their heirs and assigns forever.

Item, I lend to my beloved wife for and during her natural life one-third part of the profits arising from my mill.

Item, I give and bequeath to my two sons Thomas and James the other two-thirds of the profits of my said mill, with eighty acres of land on the north side of said mill and two acres on the south side adjoining same, for and during their mother's life and after her decease the property of the said mill and ten acres of land to be wholly and solely vested in my said two sons Thomas andJames, to them their heirs and assigns forever.

Item, I lend to my aforesaid beloved wife Mary the five following negro slaves, viz. Morris, John (Rachel's son), Phyllis, Jean andAggy, and that she have the benefit of their labors during her natural life and after her decease the said negroes to enjoy their freedom as above mentioned, they and their heirs forever to all intents and purposes.

Item, I lend to my daughter Agnes Venable one negro girl slave named Letty under the same limits and to made free in the same manner as the slaves lent to my son Robert.

Item, I give and bequeath to my daughter Lucy twenty pounds current money in lieu of the labor of the negro.

Item, I lend to my daughter Elizabeth Johnson one negro girl named Peg under the same limitations and to be made free in the same manner as the slaves lent to my son Robert.

Item, I lend to my daughter Mary Taylor one negro girl named Millie under the same limitation and to be made free in the same manner as the slaves lent to my son Robert and also one negro girl named Mimi in the same manner and to be made free as above.

Item, It is my will and desire that the land purchased for my daughter Mary Taylor whereon she and her husband now lives, that it be her property during her natural life, then to be equally divided amongst all her children, to them and their heirs forever.

Item, I lend to my beloved wife Mary all my household and kitchen furniture, seventeen cattle which she chooses, my flock of sheep and hogs, two horses and one mare as she chooses, during her life or widowhood; my will is that the remaining part of my horse kind may be sold and the money arising from the sale to be given to my wife for her use in paying of legacies.

Item, It is my will and desire that the slaves hereafter named, viz. Jack, Allen, Rachel, Dinah, Hannah, Sarah,Toby, Let, Beck, Venus and Annis, in consideration of their faithful service, be immediately free and enjoy all the benefits thereof as persons born free. In case the laws of the land will not admit of such freedom that then the said last mentioned slaves and their increase be equally divided amongst my other legatees or their legal representatives.

Item, It is my will and desire and I hereby leave it as my particular instruction that my executors as soon as may be to make application in the General Assembly of this Commonwealth for an act to confirm the freedom hereby intended to be given to all the slaves above mentioned and in such cases an act cannot be attained that then my legatees keep possession of their respective loans and their increase to descend to them their heirs and assigns forever, reserving nevertheless a right for all the above mentioned slaves to claim the benefit of this my last will and Testament if ever hereafter it should be lawful for them to do so.

My will is that the remaining part of my cattle belonging to this place after my wife's part is taken be sold and the money arising therefrom to pay of legatees, namely my sons Thomas and James and Lucy Johnson, as before mentioned, and all my outstanding debts to be collected and one hundred pounds put in my wife's hands for her use and the rest to be equally divided amongst all my children male and female.

Item, My will is that after my wife's decease all my estates lent to her be equally divided amongst all my children male and female, and my will is that is either of my sons die without lawful heir that their part of my estate shall be equally divided amongst my sons.

Item, I do hereby constitute, appoint and ordain my two sons Charles and Robert, Christopher Johnson, my son Thomas and John Payne executors of this my last will and Testament and do utterly revoke disannul and make void all other wills and Testaments in anywise heretofore made. In witness hereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this second day of September, 1778. Charles Moorman (seal) Signed, sealed and published in the presence of us James B Pouncy Bunch (mark) David Brock (mark) Notes

"Virginia's Friends were especially concerned for certain blacks freed under the wills of their Quaker owners, but then re-enslaved and never given freedom by the wills' executors. The slaves of Samuel Hargrave, Glaister Hunnicutt, and Charles Moorman all were cheated this way. The Moorman slaves were sold south to keep Friends from rescuing them; but Christopher Johnson of Lynchburg (Moorman's son-in-law) made fourteen journeys to South Carolina and Georgia between 1788 and 1797 to argue their cases in court. He succeeded in getting many freed,"[3] Property

Charles Moorman appeared on the tax list of 1767 at Trinity Parish, Louisa Co., VA, as Charles Moorman, Sr. charged with tax for 5 tithables and 379 acres of land. Slaves named were: Jack, Allin, Dian, and Rachal [Rosalie Edith Davis comp., Louisa County, Virginia Tithables and Census 1743-1785 (1981), list of George Thompson on the south side, South Anna River].

He appeared on the tax list of 1768 at Trinity Parish, Louisa Co., VA, charged with tax for 379 acres and 5 tithables, himself and his slaves: Allen, Dinah, Rachel, and Jack [ibid, list of George Thompson].

He appeared on the tax list of 10 Jun 1773 at Louisa Co., VA, charged with tax for 672 acres and 8 tithables including his son, Thomas, and slaves: Allin, Dinah, Rachel, Cut, Jack and Beck [ibid, list of Robert Anderson].

He appeared on the tax list of 1776 at Louisa Co., VA, charged with 10 tithables: himself, James Moreman, and slaves: Allen, Jack, Dinah, Rachal, Fillis, Letta, Beck, Venas [ibid, list of William Phillips].