His will, dated 5/16/1748, named wife Sarah and the 9 children listedh ere.
The inventory of the estate included extensive property and 21 slaves.H e left plantations and slaves to the children and 10 shillings to"son" E noch who may have been a cousin.
The will said:
Monday May the 16th In the year of our Lord Anno: Dom: 1748.
In the name of God Amen. I Henry Berry of King George’s County inHanno ver Parish lying dangerous(ly) ill but hope for mercy from theAlmighty G od to restore me to my former state of health, I theaforesaid Henry Be rry of the aforesaid County & Parish do make andordain this my present L ast Will & Testament in manner and formfollowing.
First: I will that my debts and funeral charges shall be paid anddisch arged.
Item: I the above mentioned Henry Berry of the above mentioned County& P arish do give and bequeath unto my son Joel Berry and Henry Berryhis b rother all the land that I hold that the said Joel Berry nowlivesupon a nd all the land between the two swamps and the land that Ithe said Hen ry Berry, Senior, purchased of Thomas Barton lying in thePrince Willia m County in the Parish of Hamilton, only Joel Berry isto have the choi se of the two plantations and his heirs forever.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Berry a piece of landjo yning to Benjamin Stribling on the north side of the branch - allthat t ract or parcel of land in King George County in the Parish ofHannover t o him and his heirs forever.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son William Berry all that tract orp arcel of land on the south side of the said branch between his sonJoel ’s and his mannor plantation to him and his heirs forever.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son George all the land that Ipurcha sed of John Diskins, Bradley Gardener and the mill lying andbeing in P rince William County in the Parish of Hamilton to him theaforesaid Geo rge Berry to him and his heirs forever.
And I do stricktly (sic) hereby charge one and every one of myaforesai d sons that they shall not take any advantage one of theother after my d ecease it being my last Will and Testament.
Item: Moreover I Henry Berry, Senior, do give and bequeath to my sonJo el Berry one Negro called Moll and one Negro (sic) Harry and Tonyto hi m and his heirs forever.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Henry Berry one Negro (sic) calledB en & Bacchus & Sam & C:
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Enoch Berry left 10 shillings.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Berry one Negro Henryan d Tom.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son George one Negro called Tom &Win ey & Dinah & Gloster
Item: I give and bequeath unto (?my son?) William Berry one Negrocalle d Bess and Toby & Liza.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Berry one Negro calledf rank snd one Negro called Anach to Eliz: Bronough her daughter.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Berry one Negro calledG race & Cesar.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Berry one Negroca lled Rose and Robin.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Berry one Negrocalled D ick & Lucy.
Item: Moreover I the aforsaid Henry Berry, Senior, of King GeorgeCount y in Hannover Parish, do give and bequeath unto my son GeorgeBerry a n ew still to be in his possession.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son William Berry the old still thati s below to have and to hold in his own possession.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my son George Berry a Riffled Gun tohav e and to hold in his own possession; also “a Dunn Horse.”
I do leave Sarah Berry my wife full and whole executor or executrix ofa ll the full and within mentionedof this my Last Will and Testamentduri ng her widowhood, but if the said Sarah Berry my wife shouldmarry she s hall be cut of & void of being Executor or Executrix and Ido hereby ap point Joseph Berry to be my Executor’s in her room andafter the deceas e of my wife that Henry Berry, Junior, & BenaminBerry & George Berry & W illiam Berry & Elizabeth Berry & Sarah Berryto have an equal share of t he estate & Joel Berry to have half ashare and I desire that Joseph Be rry and Enoch Berry should look overthe estate and see that it is not w asted.
Be it known unto all men by these presents this being my Last Will &Te stament and that all things herein contained and mentioned befaithfull y and truly preformed and as fully and amply in everyrespect as if the s ame were so declared and set down in my Last Will& Testament. In Witne ss the day year & date above written.
Item: I Henry Berry, Senior, of King George County in Hannover Parishd o give and bequeath to my wife Sarah Berry one Negro Arrah to be ather o wn disposing.
Henry Berry
Signed Sealed & Delivered)
In Presence of us . . . )
Test
Wm. Roberson
His
John ( -I- ) Siers
Mark
Joshua Young
At a court continued and held for King George County on SaturdaySeptem ber the 8th 1750.
Administration of the Estate of Henry Berry, Deceased, with the Willan nex’d is granted unto (Cousin) Joel Berry, the Executors named inthe s aid will refusing the Execution thereof, the said will beingproped by J ohn Seires (sic) one of the witnesses thereto is admittedto record.
Cop. Test
Harry Turner Cl: Cur:
(N.B. Although Henry Berry frequently says he is bequeathing one ofhis c hildren “one Negro” and names one or more by name it iscertain this is s imply his style. The inventory of the handsomeestate of Henry Berry in K ing George and Prince William counties isof record in King George Coun ty Deed Book #6, Pages 68 - 69 and 72.Twenty one Negro slaves are enum erated and valued by name
It appears likely that Henry Berry, Sr. died in late 1748, but therewa s difficulty in the probate of his will. COB#2, p.609:
3 feb 1748/9 - Sarah Berry came into court and refused to accept anyle gacy bequeathed to her by the will of her late husband, HenryBerry, de ceased.
Ibed. , p. 674: 8 September 1750 - Administration on the estate ofHenr y Berry, deceased, with the will annexed, is granted to JoelBerry, the e xecutors named in the said will refusing to act. IsaacFarguson became J oel Berry's security
Ibed., p. 682 indicates Henry Berry, deceased, died seized ofplantatio ns in the counties of King George and Prince William.Inventories of hi s personal property on these plantations wereadmitted to record 5 Octo ber 1750 and recorded in I#2, p. 68-69 forKing George County, and 2 No vember 1752 and recorded in I#2, p. 72for Prince William County.
