1763 Bedford Co, VA. Thomas bought 50 acres near the mouth of AmosBr anch of Goose Creek from John Richardson
1774 He bought another 154 acres on the north branch of Goose Creekb eginning at John Arthur's corner
1787 He bought two slaves from Steven Wood for 165 pnds: Luse,27-yea rold pregnant woman and a boy named Fel
1787 Thomas bought 309 acres to add to his estate on the Amos Brancho f Goose Creek from John Murphy
1/17/1789 Thomas gave consent for the marriage of stepdaughter MarySn ow.
1800 He sold 190 acres on Goose Creek near Amos' Branch to JosephHack worth
Aft 1805 He gave consent for granddaughter Sarah's marriage in placeo f deceased son Thomas.
1818 Thomas transferred 120 acres on the north side of Goose Creekand p artly on Amos' branch to son John.
Thomas Arthur’s will is dated 17 February 1799, with a codicil dated11 D ecember 1806:
“In the name of God Amen, I Thomas Arthur of Bedford County,Virginia, b eing weak in body but of sound and perfect memory do makethis my Last W ill and Testament as Follows to wit: First commendingmy soul to God, m y body to be descently buried.
Item: I lend to my beloved wife during her widowhood one third part ofm y estate except the land my son John now lives on and at hermarriage o r decease, I give the said third part to be equally dividedamong all m y children.
Item: I give to my son, John the land and plantation whereon he nowliv es on Amo’s Branch containing 100 acres to him and his heirsforever.
Item: I give all my other lands to be equally divided among mychildren a t my death.
Item: I give all my other estate to be equally divided among all mychi ldren in manner and form as follows:
viz, it is my will and desire that my negro boy called John to be letf ree at twenty-one years of age and till then to remain with my wifefor h er use and if she should die before he is twenty one years old,it is m y will and desire that he be hired out from year to year untilthat age f or the best price that can be got from such persons asshall be bound t o treat him well and the profits arising from thehire of him be equall y divided among all my children each year assoon as collected and wher eas as my married children have had somepart of my estate,
my son William has had the value of two pounds,
my daughter Pricilla, four pounds, ten shillings,
my son John four pounds,
my daughter Nancy two pounds,
my son Thomas one pound ten shillings,
my daughter Fanny four pounds,
my son Joel two pounds,
my daughter Molly two pounds and
my daughter Sally three pounds ten shillings
all of which it is my will shall be valued with the rest of mypersonal e state and an equal division from the first to the last ofthe whole to b e divided among all my children.
Viz; my son Stephan has also had fifteen dollars and my son BenjaminTw enty dollars of my estate toward their equal parts and
lastly I constitute and appoint Thomas Arthur and my son in law JohnWe st to be executors of this my last will and testament herebyrevoking a ll former wills I do declare this and no other to be mylast will and t estament. In witness whereof I have here unto set handand seal this Se venth day of February, One Thousand Seven HundredNinety Nine.
Signed by Thomas (his X mark) Arthur.
Witnessed by: Jno. Murphy, Jno., Murphy Jr., and William Murphey.”
“I Thomas Arthur of Bedford County being weak in body but of soundmind d o make the following additions and alterations to my last willannexed t o this.
Viz: The part of my estate which I willed to my son William Arthur, In ow give to his son William, my grandson and to his heirs forever, Ials o give to my wife the use and service of the Negro girl calledMolly un til the owner of her, John Anthony, Jr. shall repay the moneyto her ac cording to contract which is sixty pounds.
In witness of the above, I hereupon affix my hand and seal this 11thda y of December 1806. Signed by Thomas (his X mark) Arthur, andwitnessed b y Levisa Martin and Jacob Krantz.”
Final orders were made 24 January 1821, four days after probation.
