F. THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF MARGARET RICHARDSON DATED 1811
(Margaret was the aunt of Catherine “Kitty” Spence Pitts who was the mother of Ellen Nancy Pitts Allen, my father’s grandmother.)
Margaret Richardson was my third great grandaunt, sister to my third great grandmother Ann Richardson Pitts.
In the name of God, amen, I Margaret Richardson of the county of Essex, being sick and weak, but of sound mind and memory, do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament, in manner and form as follows. Item it is my will and desire that all my just debts be paid my executor hereafter named. Item I give to my niece Francis [sic] B Lambeth [who two years later would marry her cousin, Margaret’s nephew Thomas H. Pitts], my negro woman Sarah and her child, to her and her heirs forever. Item I give to my nephew William M Lambeth [cousin “Willy” Lambeth from Kitty’s letter of 1828 and the brother of Frances], sixty dollars, to him and his heirs forever. Item the balance of my estate I leave to my friend Thomas Pitts [also her brother-in-law and father to Thomas H. Pitts] during his natural life, and at his death, I give the same to my niece Ann Pitts [about six years old at the time and oldest daughter of Thomas Pitts and sister to Thomas H. Pitts and my 2nd great grandfather George Richardson Pitts], to her and her heirs forever, but it is my will that my friend Thomas Pitts pay no interest upon it, whilst it is in his hands. I appoint my friend Thomas Pitts executor of this my last will and testament. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 25th day of November 1811.
Witness Margaret Richardson
George R Pitts [my second great grandfather]
Edward Parker
At an intervening court held for Essex County at Tappahannock on the 17th day of February 1812. This last will and Testament of Margaret Richardson dec’d, was brought into court by Thomas Pitts the executor therein named and on the motion of the said Thomas Pitts proved by the oath of George R Pitts one of the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be continued for further proof. Whereupon on the motion of the said Thomas Pitts a certificate was granted him in order to his obtaining probate of the said will. Pc [?] in due form, he having first taken the oath required by law, and entered into and acknowledged a bond payable to the sitting justices in a penalty and with security approved by the court and conditions as required by law, which said bond was ordered to be recorded. Teste John P Lee
At an intervening court held for Essex County at Tappahannock on the 13th day of June 1812, this last will and testament of Margaret Richardson dec’d, was further proved by the oath of Edward Parker the other subscribing witness thereto and ordered to be recorded. Teste John P. Lee
Although Margaret Richardson called Thomas Pitts her friend, he was also her brother-in-law, as shown in the petition of 1807 in section E. above. Thomas Pitts, in turn, called Margaret his friend in his own Last Will and Testament written nearly 30 years later in 1841 as follows: “Having given to my daughter Ann Pitts … nearly 600 dollars in money, which money was left to me by the will of my deceased friend Margaret Richardson … during my life and at my death to my said daughter Ann …”.
In the 1810 U.S. Census for Essex County, Virginia there are two females between 26 and 44 counted under Thomas Pitts. His wife Ann would have been about 39. It would make sense if Margaret, who never married and would have been about 43, was living with her sister and brother-in-law and would have formed an affinity for him to call him “friend” and her little niece Ann who would have been about 5 in 1810.
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