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acres, more or less; and also of one other tract or whereof Jois seised, parcel of land, called Curawaok, containing by esti-seph Bridger mation, seven thousand eight hundred acres, both the docked. said tracts or parcels of land, being situate in the parish of Newport, in the county of Isle of Wight, aforesaid, and so being seised, made his last will and testament in writing, bearing date the third day of August, one thousand six hundred and eighty three, and a codicil to his said will, dated the eighteenth day of October next following, whereby, amongst other things, he gave one half of his plantation of Curawaok, being seven thousand eight hundred acres, to his son Samuel Bridger, for life, remainder to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten: He likewise gave other lands to his son William Bridger, in tail, and then directed, that if either of his sons, Samuel or William, died before they obtained the age of twenty years, and without heirs lawfully begotten of their bodies, then all the lands given as aforesaid, he gave unto the survivor of them for life, remainder to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten; and that it should not go to their elder brother Joseph, but through default of such heirs, and then to him only for life, remainder to the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten. And whereas the said Joseph Bridger, after making his said last will and testament, by his said codicil reciting, that after making his said will, he found his son Joseph Bridger fly out into divers dissolute courses of life, and that he was grown disobedient to him, and that he might not be guilty, by giving him an estate, as an encouragement to continue in his wicked way of living, he did thereby revoke and disanul all and every part of the legacies given him in the will aforesaid, both of lands and personal estate; and did give the said seventeen hundred acres of land, called White Marsh, by the description of the lands and housing where he then dwelt; and the eight hundred and fifty acres of land, formerly belonging to Captain Upton, and the three hundred acres formerly belonging to Mr. Seward, on which Mr. Izard, Old Philip, and William Lewis lived, with all the tenements and whatever thereto belonged, after his wife's decease, to his son Samuel Bridger, for life, remainder to the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten; remainder to his son William Bridger, for life; remainder to the heirs male of his body lawfully G G G-Vol. 6.

begotten; and for the other half of the land of Curawoak, given to his son Joseph, he did thereby revoke the said gift, and give it to his son William for life, remainder to the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, remainder to his son Samuel for life, remainder to the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten: He did also by his said codicil, give his said son Joseph, two thousand pounds of tobacco and cask, yearly, during his life; and declared that that was in full for what he intended he should have thereby, revoking all gifts and grants to him of any lands or personal estate whatsoever. After making which said will and codicil the said Joseph Bridger the testator, departed this life scised of the said lands as aforesaid; after whose death the said Samuel Bridger entered into, and was seised of the said seventeen hundred acres of land, called White Marsh, and also the half of the lands called Curawoak, devised to him as aforesaid, and died so scised, without issue, after whose death William Bridger entered into, and was seised of the said lands as next in remainder, and also of the other half of the said Curawoak lands, as devisd under the will of the said Joseph Bridger, and died so seised, leaving issue at the time of his death, William and James his sons; which said William the son, after the death of his father entered into and was seised of the said lands called White Marsh, and Curawoak, and died so seised, leaving issue Joseph Bridger, his only son and heir, who entered into and is now seised thereof. And whereas the said Joseph Bridger, the great grand-son of the said Joseph Bridger the donor, is possessed of but a very small number of slaves, which are not sufficient to cultivate and improve either of the said tracts or parcels of land, and without which the same will be unprofitable and chargeable to him and his posterity, and the said Joseph Bridger, the great grand son, is desirous to dock the intail of the said tract of land called Curawaok, which is very mean, and to sell the same in fee-simple, and lay out the money arising by such sale in slaves to be annexed to the said land called White Marsh, which is very good, and capable of being greatly improved, which will be to the advantage of the said Joseph Bridger the great grand son, and those claiming in remainder and reversion, under the will of the said Joseph Bridger the testator. And forasmuch as notice hath been

published in the several churches of the said parish of Newport, that application would be made to this General Assembly to dock the intail of the said seven thousand eight hundred acres of land, called Curawaok, and to sell the same in fee-simple, and lay out the money arising by the sale of the said land in slaves, to be annexed to the said land called White Marsh, to the same uses, pursuant to your majesty's instructions; and James Bridger, gentleman, the next in remainder, in case of failure of issue of the said Joseph Bridger, the great grand son, being willing that the same should be done.

II. May it therefore please your most excellent majesty, at the humble suit of the said Joseph Bridger, that it may be enacted, and Be it enacted, by the Lientenant Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this act, it shall and may be lawful, to and for the said Joseph Bridger, the great grandson, and in case of his death, his executors and administrators, and he and they are hereby severally impowered to sell to any person or persons who shall be willing to purchase the said seven thousand eight hundred acres of land called Curawaok, and make and execute all deeds and conveyances necessary in law for assuring unto the purchaser or purchasers, a good title in feesimple in the lands so to be purchased; and such purchaser or purchasers, by virtue of such deeds and conveyances, and of this act, shall for ever thereafter peaceably and quietly hold and enjoy the said lands, so purchased, to them and their heirs for ever, but the consideration money shall be paid, by such purchaser or purchasers, to Robert Burwell, Etheldred Taylor, Joseph Gray, Richard Baker, and Benjamin Cocke, gentlemen, in trust, and shall be by them, or the greater part of them, laid out in purchasing young negroes, or other slaves, of which one third at least shall be female and shall cause the names of all the said slaves to be recorded in the court of the said county of Isle of Wight; and after such slaves shall be purchased, the same, and their increase shall be, and are hereby annexed to the said tract or parcel of land, called White Marsh, and therewith, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, shall pass, descend, and go to the person and persons, to whom the said tract or parcel of land shall descend.

III. Provided, That the said slaves so annexed to the said land and their increase, shall not be liable to be taken in execution, and sold for the satisfying and paying the debts of the said Joseph Bridger, the great grandson, or any other person, who shall be tenant in tail of the said land, otherwise than the said land, before the passing of this act was liable.

IV. Saving to the king's most excellent majesty, his heirs and successors, and to all and every other person or persons, other than the person or persons claiming the lands herein before mentioned, under the said will and codicil, all such right, title, interest, claim, and demand, as they, or any of them, should, or might have had or claimed, if this act had never been made.

V. Provided, That the execution of this act shall be suspended until his majesty's assent thereto shall be obtained.

GEORGII 11,

Regis Magne Britanniæ, Franciæ, et
Hiberniæ, vicesimo octavo.

Robert Din

Governor.

At a General Assembly, begun and held at the College in the City of Williamsburg, widdie, esq. on Thursday the twenty seventh day of Gov February, in the twenty fifth year of the reign of our sovereign lord, George II. by the grace of God, of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, &c. and in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and fifty two. And from thence continued by several prorogations, to Thursday the first day of May, in the twenty-eighth year of his majesty's reign, and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty five, and then held at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg; being the sixth session of this Assembly.

CHAP. I.

An Act for raising the sum of six thousand pounds, by a Lottery, for the further protection of his majesty's subjects, against the insults and incroachments of the French.

I. WHEREAS it is found necessary that a sum of money should be raised, for the further protection of Preamble:

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