[Continuing the testimony taken on the filing of William Carpenter's will, starting with the point where Catherine Proctor asked which slave John Carpenter was to have.]
"The deponent [Richard Burdyne] said it was not right to set the name of the slave for fear he should die before the estate was settled, on which Wm. Carpenter told him, the deponent, to set down a young slave without naming his name for his brother John Carpenter. Then Catherine Proctor spoke to Wm. Carpenter to know which slave John Carpenter was to have, Wm. seemed angry with her. After the will was wrote this deponent read the same to him. He said all was right and then sealed and signed it and declared it to be his last will and thereupon Floyd did sign as a witness. After the will was signed and witnessed, William told the deponent to set down Nicholas Yager and Andrew Garr his executors. William Carpenter did not publish again after the executors as named. Afterward William Carpenter asked what he must pay this deponent for his trouble, who told him if he pleased he might give him fifteen pence and thereupon Carpenter called for his purse which was brought to him by Cath. Proctor and looked (?) out the heaviest pistereen (as he thought) and asked the deponent if that would satisfy him, who answered yes and took the money. Carpenter made the letters W C himself. He does not remember who it was that wrote the names William Carpenter his mark. He did not see anyone have a pen and ink but Carpenter, John Floyd, and himself. The will was delivered to Catherine Procter without being enclosed or sealed up. John Floyd had been drinking but did not appear to be drunk, nor did he know it was usual for him to get drunk."
Richard Burdyne
The court also took testimony from John Floyd.
"John Floyd, aged 40 or thereabouts, saith he went with Richard Burdyne to William Carpenter's house where he found Carpenter in a dangerous condition, about whom he saw Catherine hanging, seeming to be very much concerned at Carpenter's condition. Some time after, he with several others were desired to go out of the room, which they did, leaving Catherine Proctor and Richd. Burdyne with him. Elizabeth, Carpenter's wife, was sometimes in and sometimes out but very seldom in the room. Some time after, he was called in again and was desired to sign a paper which he saw lying on the table before him. This deponent required Carpenter to tell him what it was and he refused to inform him about it saying it was no occasion to hear what was in it, upon which this deponent signed it with his own hand, after which he saw Catherine Proctor put the writing and a purse into a chest which she locked away and put the key into her pocket. At the same time Elizabeth the wife of Wm. Carpenter was some times in the room but was very seldom in the room. The mark with his name which is subscriber(d?) to the will produced is not the mark he usually makes use of. He does not know whether the paper produced was the same he signed. He had drunk cider at the house but was not drunk, neither does he use to get drunk. This deponent can't write.
John (X) Floyd
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.