February 15, 2011 Richard Walden Will

Image by Universal Pops (now returning late February) via Flickr

I have been researching the Walden Family that married into the Ward family of Pittsylvania County.  As you know,  there was John Ward, his son William Ward and William had a son John.  This John married Tabitha Walden.  Today at the Tennesse Archives I found an abstract of the will belonging to Richard Walden.
at Abstracts of Pittsylvania County, Virginia Wills, 1767-1820  Compiled by Lela C. Adams, Virginia Bassett
page 75

Page 185-186
February 10, 1790
Probate:  July 19, 1790

Last Will and Testament  for Richard Walden
To my well beloved wife Candace, the house and plantation where I now live during her widowhood and negros; Cupit, Lucy and Hannah, beds and furntiure.  Also cattle.
To my son Charles Walden, the land where I now live and negro: Cupit; a desk, bed and furniture and mare.
To my son John, the lower tract of land where he formerly lived and negro Robin.
My cross cut saw and carpenters tools to sons Richard and Charles.
To my daughter Lucy Hudson, negros Judah and Jenny.
To my duaghter Mary Whitworth, negro Winney and a bed and furniture.
To my daughter Milley, negro Dinah and her daughter Dinah, a bed and furniture, chest, table, chairs and a trunk.
To my daughter Mourning Walden, a negro Betty and her daughter Sarah, a bed and furniture, chest, chairs, table and a trunk.
To my daughter Fanny Bobitt, a negro Hannah, a bed and furniture, and at her mothers death, her equal part.
My son Richard's negro to be given up at years end after my death, Also John Walden, Lucy Hudson and Mary Whitworth's.
Should either of my daughters Milley or Mourning die without issue, the negro Betty to return to my son Richard, and her daughter Sarah to go to Candice Barber.
If my daughter Milley die without issue, negro Dinah to go to Lucy Hudson and negro Dinah, jr, to my grand daughter Milley Whitworth.
To my daughters Milley and Mourning, 6 head of cattle each.
To my daughter Elizabeth Ballard, a cow and a calf.
To my wife, Candace, my wagon, horses and gears and at her decease the horses to be divided between my three sons: John, Richard and Charles.
Appoint my sons Richard and Charles Walden, executors

Richard Walden
Witnesses:  Ralph Smith, Booker Smith
William Ward and Booker Smith security for executors.

This is only an abstract of the will, but it seems that he did not have a huge estate, but he could have sold property before he died.
By this will we know the following:
His Wife's name is Candace.
His three sons are John, Richard and Charles.
Charles received his plantation in Pittsylvania and John received some land.  I don't know yet, but it is probable that Richard may have received property from his father earlier.  When naming their children the first born son was usually named after the grandfather, then the second was named after the father.

His daughters are:
Lucy Hudson
Mary Whitworth
Milley
Mourning Walden
Fanny Bobitt
Elizabeth Ballard

Grand daughter
Milley Whitworth

And there is also a mention of a Candice Barber.  Where she fits into the story I do not know as of yet.

Virginia Cavalcade - Spring 1971 - Courthouses of Halifax and Pittsylvania Counties - That "Wonderful Solace": Virginia Tobacco and the Civil War
Thirteen-month crop: One year in the life of a Piedmont Virginia tobacco farm