This is the beginning of the will of Samuel Downey.  The will was written 2 January 1773 and proven 17 August of the same year in Augusta County, Virginia.  The closeness of dates and the wording at the beginning of the will indicate that Samuel knew he was ailing and, thus, prepared his will.  Samuel bequeaths to his "loving wife" his "house biblle her sadle mare and sadle and a feather bed & furniture & spinning wheel & all her cloaths."  He also gives her two parts of his personal estate.  He gives the 500 acres on which he was living equally to his sons William and Samuel, but states that his wife will have the land during her lifetime.  And he named his loving wife as one of his executors of his estate.  In recording the will, the wife's name is given as Martha Downey.

Samuel Downey & his wife Martha are another set of my 5th-great grandparents. 

In addition to their sons William and Samuel, the will mentions daughters Margaret, Mary Ann, Janet, Rebeca, and Rachel (although not in that order). 

Their daughter Rachel was married in 1779 to John Willson, whose son Samuel Willson married Phoebe Tate in 1809, whose son Robert Tate Willson married Eliza Jane Ingles in 1843, whose daughter Ida Willson married Joseph Fultz in 1887, whose daughter Janet Fultz married John Alexander in 1913.  Janet & John's son Jack was my Dad.

Here are the other two pages of the will found in Augusta County Will Book #5 located on microfilm at  the Library of Virginia.