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WASHINGTON, George. The Will of General George Washington: To Which is Added, A Sketch of his Property, directed to be Sold. Alexandria: Printed from the Records of the County Court of Fairfax,1800.
16mo, 32pp. (slight browning, pale dampstains). Original gray-blue wrappers (rubbed).
FIRST EDITION. George Washington prepared his will alone without as he said any “professional character” being "consulted”. He dated the will, the “ninth day of July” in 1799. Six months later, on the day that he died, he instructed Mrs. Washington to destroy an earlier will. His executors presented this new will (current lot) for probate within a month on January 10, 1800 to the Fairfax County Court, in whose custody it remains. A few days thereafter the will was printed in Alexandria and circulated throughout the country in pamphlet form. The lucid and powerful prose of the text of the will displays at its best the distinctive style of writing that Washington had developed through the years. Most notable of the will’s provisions are the instructions that he gave for freeing his slaves and for the support thereafter of the helpless children and the old and infirm among them. It was not until 1810 that the appraisers filed their report in the office of the clerk of the Fairfax County Court. The executors held public sales of some of the livestock at Mount Vernon before Martha Washington’s death in 1802 and continued selling the remainder of the listed property. Final settlement of the estate was not achieved until 21 June 1847. Evans 39000
16mo, 32pp. (slight browning, pale dampstains). Original gray-blue wrappers (rubbed).
FIRST EDITION. George Washington prepared his will alone without as he said any “professional character” being "consulted”. He dated the will, the “ninth day of July” in 1799. Six months later, on the day that he died, he instructed Mrs. Washington to destroy an earlier will. His executors presented this new will (current lot) for probate within a month on January 10, 1800 to the Fairfax County Court, in whose custody it remains. A few days thereafter the will was printed in Alexandria and circulated throughout the country in pamphlet form. The lucid and powerful prose of the text of the will displays at its best the distinctive style of writing that Washington had developed through the years. Most notable of the will’s provisions are the instructions that he gave for freeing his slaves and for the support thereafter of the helpless children and the old and infirm among them. It was not until 1810 that the appraisers filed their report in the office of the clerk of the Fairfax County Court. The executors held public sales of some of the livestock at Mount Vernon before Martha Washington’s death in 1802 and continued selling the remainder of the listed property. Final settlement of the estate was not achieved until 21 June 1847. Evans 39000