The "Deed" Post Two

An excerpt from the transcription of the "Deed":

To all to whom those profit shall come. I Francis Nicholson Esq. his maj. (ty) Liet. & Governor & General of Virginia Lend Greetings whereas his late [majesty] King Charles the second hath been Graciously pleased by his Loyal [Letters] [Patents] under the great seal of England. [beginning] date at Westminster on the tenth day of October in ye eighth and twentieth years of his reign [amongst] other things in ye said Letters patents [contained to continue & confirm] the power & privilege of granting to the Inhabitants of this Colony & Dominion all lands that have Escheated or that shall Escheat to his said majesty his heirs or successors. And whereas  two certain tracts of Land Lyeing & going in ye County of Henrico. One tract thereof called Curles formerly Long Field. The other called the [Slashes] and containing Twelve  hundred and thirty acres be ye same more or less with contains Marshes Swamps & low grounds thereunto belonging and adjoyning lots in the [Service] & Inheritance of Nathaniel Bacon Junior Esq. deed. Is found to Escheat to his most Sacred Majesty from the said Bacon by the Attender of ye said Nathaniel junior & of high treason as by an Inquisition recorded in the [Secretaries] office under the hand and seales of William Randolph Escheat[ed] [of] the said County and [?] [?] [?] [?] him for that purpose [dated] the twenty-firt[st] day of July 1698.

Any [appear]. For which said Land William Randolph of the said County of Henrico [Gent].. hath paid unto his majesties Auditors & receiver General of his [Revenues] in Virginia, the [Valuable]  [Confederation] of One hundred & fifty pounds Sterl. Know yee therefore that I the said Francis Nicholson [Esq.] Governor [& do] with the [Advice] and [Consent] of the [Councill] of State Accordingly give and Grant unto the said William Randolph Twelve Hundred and thirty acres of Land called Curles formerly Long Field, And the [Slashes][ as aforesaid with the Marshes, Swamps, & low grounds thereunto belonging & adjoining [& going] in [the sd] County of Henrico. And [bounded] as followeth (to west) Four hundred & eighty acres thereof called Curles formerly Long Field being party [of] [a patent] granted to Thomas Harris by sir John Harvey [Lt.] Governor esq. dated [?] 25 February 1638. With Swamp and Marsh beginning at a Little Creek over against the Land of Capt. Martin [bounded] Northward on the back side of a Swamp. [East South East] into the woods towards Bremo with marked trees. [West] North West Of the James River. And South South [west] upon ye [head] with marked trees also; And one other tract of [ye sd.] Land being wood=land and commonly called the [slashes] containing Seven hundred & fifty acres lyeing on the poplar Brook [on ye] [heads] of the Land formerly in possession of Capt. Daniel [Lewellain] and beginning at ye Corner [tree of] ye said Land running East along the [heads] thereof to [Mawbourne] hills three hundred & twenty [perches] North by [East] into the woods three hundred & twenty [perches]. [West] by North on the head three hundred and thirty Eight perches. South to the place where it began with all Rights...

William I Bequeathed Curles to his son, Henry, who left the land to his brother Richard, who later became known as Richard of Curles. Here's a passage from his Will that provides us with a glimpse of the fortune the land yielded to the family:

I Richard Randolph of Curles in the County of Henrico being of sound and [disproving] Sense and Memory do make [conf?] & appoint this my last Will and Testament in manner & Form following (third line from the top on the right said of the page blurred out). In the first place I give to my wife Jane during her Natural Life / in Lieu of all her Dower in my Estate/ the use of my land and Plantation called Curls. I also give my said wife during her Natural Life the use of thirty three Slaves hereafter mentioned [(to wit)] Betty, [Hale], Phillis, Jenny, Isbel, Matt, Joan, Cloe, Dinah, Roady, Nelly, James, Ned, Bob, Sam, [Ebo-Henry]. Ampe, Mingo, [Titus], Philip, George, York, Senica, Warwick, Ben, [Bounwhear], Sue, Hannibal, Isaac, Jacob, Jenny, the son of Bob, [Gambia] and [Jemmy or Jenny] the Son of Jemmy. I give to my said wife all my Stocks of Cattle, Sheeps, Hogs, Horses & Mares which belong to my said Plantation at Curls, with my Coach Chaise & [ Hanne?] & all my Plate & Furniture of my House at Curls, [Husting]  to her prudence and [Justice] in disproving & [dividing] the same amongst my dour Sons Richard, Brett, Ryland & John in such manner & at such times as my said Wife shall think fit. And in Case my said Wife shall not be able to raise

[Provisions] Sufficient for the support of the Family which she shall keep at Curls then I order and [Demand] that she shall be supplied with what Provisions She shall have Occasion of from any other Plantation in the same manner as my House is now supported from any said Plantation without being Accountable for the same....

Check back next week for some fashion history and Governor Alexander Spotswood's connection to the Randolph family.