Last Will and Testament
Alice Macgill Drewry (1840 - 1926)
Wife of Samuel Davies Drewry
Chesterfield County, Va.

In the name of God amen: I, Alice Macgill Drewry, of Chesterfield County, in the State of Virginia, do declare this to be my last will and testament; hereby revoking all former wills and testaments made by me.

After the payment of my just debts and funeral expenses I give, devise and bequeath all my property of every kind and wheresoever situated as follows:

Item 1: I give, devise and bequeath my country house, called Mineola, in Chesterfield County, in the State of Virginia, and all my tangible personal property of every kind there in or used or possessed in connection therewith, together with all the lands, including all improvement thereon, attached thereto, and all my tangible personal property of every kind, on or used or possessed, in connection with said lands, unto my three unmarried children that is to say, Charles Macgill Drewry, Madge Macgill Drewry and Agnes Hairston Drewry, and to the survivors or survivor of them, or to such of them, or such one of them, as may remain unmarried or to such of them, or such one of them, as shall refrain from leasing or attempting to lease, selling or attempting to sell, or otherwise aliening, or attempting to alien, the property mentioned in this item of my will, and every part, or part thereof, without the written consent of all my children then living to have and to hold the same until they, my said then unmarried children, shall respectively die, or marry, or lease, or attempt to lease, sell or attempt to sell, or otherwise alien or attempt to alien said property, or some part, or parts thereof, without the written consent of all my children then living, whichever event shall first happen: it being further my intent that involuntary alienation of said property, or any part or parts thereof shall be attended with the same legal consequences under this will as the voluntary alienation thereof said, devise and bequeath, howsoever, is made subject to the following express provision:

So long as any one of my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned shall live and remain unmarried and refrain from leasing, or attempting to lease, selling or attempting to sell, or otherwise aliening or attempting to alien said property and every part or parts thereof without the written consent of all my children then living, I give, devise, and bequeath to my other children, that is to say, Cooper Rosenberg Drewry, Minnie Drewry Bertrand, Alice Drewry Ogden, and Ellen Swan Drewry Deford, the right so often, and so long as they please, together with their respective wives and husbands, and their respective children, to occupy and reside in my said Country house with my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned, or such of them as may at the time be entitled to said property.

And I do hereby make said right upon the part of my other children together with their respective husbands or wives, and children, to so occupy and reside in said residence a charge upon said residence and all the lands attached thereto. It is also my will, however, that if any one of said children of said other children shall marry said right shall thereupon immediately cease as to him or her, and it is likewise my will that in the event that the estate of any one of my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned in the property mentioned in this item of my will, shall be terminated by marriage, he or she shall, never the less, as to the right to occupy, and reside in, said residence, stand upon the same footing in every respect as my said children, other than my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned. Said devise and bequeath to my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned is made subject to the following express condition, also: (a breach of which as between said three children is to have the same effect, as the death or marriage of, or a lease or an attempt to lease, a sale or an attempt to sell, or other alienation, or attempt at alienation by, any one of said three children without the written consent of all my children then living would have as hereinbefore provided) that is to say, that no one of said three children, without the consent of the rest of said children, at the time entitled to the property mentioned in this item of my will shall introduce any radically novel feature into the management and conduct of the establishment maintained in said residence as now maintained, and also subject to the following further express condition: (a breach of which shall as between my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned and my said other children have the same effect and consequences as the termination by death, marriage, or a lease, or an attempt to lease, or sale or an attempt to sell, or other alienation or attempt to alienate without the written consent of all my children then living of the estate of all my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned in said property mentioned in this item of my will as provided in item 2 of this will) that is to say that no one of said three children, without the written consent of all my children then living, shall make any radical change or changes, modification or modifications in said property, or in any part, or parts thereof, as now constituted and used or enjoyed but no restriction any where contained in this instrument is to be taken as denying to my said three children, hereinbefore first mentioned, or to such of them as may be entitled at the time to the property mentioned in this item of my will, so long as the estates hereinbefore confirmed upon them last, the right in their discretion, to make such changes, or repairs in, or to any of said property as may be necessitated by the ordinary course and results of household, or family use, or agricultural operations, or the right to use, or enjoy any of the personal property mentioned in this item of my will in the same manner in which such property is ordinarily used or enjoyed by tenants for life.

My leading object in making the testamentary provisions contained in this item is to provide under what I believe to be reasonable and just conditions, a common home for my said three unmarried children, and my said other children and their families, so far as my said other children may choose to avail themselves of the privilege and so far as practicable for the time hereinbefore limited to keep everything at my said residence or appurtenent to the use and enjoyment thereof, as it now is, it being my hope that each one of my children and the members of their families will so far respect the memory of my husband and myself as to faithfully endeavor to live up to not only the letter, but the spirit of the principal intent that has inspired this item in my will.

Item 2: Upon termination by death, marriage or alienation, or attempted alienation without the consent of all my children then living as hereinbefore provided for, of the estates of all my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned in the property mentioned in item No. 1 of this will. I do hereby give and bequeath said property to all my children then living, share and share alike as tenants in common, absolutely; the descendants of any child, or children of mine then deceased taking per stirpes and not per capita the share, or share to which the parent, or parents, if living would have been entitled. It is my will never the less and all the preceding provisions of this instrument are to be construed in harmony therewith that at anytime before the termination by death, marriage or alienation, or attempted alienation, as hereinbefore provided for, of the estate of all my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned in said property in item No 1 of this will mentioned, the, or such of them, or such one of them, as may feel the time being, be entitled to said property, may with the consent and joinder of all my children then living lease, sell convey, absolutely in fee simple, alien or otherwise dispose of all or any part or parts, of the property mentioned in this item of my will: the proceeds of sale in case of sale to be divided, share and share alike as if the estates of my said three children first hereinbefore mentioned, hereinbefore conferred by Item No 1. If this will had come to an end, between all my children then living as their absolute property, the descendants of any child or children of mine then deceased taking per stirpes and not per capita the share or shares of said proceeds to which the parent or parents, if living would have been entitled.

Item 3: All the residue of my property of every kind and wheresoever situated I give, devise and bequeath unto my children living at the time of my death share and share alike, as tenants in common absolutely: the descendants of any deceased child or children of mine dying before I do taking per stirpes and not per capita, the share or shares to which the parent or parents, if living would have been entitled.

Item 4: I appoint my sons Charles Macgill Drewry and Cooper Rosenberg Drewry to be the executors of this will. I further direct that they shall not be required to give bond.

As witness my hand and seal hereunto set this 26th day of September in the year Nineteen Hundred and Seven.
Sentence interlined and word "not" inserted in my own hand writing in item four before signing and sealing.

Alice Macgill Drewry