Edward and Mary Rice were very early settlers in Goochland County, Virginia. They helped found the Episcopal Church there and served in various Church posts in those early days. In his Will, Edward Rice names his two sons, Charles and Edward Jr., his wife Mary, two grandsons William and Josias Baker and one granddaughter, Susannah Smith. We have assumed that Clayborne Rice is another son but this is not verified so far. The date of Clayborne's marriage to Suzanna Walton in 1740 would seem to place him in that generation with Charles and Edward Jr. rather than the next gereration. Judith is the only one to marry a Smith as early as 1759. There was a Sally who married Edward Smith in 1762 but we have assigned her to the family as the daughter of Charles and Mary Holman Rice. These are only assumptions, however, and await solid verification. -William E. Ward
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Member of the Episcopalian Church in Goochland County, Virginia. He signed his Will 01 MAY 1769 and it was published and recorded 15 OCT 1770; so his death occurred sometime between those two dates. There were only two Charles Rice's in Goochland C ounty and the second was the son of the first and grandson of Edward Rice. We do know from the Rice Family History that one branch of that illlustrious family left New England and re-settled in Virginia but, as yet, we do not know which one. Our re search continues. _William E. Ward
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Will of Edward Rice Sr Goochland County, Virginia Transcribed by William E. Ward
The Edward Rice will was written 1 May 1769 and probated in Goochland County, Virginia Deed Book 10, page 67-68 in 1770.
In the Name of Amen I Edward Rice Sen. of Goochland County being in perfect Sense & Memory do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner following, Viz. First I give my soul to Almighty god & my body to the Dust from whence it came to be buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter _____ Named & as for what worldly Estate the Lord has been pleased to bless me with I give and dispose of as follows. First I Desire that all that part or parcel of Land that my son Eward(sic) ____, from ____ then Spring Branch up to W. Zachariah Hadens Line may be sold to Discharge
(end of page, the will continues on the following page of the book)
discharge all my just Debts. Next I desire that my beloved Wife Mary have & possess the other part or parcel of my Land with the plantation Containing by Estimation One hundred Acres be the same more or less Dureing(sic) her Natural Life & after her decease I give it to my Two Grandsons William & Josias Baker to them & their heirs for Ever. I Likewise Lend all the Remainder of my Estate to my beloved wife Mary Dure ing(sic) her Life and at her Decease to be Equally Divided Amongst all my Children Except five pounds worth I desire my wife may make out to my Grandaughter(sic) Susannah Smith in any of the goods She may think most proper to dispose of to that amount or as much under as my wife thinks fit. And Lastly I do apoint(sic) my two sons Charles & Edward Rice Executors of this my Last Will & Testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Affixed my Seal this first Day of May One thousand Seven hundred & Sixty Nine.
Edw. Rice Seal Test Benj Harrison Julias Sanders David Wade
At a Court held for Goochland County, October the 15th 1770. Benjamin Harrison and Julias Sanders proved this writing to be the last Will & Testament of Edward Rice dec’d which was hereunder admitted to Record.
Teste. Val Wood ____
Transcription notes – This transcription is as true to the original document as a keyboard will allow. All odd capitalizations, incorrect punctuation and misspellings have been left uncorrected. It is interesting to note that the clerk, Val (Valentine) Wood uses an ampersand instead of spelling out the word “and”, yet in the documents before and after he spells out the word “and.” Also note the witness Benj Harrison has a lowercase “a” with a symbol before it just after “Benj ” The keyboard cannot duplicate this. Go to the MEDIA section below to see a copy of the original will. Val Wood’s signature has fancy scrolling connecting his first and last name. Here it has been separated. We know this to be Valentine Wood son of Henry Wood who… “…was one of the earliest patentee’s of land within the present limits of Albemarle County… …His son Valentine became a resident of the county, and was appointed one of it’s magistrates in 1746. When his father died in 1757, he returned to Goochland, and succeeded him (Henry Wood) in the Clerk’s office…” –“Albemarle County in Virginia:Giving Some Account of what it was by Nature” Edgar Wood 1901, original in Harvard University; Digitized by Google 12 September2006; ht tp://books.google.com/books?id=oX3hxtr5L24C&pg=PA347&dq=Lucy+Rice+Wood&as_brr=1#PPA347,M1
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Marriage Bonds in Goochland County William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2. (Oct., 1898), pp. 98-106.
Page 98. January 18, 1749. Clayborne Rice to Susanna Walton; sec., John Martin; witn., Henry Wood; certificate of consent from Edward Rice , father of Clayborne; witn., Charles Bellew, Wm. Hix.
KINDRED TAPESTRY
