Last Will and Testament of Gen. George Washington.
Item #77268
WASHINGTON, George. The Last Will and Testament of Gen. George Washington. Boston: Printed for John Russell and Manning & Loring, 1800. 24pp. Disbound, housed in custom green morocco-backed slipcase, inner cloth chemise. Signature removed from head of title page, light scattered foxing, else a very good copy with bottom edge untrimmed. HOWES W-145. Evans 38991. The scarce Boston edition of George Washington's will, one of several printed in the same year as the Alexandria, Virginia, first edition. The first codicil bequeaths his estate to his wife, Martha. In the second codicil Washington provides for the emancipation of his slaves upon Martha's death. That same codicil also makes arrangements for the care of older and infirm freed slaves and for the education of the younger freed slaves. The rest of the will contains detailed arrangements for the dispersal of Washington's property to his relatives and friends, including Lafayette (a pair of steel pistols taken from the British during the Revolution), and his nephew, Bushrod Washington, who took possession of Washington's personal papers and library, among other items. The schedule of property gives a detailed accounting of Washington's real property holdings at the time of his death. The will reveals how wealthy Washington was, with a value at the time of over a million dollars, making him one of the richest men in the country. Editions of the will printed in the year after Washington's death are scarce on the market.
Price: $6,500.00