“I give to my good, affectionate, and faithful servant, Burwell, his
freedom and the sum of three hundred dollars to buy the necessaries to
commence his trade of painter and glazier, or to use otherwise as he
pleases. I give also to my good servants, John Hemings and Joe Fosset,
their freedom at the end of one year after my death, and to each of
them respectively, all of the tools of their respective shops or
callings, and it is my will that a comfortable log house be built for
each of the three servants so emancipated, on some part of my lands
convenient to them with respect to the residence of their wives, and
to Charlottesville and the University, where they will mostly be
employed.—I give the use of an acre of land to each during his life.—I
humbly and earnestly request of the legislature of Virginia a
confirmation of the bequest of freedom to these servants with
permission to remain in this State where their families and
connections are, as an additional instance of favor, of which I have
received so many manifestations in the course of my life, and for
which I now give them my last solemn and dutiful thanks.” (Two boys
were to receive their freedom upon coming of age.)