I know that this is a little late to jump into this, but...

Another possibility might be a severe illness.  We have one ancestor who
served as County Clerk as well as being a member of the House of Burgesses.
He had beautiful handwriting.  But, he came down with some (still unnamed)
illness quite suddenly.  His will was signed with a mark rather than a
signature.

-----Original Message-----
From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Ron or Marilyn Lewis
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 3:53 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Use of mark on wills

Dear knowledgeable listers,
Need a little enlightenment please.  I received, from a cousin, a microfilm
copy of an ancestor's will, Madison Co. VA 1793 in which he leaves his
large collection of books to his sons yet the clerk has transcribed that he
signed his name with a mark and seal instead of using a signature.  Am I to
assume that the testator was illiterate and that his large collection of
books was simply a treasured and valuable asset?  Isn't this what one would
think rather than go looking for some medical reason the testator could not
sign?  Thanks for any thoughts.
Marilyn

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html