John Saunders.  Son Thomas. son Joseph.  Son Jacob.  Son Henry. Son John. Dau Sarah Dunston. Extrs wife Elizabeth & sons John Sanders (note spelling change).  D 2/3/1772. R 5/7/1772. Wit Jethro Gale, Robert Sanders, Ann Sanders.

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In the name of God, Amen, I, John Sanders of Isle of Wight County and parish of Newport in the twelfth of his majesty's reign and in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy two, being weak in body but, thanks be to God, of sound sense and perfect memory, do make this my last will and testament in manner and form as followeth

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I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Sanders one hundred and twenty-five acres of land, more or less, bounded as followeth, beginning at the foot of the Dam Branch, so up the said branch to the ridge path, up the said path to a Tarhill (?)  bed that Robert burnt (?), from thence a straight line to my head line, so continuing all the land between there and the line called John Sellaway's, so down to the first station—during his natural life and after his death, my will and desire is that the said land should return to my son Joseph Sanders
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I give and bequeath unto my son Jacob Sanders a parcel of land, to him and his heirs forever, beginning at the foot of the Dam branch, and running up the said branch as Thomas Sanders' line goes to the head line, and so along my line to a crooked pine, a corner tree joining on Godwin's line, and so along Godwin's line to the run of the Swamp and down the said Swamp as the run goes to the foot of the home branch and up the said branch to the first station, concluding all the land that contains within the said bounds, being the plantation whereon I now live.
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I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Sanders all my new patented land that is called Alens (?), to him and his heirs forever, being one hundred acres more or less.
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I give and bequeath unto my son Henry Sanders and his heirs forever a parcel of land lying on the south side of Swamp, beginning at the forked branch and running up the said branch to the head, that is to say the middle prong of it, and from thence a straight course to Godwin's corner, and so concluding all my land between thence and Richard Sellaway's old plantation he last lived on.
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I give and bequeath unto my son John Sanders and his heirs forever all the remainder of my land which I have not already given, lying on the south side of the Swamp between Henry Sanders and the land called Godwin's.
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I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Dunston a gold ring.
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I give and bequeath unto my son John Sanders one feather bed and furniture and my hunting gun.
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I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Sanders one feather bed and furniture and one gun called his own.
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I give and bequeath unto my son Jacob one feather bed and furniture and one pair of hard mill stones.
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I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Elizabeth Sanders one feather and furniture, her choice of two iron pots, one brass kettle, three pewter dishes, the best six pewter plates, one spinning wheel and two pairs of cards, two mares and two saddles, and all my hogs, called the ridge hogs, that is nine pigs and two sows, three cattle known by the name of the Old Red Cow and the Bell Cow, and the heifer that belongs to the Bell Cow, four head of sheep of her choice, one seal skin trunk, three pewter basins, and all my corn that is in the crib and my bacon and other meat that is salted up, six flag chairs, the best I have, also I give my wife one small mottle-faced steer, one meat heifer, also I give her one large table and gilt trunk, and after my wife is deceased my will and desire is that my son Joseph Sanders should have the table and trunk and one box iron and heat iron, one large looking glass, thirteen geese, and my jungle fowls, and all my hoes and axes.
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I give unto my son John one young calf, one slate, one stone pitcher, one small iron pot.
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I give unto my son Joseph Sanders one pair of Neelyard (?) and all my hogs that (?) at the (?) Swamp.
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I give unto my son Jacob Sanders one iron gun rod and all my hogs that (?) at the Hickory and all my cider casks.
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I give unto my son Thomas Sanders five shillings.
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I give unto my son Henry Sanders five shillings.
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I give unto my three sons John Sanders, Joseph Sanders, and Jacob Sanders the remainder part of my estate that I have not already mentioned to be equally divided between the three.  I also appoint my loving wife Elizabeth and my son John Sanders to be my whole and sole (Extrs?) of this my last will and testament.  In witness I have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal this third day of February, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-two.

Witnesses
Jethro Gale
Robert Sanders
Anne Sanders
 
(Signed)
John Sanders (his mark)

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Notes:
1. Transcribed from copy, some words are difficult to read. A ? is placed where the text is unreadable.

2. Source: Gary B Sanders Homepage (source of much info on the early Sanders/Saunders families)