John Philip Brock of Germany & Hanover County, Virginia

Many records of Hanover County, Virginia were destroyed by fire during the Civil War. Therefore wills are difficult to locate for the time period before 1865. I did find a copy of John P. Brock's will amongst the papers of his grandson, Robert Alonzo Brock. Robert was Secretary of the Virginia Historical Society and amassed the largest personal collection of Virginia-related documents know to exist. After Robert's death, the papers were auctioned off and purchased by the Huntington Library in California. I found a photocopy of John P. Brock's will on file at the Library of Virginia. However, further reproductions were restricted since Huntington owns the rights.

John's will states that he was a resident of Hanover County and was "at present in my usual health and [of] perfect mind and memory." He asked that his body be decently buried and that all of his just debts be paid. John then made a provision for his three under-age sons named Philip Stafford, William and Ro. King Brock, at his own death or at the time they turned twenty-one, should each be paid $20 to be equal with his other children. If John died before any of his children were twenty-one, he order that all livestock, household and kitchen furniture be sold for their upkeep and all of the slaves [should be rented out]. After all of the children reached twenty-one, all of the land and slaves were to be sold and the money split amongst his children, namely his sons Jno. C., Henry, Philip Stafford, William and Ro. King Brock and his daughters Nancy Gilman and Catharine Willis. Jno. C. and Henry Brock were left in charge of their sister's inheritances. They were instructed that if a daughter died without heir, the money reverted to the other children. Their husbands, M. Gilman and Jessee Willis, were to have no control or access to the Brock girl's inheritances. As a special bequest, Catharine Willis was to receive a slave girl named Eliza as part of her inheritance. John named his sons Jno. C. and Henry Brock as his executors. The will was signed and dated January 23, 1817 and bore the signature of "John P. Brock." Susannah, Susannah S. and Peter W. Littlepage were John's witnesses. The will was probated on November 26, 1823 in Hanover County. Jno C. and Henry Brock were named executors with Susannah Littlepage and Susannah S. Durham (nee Littlepage) giving their oaths.

John's estate in Hanover County was known as "Brock Spring" and still exists to date on Old Telegraph Road. There is a family cemetery, with rights retained by the family. I have not been to the site but it supposedly has graves for Rose Arlington Brock Tomlinson, Asbury Watson Brock, Martha Ann Carter Brock, Edward Watson Brock, William Synton Brock, John Christian Brock, Lucy G. Wingfield Brock, Wesley M. Brock, Jane Eliza Tinsley Brock, John P. Brock, John Philip Brock and Elizabeth King Brock. Most of the graves are unmarked.