Source identification
Orange County, Virginia, Will Book 5. William Acre's will was written June 24, 1815 and recorded June 28, 1819. The accompanying estate material includes an inventory and appraisal.
The will names William's wife Betsy and heirs including Robert, Reuben, Nancy Amos, Frankey Acre, Jane Acre, Polly Acre, Lucy Acre, James Acre, and the children of deceased Betsy Morris, wife of Thomas Morris. The estate inventory names enslaved people Ailse, Ben, Rachel, Peter, Winny, and Kitt.
Research significance: Frances Acra later stated in Boone County that she, Polly, and Jane had acquired enslaved people at their father's sale in Virginia. The William Acre estate is the first primary source to identify the father and independently reproduce names including Ailse and Rachel. The sale and settlement are still being sought, so the precise transfer sequence remains under investigation.
Project citation
Orange County, Virginia, Will Book 5, William Acre will and estate records, pp. 287–288 and 324–325. Research copies supplied to the Hamilton UGRR project by Hillary Delaney, Archive and History Center, Boone County Public Library, September 2026.