William Walker dec'd — Will Search
Result: Will not found online, but did exist — proved by 4 May 1786 deed recital. Testator died before May 1786; exact date unknown.
What Can Be Stated from Verified Records
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| William Walker (King William) | Devisee; grantor in 1786 deed |
| Kesiah | Wife of grantor William Walker |
| Moses Harris | Grantee, Hanover Co. |
| Other heirs | Unknown — not in online abstracts |
Sources Searched (No Will Located)
- USGenWeb Hanover wills (14 files) — no Walker will
- USGenWeb Hanover court abstracts (hanover.txt – hanover5.txt)
- Internet Archive / WMQ volumes
- FamilySearch wiki/catalog & digital library
- Virginia Memory / LVA Chancery index
- GenWeb queries, WikiTree, secondary trees
Strongest Lead — Cocke, Chancery Wills and Notes
William R. Cocke III, Hanover County Chancery Wills and Notes (1940; repr. Genealogical Publishing Co.) — Google Books indexes ~10 pages on "William Walker" with associated terms ELLETT, Harris, King William County.
Google Books — Cocke snippet search
FamilySearch Digital Library — Cocke book
Google Books — Cocke about page
Where the Will Likely Survives
| Priority | Record | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LVA microfilm — Hanover Court Records 1783–1792 (Deeds), Reel 2 | LVA CCMF VA119 |
| 2 | Cocke, Chancery Wills and Notes | FamilySearch |
| 3 | FamilySearch Hanover deeds microfilm (catalog 351124, 365146, 113991) | FamilySearch Hanover wiki |
| 4 | Virginia Memory Chancery — search Walker + Harris + Ellett + Stone Horse | LVA Chancery portal |
| 5 | Rosalie Edith Davis, Hanover County, Virginia Deeds, 1783–1792 | Google Books |
Record Loss Context
Most Hanover County court records were destroyed at the end of the Civil War. Surviving material is largely deed abstracts, chancery papers, and newspaper notices. That explains why the will is referenced in a deed but not found as a standalone online transcription.
Only two pre-1865 Hanover books survived: "Small Book" 1734–1735 and "Larger Book" 1780–1790.