Richard Gregory
Oct. 7, 1758 - Dec. Court 1758

In the Name of God, Amen.

I Rich^d GREGORY of Currituck County Planter in the Colony of North Carolina Being Very Sick & week in Body but of Sound and Perfect memory Thanks be to the Almighty god for itt and now Calling to mind This Transistory Life and Knowing That itt is Appointed for all men Once to Dye and After Death to Judgment I Commend my Body To the Dust and There from whence it Came and my Soule To Almighty god that gave it and my Body to be Buried In Such a Christian Like maner As Shall be to the Diserction of my Executors Hereafter mentioned and as for my Worldly Estate Where with it has Pleased the Almighty god to Bless Me with I Doe bestow itt in This manner As follows

Imprimis.

Item:  I Leve my Negro fellow Charles to be Sould to the highest Bider & the money to be Equally Divided Amongst my first Wifes Children which is Greffeth GREGORY Cornelas GREGORY Judah SAWYER & Easter SAWYER & Bridgit SAWYER & Ruth GLASGOE.

Item:  I Give & Bequeath to my Son Greffeth GREGORY The Plantation he now Lives On which is forty Acres more or Less with all the Privelidges meseuages There to belonging to him & his heires for Ever.  I Give & Bequeath to my Son Greffeth GREGORY & Cornelas GREGORY & Daughter Judah SAWYER & Easter SAWYER & Bridgit SAWYER & Ruth GLASGOE Each of Them Ten Shillings a peace to be Their full Porpotionable Parts of my Estate.  I Leve my Dwelling Plantation I now Live on to my Three Sons Robert GREGORY & Joseph GREGORY & William GREGORY & in Case One of the Three Should Die with Out Issue Then to be Divided between the Other Two begining at a Water Oake Standing by the Swamp Side Then Runing up the Ditch to the Duble Ditch & from Thence a Easterly Course to my Son Robert Line.

Item:  I Give & bequeath the Easter End of my Plantation Begining At John La____ Ditch at the head Swamp Side Runing up the S^d Ditch to the Duble Ditch & from Thence by New? mark^d Trees To the head Line That Part with All the Priviledges & messuages There to belonging to my Son Robert GREGORY to him and his heires for Ever.

Item:  I Give & bequeath my Dwelling Plantation where my houses is from Robert Line to Joseph Line with all the Priviledges & Messuages There to belonging to my Son William GREGORY to Him & his heires for Ever.

Item:  I Give & bequeath the Remainner of my Land Joyning On my Brother Caleb GREGORYs to my Son Joseph GREGORY All that Part to the N___ mark^d Trees to him and his heires for Ever.

Item:  I give & bequeath to my Daughter Anne GREGORY the Bed and Boalster I now Lye on and All the Cattle that is Called hers & one Cow & Calf of mine to be paid her by the Exec^r and Thats to be her full Propotionable Parte of my Estate.

Item:  I Give and Bequeath to my Daughter Charity GREGORY the Bed and Boulster that is Called the Boys Bed and All the Cattle That is Called hers & One Cow & Calf more? to be paid her by The Exec^r and That to be her full Parte of my Estate.

Item:  I give & Bequeath One young mare Called fiddle to be keept Upon the Plantation One New? Bed & Boulster to my Son William GREGORY.

Item:  I Leve the Remanner Part of my Estate After my Debts is Paid to be Equally Divided Between my Three Sons Robert Joseph & William GREGORY & Doe Appoint my Brother James GREGORY & my Brother in Laws Isaac BRIGHT & Willis BRIGHT as Deviders.  I Constitute & Ordaine my Brother James GREGORY & my Son Robert GREGORY theay To be my Only and Sole Executors of This my Last Wills & Testament and I Doe hereby Utterly Disallow Revoke Disannul All and Every Other Former Testaments Wills & Legacies Bequests? and Executors by me in any ways before This Time Named Willed and Bequeathed Ratifyed and Confiriming This and No Other To be my Last will & Testament As Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand and Fixed my Seal This Seventh Day of October In the yeare of Our Lord God One Thousand and Seven Hundred and Fifty Eight.
    /s/ Richard [His R Mark] GREGORY        Seal

Signed Sealed and Declared Published and Pronounced By him Rich^d GREGORY To be his Last will & Testament In the Presence of Us The Subscribers
    Test: Rich^d STANLEY            Jurat
    Thomas [H] HUTCHINGS    Jurat
    Amea [A] HUTCHINGS        Jurat

  North Carolina  } To wit       At a County Court begun opened and held at the Court house for the said County on the third
Currituck County }                 Tuesday in December Anno Dom 1758

Present His Majestys Justices
    These may Certify that James GREGORY Executor of this Will Exhibited the same in open Court praying it might be proved which was granted & then appeared Richard STANLEY Esquire, Thomas and Amy HUTCHINS the subscribing Evidences into open Court and made Oath on the Holy Evangelist that they were present and saw Richard GREGORY the Testator Sign Seal publish pronounce and declare this Instrument of Writing to be and contain his last Will and Testament And that he the said Testator was at the same Time of sound & disposing memory.  Then also appeared the afores^d Executor in open Court and took the Executors Oath in due Form of Law.  Ordered that the Honourable Richard SPAIGHT Esq^r Secretary of this Province have Notice thereof that Letters Testamentory may Issue hereon as the Law Directs.
    Witness: W^m MEARNS  CC

[On the back of this will is written: Ex^tr qualified; Recorded in the Secretary's Office in Book N^o 6]

[Source: North Carolina State Archives - MARS ID: 12.96.1.848 (folder)]

This will was contributed by Kay Midgett Sheppard. No part of this document may be used for any commercial purposes. However, please feel free to copy any of this material for your own personal use and family research. If you find anything in these records that pertains to your families, it is strongly suggested that you look at the original record on your own to check for errors or possibly other additional and helpful information. Thank you!

© 2006 Kay Midgett Sheppard