WILLIAM GRAY (1823 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OF

WILLIAM GRAY

May 14, 1821

In the name of God Amen! I WILLIAM GRAY of the State of North Carolina and County of Camden being of sound mind & memory this 14th day of May 1821 do make this my Last Will & Testament in manner & form following Viz.

Imprimis. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter LENA CHAPLIN one dollar to her & her heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Son PETER GRAY one dollar to him & his heirs forever.

Item. I give unto my Son EDMUND GRAY one dollar to him & his heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Son NATHAN GRAY one dollar to him & his heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Son NATHANIEL GRAY one dollar to him & his heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter SALLY GREAVES one dollar to her & her heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter SOPHIA GRAY one dollar to her & her heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Daughter ELIZABETH GRAY one feather bed & furniture not to be delivered to her till she marries or comes of age to her & her heirs forever.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my Son WILLIAM GRAY one gun to him & his heirs forever.

Item. I lend all the remainder of my estate after paying all my just debts & funeral expences to my Wife POLLY GRAY during her life or widowhood & if she marries I give her one third of the said remainder to her & her heirs forever (with this Promise) that she shall take care of & support the small children (viz) CHLOE GRAY, JANE GRAY, WILLIAM GRAY, & CYNTHIA GRAY till she or they come of age.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my four following children viz CHLOE GRAY, JANE GRAY, WILLIAM GRAY, & CYNTHIA GRAY at the marriage or death of my wife the two thirds or the whole of the said remainder of my estate as the case may be, to be equally divided between them.

Lastly. I nominate & appoint my two friends CALEB PERKINS & MY Wife POLLY GRAY my Executors to this my Last Will & Testament REVOKING ALL FORMER Wills by me made heretofore, In witness hereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day & date above written

WILLIAM GRAY seal

Signed & sealed in presence of

LUKE G. LAMB

JON H. ROBERTS


State of North Carolina

Camden County

November Term 1823

This Last Will & Testament of WILLIAM GRAY dec’d was exhibited & proved in open Court by the oath of LUKE G. LAMB one of the subscribing witnesses thereto CALEB PERKINS one of the Executors therein named appeared & qualified agreeable to Law. Ordered that the Will be Recorded & Letters Testamentary Issue.

Test.

M.S. LEWIS CLK.


Will Book C

Pages 24, 25

Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse


 

MALACHI SAWYER (1824 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OF

MALACHI SAWYER

March 30, 1824

In the name of God Amen! I MALACHI SAWYER of the County of Camden and State of North Carolina, being sick, but of sound disposing mind and memory and having in mind that it is appointed unto all men to die, and being willing to dispose of my worlaly affairs do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say.

Item the first. I give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife SUSANNA SAWYER all of my negroes viz. boy March, Jerry, John, Miles, Rose and Jane to her and her heirs forever.

Item. I also give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife SUSANNA SAWYER one tract of land lying in said County bounded on the South and Westside by the lands of ISAAC LAMB and on the North & East by the lands of JOHN GRANDY being all of the land which I bought of NATHANIEL WILROY and that which I now live on to her & her heirs forever.

Item. I also give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife SUSANNA SAWYER one tract of land in said County near the Court House being all of the land which I bought of THOMAS BELL, bounded as follows on the East by the lands of ISAAC LAMB, on the West by THOMAS GORDON & on the N. by the main road & the walking lands, to her and her heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife SUSANNA SAWYER one tract of land lying about one half mile below Camden Court House on the W. side of the main road bounded as follows, on the West by the lands which belong to the heirs of JOHN WILROY and on the North by the lands which formerly belonged to CALEB PHILLIP’S and on the East by JOSEPH DOZIERS’ lands & the lands of ISAAC LAMB it being all of the tract which belonged to JOHN WATKINS to have & hold the same she and her heirs forever.

Item. I also give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife SUSANNA SAWYER a certain tract of land lying in Forty Pound Neck bounded as follows, bounded on the West by the lands of MARK UPTON, on the North by the lands of HENRY AYDELETT’S heirs, on the East by the lands of THOMAS ETHERIDGE and on the South by the lands which belong to the heirs of JOHN GREAVES being by estimation Seventeen & three quarters of acres which formerly belonged to the estate of JOHN WADKINS to her and her heirs forever.

Item. I also give and bequeath unto my beloved Wife SUSANNA SAWYER after paying of all my just debts all the residue of my estate of every kind & nature whatsoever to her and her heirs forever.

Lastly. I hereby nominate and appoint my Wife SUSANNA SAWYER whole and sole Executrix to this my Last Will and Testament revoking all other wills and Publishing this and this only to be my true Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this the 30th day of March One Thousand Eight Hundred & Twenty Four. 1824 

MALACHI SAWYER seal

Signed, sealed and acknowledged

By the Testator as his Last Will in

Our presents

JOSIAH EARLE

SILAS O. NORRIS

MARY NORRIS


Camden County

May Term 1824

This Last Will and Testament of MALACHI SAWYER dec’d was exhibited and proved in open Court by the oath of SILAS O. NORRIS one of the subscribing witness thereto SUSANNAH SAWYER the Executrix therein named appeared & qualified according to law. Ordered that the Will be recorded & that letters testamentary issue

Test.

M.S. LEWIS CLK

By A.C. OHRINGHAUS


Will Book C

Pages 31-33

Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse