THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
June 14, 1824
In the name of God Amen. I THOMAS ETHERIDGE of the State of North Carolina Camden County being very weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God, calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hand of Almighty God that give it and my body I recommend to the earth, to be buried in decent christian burial, at the descretion of my Executor, nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God, and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
I lend unto my beloved Wife CHLOE ETHERIDGE the plantation whereon I now live together with all the buildings thereon except the house that I moved up to my dwelling house which I give to my Son THOMAS ETHERIDGE but his Mother is to have the use of it until he comes with age or marries, also Twenty Thousand of my new ground and that to be rented out for his support, with the privilege of rail timber and fire wood raising of stock etc. Also I give my Wife my bay horse Bird and sorrel mare Floreelesh, one riding chair and harness, my set of tables, three feather beds & furniture, twelve setting chairs, one bureau, one blue chest one beaufat & all the crockery, all the table and tea spoons one loom and harness wasping bars and screw, one spining wheel & one woolen ditto, one iron pot, one tea kettle, one dutch oven, one creeper, one sow and pigs, ten head of hogs, two candlesticks all of the above articles her first choice, fifty barrels of corn, thirty bushels of wheat, twenty five ???? of coffee, one hundred weight of sugar, one set of knives and forks, my spring back bible, drseys hymn book and my watch, one small trunk, one pair pot tramels & 1 pair of pot hooks, two axes, two hoes her choice, one negro woman Phoebe, one man Joseph, two cows and calves the sheep that is now on hand, one horse cart and harness, one plough and harness all my fire dogs irons, one pair of tongs and shovel, all her choice, one hand mill, all the winder curtains, two meat tubs to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son JOHN ETHERIDGE ten dollars to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son JOSIAH ETHERIDGE ten dollars to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son SETH ETHERIDGE one hundred dollars to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son WILLIS one hundred dollars to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son WHITFIELD ETHERIDGE one hundred dollars to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter POLLY ETHERIDGE the land and plantation on the North side of the road called the Casey Plantation, containing by estimation twenty one acres more or less, one bed and furniture, one wheel one green chest to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my ACHSAH ETHERIDGE one negro boy Demsey one feather bed and furniture, one wheel one chest to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter MIRIAM SMITHSON One Hundred dollars in full for her portion of my estate to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son THOMAS ETHERIDGE the land and plantation whereon I now live containing about seventy eight acres also my juniper swamp containing seventy eight acres formerly the property of JOSEPH JONES dec’d sold by a decree of the Court of equity and one colt by the name of Boxer to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath the following negroes namely Penny, Peter, Mary, Aaron, James and Jemimah to be equally divided between my three Daughters namely HENRETTA, NARISSA and CHLOE, when the eldest arrives to the age of twenty one or either of them marries, then the said negroes and increase to be equally divided between the above said Daughters or any part of them surviving to them and their heirs forever.
Item. My will and desire is that all the remainder of my estate both real and personal that I have not already given away be sold at six months credit excepting my lands that to be sold in a credit of six, twelve and eighteen month credit, and after paying all of my lawful debts my desire is that the balance if any be equally divided between my five Sons namely JOHN, JOSIAH, SETH, WILLIS and WHITFIELD ETHERIDGE to them and their heirs forever.
And I also nominate and appoint my Brother RICHARD JARVIS my whole and sole Executor to this my Last Will and Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this the Fourteenth day of June, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty Four
THOMAS ETHERIDGE seal
Witness present
ISAAC M. HERRINGTON
JEREMIAH ETHERIDGE
Camden County Court
August Term 1824
This Last Will and Testament of THOMAS ETHERIDGE dec’d was exhibited and proved in open Court by the oaths of ISAAC M. HERRINGTON and JEREMIAH ETHERIDGE subscribing witnesses thereto. And RICHARD JARVIS the Executor therein named appeared and qualified according to Law. Ordered that the Will be recorded & letters Testamentary issue.
Test.
M.S. LEWIS CLK
By A.C. EHRINGHAUS
Will Book C
Pages 40-42
Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse