THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
March 20, 1824
In the name of God Amen, I ISAAC LAMB of the State of No. Carolina and County of Camden being of sound disposing mind and memory blessed be God, and calling to mind the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time when it will come, and being willing to dispose of my worldly substance, that it has pleased God to give me, at my own will and desire do this 20th day of March 1824 make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, in the following manner that is to say.
First, I lend unto my beloved Wife POLLEY LAMB the use of all the lands on which I live and the lands I bought of JOHN WILROY and Wife, for and during her natural life and no longer, I also leave her the use of negros David, America, Bill, Susan and girl Nancy and five beds and furniture her choice, and also as much of my household and kitchen furniture, flax, cotton, spin stuff, cloth of homespun, plantation tools utensils and harnis as she may chose to retain for herself and family, all my hogs, four cows and calves a yearling one yoke of oxen, three dry cattel, ten head of sheep her choice, one horse Practier one horse Skip my joubell(?) chair and harnis, and my waggon, and one year’s support for her self and family to be sett off by herself and my two Sons ISAAC and LUKE at there discretion out of the provisions on hand, for and during her natural life and no longer except the provisions, I also give her two hundred dollars in notes on hand for my negro hire.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son LUKE G. LAMB a tract of land I bought of JAMES M. GRANDY to him and his heirs forever, I also give him one negro man Davis that I bought of him, one negro man Latchem, and the balance of my swamp up the river called Prichard’s Juniper to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son ISAAC N. LAMB a tract of land laying on the Eastwardly side of the main road it being part of the lands I bought of JOHN WILROY and Wife joining the lands of MALICHI SAWYER and others reserving the use to my Wife as aforesaid as also negro Robin, horse Jack, and negro David after the death of my Wife to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son LUKE G. LAMB all the lands contained in the deed from my Father to me in my last purchase from him where ABNER SAWYER now lives, in trust to be rented out by him and the rents and profits to be aplied to the use and support of HENRY N. LAMB and his children at the discreation of said LUKE G. LAMB, and at the death of said HENRY N. LAMB the said lands to be equally divided between his lawful children that may be then living, if any but if said Son HENRY should leave no lawful children at the time of his death, my will is that the said land should go to my Grand Son ISAAC N. LAMB, son of LUKE G. LAMB if he should be then living, if not to the said LUKE G. LAMB and his heirs forever.
Item. I give unto LUKE G. LAMB in trust for the benefit and support of ALLEN J. LAMB one negro man Ned or Edmond and all the property that has fallen to me by the death of my Brother THOMAS LAMB, and a small piece of land I bought of FREDERICK GRANDY and his Mother, all which said property is to be mannaged by the said LUKE G. LAMB to the best advantage for the benefit of the ALLEN J. LAMB and his family, and the said LUKE G. LAMB is at liberty to sell any part or the whole of said property for the purpose aforsaid if he should think it most beneficial to do so.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter CYNTHIA L. HALL one negro man Lamb and his Wife Tamer and there children now in her possession, also one negro man Billa after the death of my Wife to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter LUCRETIA SAWYER all the furniture she has now in her possession of mine, I also lend her negros Robin, Hannah, Grace and her children for and during her natural life and no longer, and at her death the said negros to be equally divided between her children if she lives any at the time of her death if not my will is that the said negros should be equally divided between ISAAC N. LAMB and ALLEN J. LAMB the said ALLEN’S part to be under the discretion of ISAAC N. LAMB and by him to be delt out to said ALLEN at his discretion and any other wise mannaged as he the said ISAAC may think proper for the said ALLEN and his family.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter POLLY G. LAMB one half of the lands on which I now live including the swam and pine thickit to the main road the line at ISAAC N. LAMB’S part say one half, reserving her Mother’s life in the same as aforesaid and if my said Daughter POLLY should die without children my will is that the said land should go to her Sister ELIZA H. LAMB, I also give to my Daughter POLLY G. LAMB negros Isaac, Lewis, Jerry, Reading and Judah and negro Nancy after the death of her Mother to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter ELIZA HALLAN LAMB the other half of the lands on which I live in the same manner I have give the other to her Sister POLLY and if she should die without children my will is that the said land should go to her Sister POLLY G. LAMB reserving the use to her Mother as aforesaid, I also give unto my said Daughter ELIZA H. LAMB negros Mark, Moses, Leani, George son of Susan, girl Estar and man America, at the death of her Mother to her and her heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son HENRY N. LAMB all the lands on the east side of Williamses Branch that I have not already given away to him and his heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Grandson ISAAC L. HALL Son of my daughter CYNTHIA one negro boy George (Son of Edie) to him and his heirs
Item. I give and leve my negro woman Susan and her future increase after the death of my Wife, to be equally divided between my Son ALLEN and my Daughter NANCY’S children if they leve any at the time of the death of my Wife, but if my Wife should chose to give up the said negro Susan at any time sooner, then and in that case the said negros are to be at the expence of said children.
Item. All the residue of my property not already given away or lent I leve to be sold by my Executors on a credit of six months and the sum arising from the sale to be applied to the payment of my debts and legacies given away in this my Will, say what is lacking in notes on hand and the balance if any to be applied to the use of ALLEN J. LAMB and his family at the discretion of my Executors.
Item. The balance of the movable property I have lent to my Wife during her life, that I have not already disposed of I give unto my two Daughters POLLY and ELIZA after the death of their Mother to them and there heirs forever.
Item. I hereby appoint my Wife POLLY LAMB gardian to my two Daughters POLLY G. LAMB and ELIZA HALLAN LAMB and if any of their negros should behave themselves improperly to be judged of by her, my will is that she should sell them at her discretion and purchase hers in there room and stead of equal value of them as sold and the bills of sale to be taken in the name of the one to whom the negro belonged that are sold, I also impower her to sell any of those loned to her if they misbehave provided she replaces others in there room of equal value to go as they were, nevertheless this power I have given to my said Wife by this claus of my will to clear(?) and end if she should marry, and in that case I hereby appoint after her marriage ALFRED M. GATLIN gardian to my Daughter POLLY G. LAMB with the same powers that was granted to her my (said Wife) I also appoint my Son ISAAC N. LAMB gardian to my Daughter ELIZA HALLAN LAMB after the marriage of my said Wife, with the same powers that was granted to my said Wife.
I hereby nominate and appoint my beloved Wife POLLY LAMB Executrix and my Son ISAAC N. LAMB and ALFRED M. GATLIN Executors to this my Last Will and Testament, acknowledging this and this only to be my true Last Will, in witness whereof I have here unto sett my hand and seale the day and date first above writen.
I. LAMB seal
Camden County Court
May Term 1825
This Will was exhibited in open Court and ISAAC N. LAMB being duly sworn deposeth that the Last Will and Testament of ISAAC LAMB dec’d bearing date 20th March 1824 was since the death of Testator found among his valuable papers in the presence of deponent and others. Sworn to in open Court
ISAAC N. LAMB
Test.
M.S. LEWIS CLK
We the undersigned being duly sworn do say that we are well acquainted with the hand writing of ISAAC LAMB of Camden County dec’d and having particularly examined ??? Last Will and Testament of the said ISAAC LAMB and the writing on the back of the envelope do believe the same and every part thereof ??? exhibited in open Court is the hand writing of the said ISAAC LAMB thereunto subscribed as well as the name of the said ISAAC LAMB thereunto subscribed.
Sworn to in open Court
Test.
M.S. LEWIS CLK
JOSEPH DOZIER
CALEB PERKINS
W. WILSON
W. McPHERSON
GEORGE FEREBEE
M. S. LEWIS
Will Book C
Pages 47-50
Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse