In the Name of God Amen I Peter POYNER Being Sick & Weeake of Body Butt of perfect Mind and Memory Blessed Be all Mighty God for itt, and Calling to Mind the unsertainty of this Life and Knowing that all flesh Must Die Doe heare by Constitute and ordaine this to be My Last Will & Testament, Revoakeing all other Wills by me fformally by me made.

ffist I Bequeath My Sowl to allmighty God Whoo Gave itt, and My Body to be Buried in Deasient Maner as My Executrix here after appoynted Shall See Convenient My Will and Desier is that all My Just Debts be honistly paid and Sattisfied, Secondly I Give and Bequeath Unto My Loveing Wife Elizabeth POYNER My plantation on which I Now Dwell on Dureing her Widdohood but in Case My S^d Wife Should marry then My Son Peter POYNER Shall Imediently by virtue of these presents posses him Selfe of one halfe of my Plantation, Except My Dwelling house which I Leave to my Wife Dureing her Natural Life and after her Decease I Bequeath the Said plantation Unto My Son Peater POYNER and his heares for Ever and as for the Said Land Belonging to the Said plantation Upon the North Side of the Creeke I Give part of the Said Land With the Said plantation to My Son Peter and his heirs, as for the Land on y^e South Side of the Creake I have already Given itt to my Son Joseph and his heirs and as for the Remainig part of My Land I Devide itt as followeth viz My Sone Peter POYNERs part to Joyne on the plantation and on a Small Branch on the South Side of SIMONDS Ground and runing a Streight Course to a parcill? on the South End of the Long Ridg and from the S^d parkill? to the Swamp and So Down to the Creeake Couled Martens Creeake, and the Remaining part of my Said tract of Land I Give to my Two Sons Robert and William POYNER and there heirs for Ever only my Son R [the rest of this line was in a crease and is torn away] Buckskin Island to them and there heirs for Ever to Be Equally Devided Between them only Excepting a prevedledg to my Wife to Gitt legwood to make tar? on the Said Island Dureing her widdowhood and the prevelidg of a Stocks Runing on the S^d Island for all my Childring which Lives at Martens and as for my personall Estate I Bequeath one Small feather Bead to my Daughter Marg Elizabeth after her Mothers Dec^d and one feather Bead to my Daughter Marg^tt after my wives Dec^d But if my Said Wife Should marry my Daughter Elizabeth to have her Bead and my Desier is that My Daughters Should have all the furnitud Belonging to Both the Beads.  I Give My Shew makeing Tools to My Son Jo^s with halfe my Books.

Item I Give to my Two Sons Thomas and James one Cow and Calfe to have them over and above there Share Either att my Wives Marrage or Dec^d.

Item I Give to my Sons Rob^t and William one heafer to Be Delivered to them When they are full Sixteean yeares of age.

Item I Give to Sam^ll BARBOR one Cow Calfe to be Delivered to him next yeare.

Item I Give to my Grandaughter Mary POYNER one yeare heafer and all her Increase and as for the Remaining part of my Estate I Give itt to my Wife Dureing her Widdowhood But if my Wife Should Die and nott marry My Estate __ick? Can Befound to Be Equally Devided Between all my Children Butt if She Should marry She Shall have Butt one Third part of my Estate.

Item I Give to my Son Rob^t one Square Bairreld Guin.

Item I Give to my Son William one Small Gun.  My will and Desier is that Rob^t and William Should pai? Thomas and James [next 2 or 3 words are blotted out] Johen? Rob^t and William Com to y^e full age of Three and Twenty yeares my will and Desier is that M^r Hump^h VINCE and M^r foster JERVIS Be overseers of this my Last Will.  I make and appoynt my Loveing Wife Elizabeth POYNER my Sole [smudge]trix of this my Last Will and Testam^t this 6^th Day of July anno Dom 1710.
    /s/ Peter POYNER

Signed and Sealed in prese[smudge]
    Humph VINCE
    Elizabeth [x] ___vis
[Gordon Jones' book says that the last witness is Elizabeth DAVIS but I can't make out the first 3 letters in the surname but the given name does appear to be "Elizabeth".]

This Will was Proved in Open Court in Lawfull Manner In y^e Prec^t of Corotuck y^e 12^th Day of Apr^l Anno Dom 17__ [Gordon Jones says April 12, 1715 but I can't make out the last two numbers] By y^e Oaths of M^r humph^ry VINCE and Jo^s WICKERS and Was ____ y^e Said Court Ord^d to Be Return^d into y^e Secretary^s office.
    Test  Jo^s WICKER Clk C

[On the back of the will is what appears to possibly be a codicil to the will.  It is written in a different and very shaky hand.  The top part is missing but here is what I can make out.]

fifty Shillings _______ ______ make? within will to thomas and James by Robert and William my Sones Cerrectd? ___ ___ Sed buckskin Iland grond gift from me allso payed? ___ for Calf to Samuell BARBAR M^r? OLD?
    /s/ Peter POYNER SEN^o

[Source: North Carolina State Archives - MARS ID: 12.96.1.1790 (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!

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