Return to Currituck Co.
Currituck County Wills
[From pp. 147-150]:
The Last Will and Testament of Thomas SANDERSON Esqr. decd. Exhibited and proved at Aug. Term 1821.
In the name of God amen I Thomas SANDERSON of Currituck county and State of North Carolina, being weak in body, but of a sound and disposing mind and memory, bless God for the same, and calling to mind that it is appointed for man once to die and after death the Judgement, and knowing that in a short time I shall be called to give an account of my stewardship here below, which I trust I shall do with Joy and with shame, and being thankful that I am blessed with opportunity to dispose of my worldly goods and property which I am blessed with and am about to dispose of in the manner and form following.
First of all I wish to recommend my soul to Almighty God hoping when it is his will to take me out of time, that I shall go triumphant in his holy faith, Lastly I wish my friends to bury my body in a christian like manner and as to my worldly estate, I do dispose of it in the following manner.
Item. First I give and bequeath unto my son James Madison SANDERSON the land and plantation that I bought of Thomas SANDERSON SEN. Situate and bounded as follows; Beginning at the mouth of a creek dividing my land and the land now belonging to William COFFEE (1) at Dowdy’s bay, thence up the creek to the head, binding said COFFEE’s land, thence westwardly with the stream of the branch and by a line of marked trees binding said COFFEE line to the back line to STEPHENSON’s land, thence North westwardly with his line to James WHITEHALL’s land, thence the same course with WHITEHALL’s land and line to the land I bought of Matthew GREGORY and wife, thence eastwardly with said line to the land I bought of Thomas POYNER Exor (2) Wilson WOODHOUSE decd., thence the same course binding said land and line to the main road, thence northwardly with the main road (word inserted–“fifty”) yars, thence eastwardly the same course of the old line to a mulberry tree near the branch, running the line through the land I bought of Jacob DOWDY to the above mentioned mulberry tree, thence to the ditch that leads to the marsh where the plantation fence joins the fence leading to the said marsh, thence with the ditch and gut as it now runs to Dowdys creek, thence eastwardly binding said creek to the sound, thence with the sound to Straight creek (3) thence binding said creek various courses southwardly to Dowdy’s bay, thence westwardly binding the bay to the first station, containing about seven hundred acres more or less, & also I give unto my said son James M. SANDERSON my Island called Rattle snake Island and long point, bounded by the various courses of the sound and creek and bay, containing about eighty acres be the same more or less, and also I give my said son J. M. SANDERSON the one third of all my land and marsh and water that I own on Narrow’s Island and Sheep Island and the shoal water and oyster rocks situate in my patents both for the Narrows’ Island, and Sheep Island, and the great Narrows, and bay-tree Island (4); reference being had to said patents for the boundaries including the one third of my fishing privileges houses containing about eighty two acres as the one third of said patents to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body, and for the lack of such I give the said above mentioned lands to my two sons Thomas John Woodhouse SANDERSON and William Dozier SANDERSON to them and their heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son Thomas John Woodhouse SANDERSON the manner plantation and lands and marsh where I now live, bounded as follows, beginning at the mouth of gut called the turtle gut spring (5) out of Dowdy’s creek and at Daniel LINDSEY’s land, thence westwardly up the gut, binding said LINDSEY’s line to the woods, then southwardly and westwardly various courses by a line of marked trees binding LINDSEY’s line to the swamp and same course (word inserted–“through”) the swamp to a large pine, being the south east corner of the land where William LUNN sold to Daniel LINDSEY thence northwardly the various courses of the high ground, binding said LUNN’s former line to Jesse BARNARD’s land and line to three maples or White woods the north east corner of (first name inserted–“Robert”) GIBSON’s patent, thence about east by a line of marked trees binding said BARNARD’s line to the main road on the Laurel swamp to the land I bought of Maxa. TAYLOR and wife , thence various courses reference being had to the said TAYLOR’s deed for the boundaries and by a line of marked trees eastwardly with Daniel LINDSEY’s line to a branch leading to marsh to old bridge, thence northwardly with said LINDSEY’s line to an old ditch at an old pine stump, or the edge of the ditch, thence northwardly with the deed of Maxey TAYLOR and wife through the cod of the bay marsh to the little Narrows, thence southwardly the various courses of the Narrows and hammock cove to Dowdy’s creek, thence up the creek to the first station, containing about five hundred and seventy acres of land (words inserted–“and swamp”) and marsh. Also I give unto my son Thomas John Woodhouse SANDERSON (6) the one third of all the land and marsh and shoal water and oyster rocks in my patents, holding Narrows Island and sheep Island the great Narrows and bay tree Island, with the privilege of the said one third of my fishing privileges and houses, reference being had to the patents for boundaries, Containing about eighty two acres be the same more or less, to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and for lack of such, I Give the above lands and marsh and waters to my two sons James M. SANDERSON and William Dozier SANDERSON to them and to their heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my son Thomas John Woodhouse SANDERSON (7) all the piece or parcel of land I bought of Matthew GREGORY and wife, reference being had to the deed from GREGORY and wife for the boundaries; containing about forty three acres, and also all of the piece of land I bought of Thomas POYNER Esq. (8) of Wilson WOODHOUSE decd., excepting what I have already given away, and all that piece I bought of John DOWDY JUR., and all that piece I bought of William WROTEN JUNR., and all that piece I bought of Jacob DOWDY; excepting what I have given to my son J. M. SANDERSON, containing about one hundred and twenty five acres of land more (words inserted–“or less”) reference being had to the deeds for the boundaries of the above lands and also about twenty two acres of marsh on Grandy’s I bought of Matthew GREGORY and wife, to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and for lack of such, I give (words inserted–“the above mentioned lands and marsh to my two sons James”) Madison SANDERSON and William Dozier SANDERSON to them and to their heirs forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son William Dozier SANDERSON my land and plantation, situate on the ridge, bound on the north by the land formerly belonged to Nathan POYNER decd., and on the south by the land now belongs to Michael (9) WHITSON, and on the east & west by the swamp lines and patent lines, containing about three hundred acres including all the land adjoining to the ridge plantation that I own, and also the one third of my land and marsh on Narrows Island and sheep Island, and the one third of my patent holding the great narrows and bay tree Island, and the one third of all the fishing houses and privileges thereunto belonging to contain about eighty two acres more or less, and I give him all of swampland patented by myself and Daniel LINDSEY SENR, adjoining the land formerly belonged to J. PERRY about one hundred acres more or less, to him and to his heirs lawfully begotten of his body, and for the lack of such, I give the above mentioned lands to my two sons James M: And Thomas J: W: SANDERSON to them and their heirs, and if either of my two sons should die before they come to lawful age the surviving one to have all the above lands and privileges.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Permelia D: (10) THOROUGHGOOD one trackt of land and plantation in Pasquotank county, whereon Nathan MORRIS now lives, known by the name of the crocker hill tract bounded as follows; Beginning at a gum the south east corner of the said tract and patent and adjoining the land belonging to Carvers heirs, thence north westwardly binding said courses (11) line one mile to a corner gum standing in a branch near Joseph MORRIS decd. land, thence westwardly with said MORRIS’ line land to a poplar the corner of the said patent, thence southwardly with said patent line to the corner, thence eastwardly to the first station, containing three hundred acres as stated in said patent by to her and to her heirs forever. I Give also unto my daughter Permelia THOROUGHGOOD one negro woman Axey which is now in her possession and all the children of said negro woman Axey to her and her heirs forever, and also I give my said (word inserted–“daughter”) Penolipe (12) two feather beds and furniture which she now has and two tables mahogany formerly belonging to her mother to her and to her heirs forever and six Ewes and lambs.
Item. I give unto my daughter Polly WOODHOUS one Negro man called Mills (13) and the one half of my schooner corn planter, to her and to her heirs forever, and two hogsheads of molasses.
Item. I leave all the remainder of my household and kitchen and plantation furniture and all the remainder of my negroes and stock of all kinds, and all the rest or remainder of my estate after my debts is paid to be equally divided between my three sons James and Thomas and William D: SANDERSON and my wife Polly SANDERSON, excepting my banks land, which I give equally between my three boys or sons as above named, and if either of my three sons James, Thomas, William D: SANDERSON should die before they have an heir of theirs or come to lawful age the surviving one shall have their parts without any reserve whatsoever. I do authorize my executor hereafter mentioned to convey by a deed of bargain and sale to Thomas BARNARD for a tract of land in Pasquotank county where John A. JORDAN decd. formerly lived, upon conditions of Thomas BARNARD paying to my said executor the sum of two thousand dollars with lawful interest from the first day of November 1819 until paid up, and the said money to be applied to the paying of a debt I owe to the estate or heirs of Willoughby DOZIER deceased, and the remainder of said money I give unto my grand daughter Angelica THOROUGHGOOD, to her and her heirs forever.
I do nominate, constitute make and appoint my friend Thomas POYNER Executor of this my last Will and Testament, forsaking and disannulling all other will or wills heretofore by me made. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this seventh day of October 1820.
/s/ Thomas SANDERSON (Seal)
Recorded and examined the 7th day of November 1821
(Signature of Clerk of Court–unsure of name) (14)
[Transcriber’s notes: the above transcript is from the copy of the will on pp. 147-150. Included below are significant differences between this copy and the copy found on pp. 297-302:
1. “Caffee” instead of “Coffee.”
2. “of” is added.
3. “to the Straight” instead of “to Straight creek.”
4. “and Sheep Island, and the great Narrows, and bay-tree Island” is omitted.
5. “springing” instead of “spring.”
6. “Sanderson” is omitted.
7. “Sanderson” is omitted.
8. “Executor” instead of “Esq.”
9. “Mitchel” instead of “Michael.”
10. “D:” is omitted.
11. “Carver’s” instead of “courses.”
12. “Permelia” instead of “Penolipe.”
13. “Willis” instead of “Mills.”
14. “Recorded and examined ...Clerk of Court” omitted, and the following line added, “This Deed Exhibited while Thomas BAXTER was Clerk. Recorded Feby. 7th 1832 By Solomon ASHBEE.”]
This will was contributed by Marty Holland. 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!
© 2002 Marty Holland
