In the Name of God Amen - The Fifteenth day of October in the year of Our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Seventy Two.  I James WAHAB of Cape Hatteras Banks, in the County of Curratuck & province of North Carolina, Yeoman, being in perfect Mind & Memory, thanks be to Almighty God, & Therefore Calling to Mind & Memory the Mortality of my Body & the Uncertanty of this Transitory Life, and knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to die, do make and Ordain this my last Will & Testament, That is to Say--Principally and First of all I do Give & Bequeath & recommend my Soul into the Hands of Almighty God who Gave it and My Body I Recomend to the Earth, to be Buryed in a Christianlike Manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the General Resurection I shall Receive the same again by the Almighty power of God.  And touching my worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me in this Life I do give Demise & dispose of the same in the following Manner & Form--

Imprimus, It is my Will & I do Order that in the first place all My Just debts & Funeral Charges be paid and Satisfyed.

Item, I do Give & bequeath unto the Children of my Beloved Daughter Sarah Viz^t Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah & Barbara, One Certain Negro Wench named Jude, Togather with the Increase of her Body, Said Wench & Increase (if any she hath) or the Vallue theirof Arising from y^e Sale, to be Equally devided between y^e Said Children when Elizabeth my Eldest Grandchild Shall Arive to the Age of Twenty One, the Said Wench to be left for the said Childrens Use untill y^e said term and from & After the s^d devision of said Increase the same to be Given to them, their Heirs & Assigns For Ever.

Item, I Give & Bequeath unto my Daughter Barbara, the Negro Wench Ann, and Negro boy Bob, with the Increase of Said Wench Ann for Ever, the said Negroes to be delivered to my said Daughter Barbara on demand and also her Choice of One Bed and Furniture, And And [sic] also the Sum of Ten Half Johaneses*, to her her Heirs & Assigns for Ever, to be delivered as afore mentioned. *[gold Portuguese coin called johannes or joe valued at 16 Spanish dollars]

Item, I do Give unto my Beloved Son Job, Whome I also do Constitute, make & Ordain One of the Exicutors of this my last will Will [sic] & Testament (to act in Conjunction with my Son James in the Exicution of the same, agreeable to this my Will and Apointment) all that place or parcell of Land at Arimiskeat, being and lying Adjoining to Wisockin Creek with all & Singular the Improvements and Benefits of the same.  I do likewise give my said Son Job One Negro Boy Called Simon, and a Bed & Furniture, all of Which I do give & Bequeath to my son Job, his Heirs & Assigns For Ever.

Item I do Give & Bequeath to my Son James (whome I do also Appoint one of My Executors as above Mention^d) The Sum of Fourty Pounds _____ and also One Bed & Furniture all which I do give to him his Heirs & Assigns For Ever.

Item - I do Give unto my Son William One Negro Boy Called Abram to him his Heirs & Assigns for Ever.  I do also Order & Appoint him to have One Years Schooling and I do also Give him One Bed & Furniture the whole of which to be delivered to my Said Son W^m as soon as he Arives to the Age of Sixteen Years.

It is also My Will that all and Singular my Lands, Houses, Orchards & Gardens & Improvements on Hatteras Banks (One Lott of Thirty Feet Square now Occupyed and Grave Yard only Excepted which I do hereby Will & Ordain to be kept as a Grave Yard) be Sold In the most Advantegous Manner, that is to Say, Either in Lotts or the Whole togather as may best Suit my Said Exicutors.  I do also desire that Twelve Months Credit be Given to the purchascers of afsaid Land & Improvements, they or he Giveing Good Security for the payment of the Same--and the Money Ariseing from the Sale of Said Lands to be Equally Devided between my Aforementioned Three Sons, Viz^t Job WAHAB, James WAHAB & William WAHAB, Share & Share Alike.

Item, And all Other part of my Estate, Viz^t Negroes, Cash, &c. not herein before or After Mentioned wherewith it hath or may please God to bestow on me at this time or the time of my Death, I do Will Allow & Ordain to be Equally devided between my Said Sons Job, James & William, Share & Share Alike, to them, their Heirs & Assigns For Ever.

Item I do farthermore give and bequeath unto my aforesaid Daughter Barbara Ten Sheep her Choice of one Breeding Mare & also her Choice of One Horse, likewise One Loom and all the Furniture thereunto Belonging, to have & to Hold to her her Heirs & Assigns for Ever.  And I do farther Will & Allow that all the Stocks which hath been Given to any of my Children previous to this my Will, togather with the Increase of the Same Shall be & Remain the property of the Said Children Respectively as they are now known & Claimed by them.  And I do hereby Disallow & Revoke & disanull all & Every former Will Testam^t, Legacies & Exicutors by me made in Anywise before this time, Ratifying & Confirming this & no other to be my last Will & Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my [hand] and Seal the day & Year first Above Written.  May God grant my Said Children Grace to Glorify their Great? Creator & Improve their Talent. Amen.
    /s/ James WAHAB       seal

Signed Sealed & delivered & published, pronounced & Declared by the Said James WAHAB as his last Will & Testament in the presence of us
    Joseph WILLIAMS &
    George PRICE
    Andrew DONALSSON

  The within last Will and Testament of James WAHAB was proved before me this 25^th day of March 1774 by the Oath of Joseph WILLIAMS one of the Subscribing Witnesses thereto who Swore that he was present and did See the said Testator Sign Seal publish & declare the same to be and contain his last Will and Testament and that at the time thereof he was of sound & disposing mind and memory and Job WAHAB and James WAHAB the Executors in the said Will named having taken the Oaths of Executors and qualified agreeable to Law.  It is Ordered that Letters Testamentary issue thereon accordingly.
    Jo. MARTIN

[Source: North Carolina State Archives - MARS ID: 12.96.1.2352 (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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