In the Name of God Amen.

I Caleb WILSON of Curotuck in North Carolina being Sick and Weak of Body but of a perfect and Sound Mind and Memory do make this my last Will and Testament in Manner following

Imprimis, To my Eldest Son James WILSON I bequeath all that Tract or parcell of Land that was given me by my Father which said Tract I give and Devise to my Son James and His Male Heirs Lawfully begotten for Ever Butt in Case my said Son James or any any [sic] of his Lawfully begotten Male Heirs Should die without such [torn] Male Heirs then the [the rest of this line and the next two are torn] to Descend to any Heir that is not of the said Name and Family of the WILSONs.  I also bequeath to my said Son James The Three Hundred Acres of Land that I bought of Thomas BURGES and likewise the Fifty Acres be it more or less that I bought of my Brother Josiah WILSON, and also the following Negroes (Viz) a Man named Harry, A Man named Pomp, A Boy named George, A Wench named Vinor, A Wench named Phillis, a Girl named Pendor & a Girl named Rose with all their Increase with Eight Cows and Calves, Eight Ews and Lambs, Eight Sows and piggs, and their Increase, My Hunting Gun, One plain Gold Ring that was his Mothers, and a Silver Tankard; both which parcells of Land with the above mentioned Negroes, Stock of Cattle, and the above mentioned things I give and Devise to my Said Son James and [the rest of this line torn]

[the first of this line torn] bought of Thomas SCOFILL & Will^m WILLIAMSON, and that parcell of Land that I bought of Frances ETHERIDGE and Benjⁿ COWELL, and all that Land that I bought of John HUGHS, with all that Land I bought of Joseph COOPER, and Twenty five Acres that is Call'd ETHERIDGEs Survey together with one Hundred Acres that I took up joining on the said Survey And also the following Negroes (Viz) A Man nam'd Coffee, A Boy nam'd Bristol, a Boy nam'd Phillip, A Boy nam'd Ambrose, & a Boy nam'd Jo: A Wench nam'd Moll and a Girl nam'd Sukie With Eight Cows and Calves Eight Ews and Lambs Eight Sows and Pigs, One Brass Barrell^d Gunn, One plain Gold Ring that was his Mothers Which said parcells of Land & Negroes with their Increase Cows and Calves Ews and Lambs Sows and piggs and their Increase with the other above mention'd I give & Devise to my said Son Tatum & his Heirs for Ever.

Item, To my Daughter Love WILSON I bequeath all that Land that I bought of Thomas LOWTHER and several parcells of Land that I bought of the MUNCREEFs and also the following Negros -- A Man nam'd Ocra, a Boy nam'd Tom, a Boy nam'd Sam, a Boy named Affrica a Boy nam'd Ishmael & a Wench Named Beauty & her Increase, with Eight Cows and Calves, Eight Ews and Lambs Eight Sows and piggs, all which parcells of Land, Negroes, Cattle, Sheep and Swine & their increase I give and Devise to my said Daughter Love and to her Heirs for Ever.  I also bequeath to my said Daughter Love all her Mothers wearing Apparrel, two pair of Gold Bobs, three Stone Rings and one plain One, One pair of Silver Buckles and One Cedar Ch[torn] which were her Mothers.

Item To [next 4 or 5 words torn] I bequeath all that Tract [rest of this line and the next line torn] the following Negroes (Viz) A Man nam'd Phillip, A Man Named Charles, A boy Nam'd Daniel, a boy nam'd Ned, A Girl nam'd China, and a Girl nam'd Sarah and all their Increase, with Eight Cows and Calves, Eight Ews and Lambs, Eight Sows and pigs, my Gunn that is patch'd on the Stock, one plain Gold Ring that was his Mothers, All which said Land, Negroes, Cattle, Sheep, Swine, &c, with all their Increase I give and devise to my said Son William and to his Heirs for Ever.

Item I give and bequeath to each of my abovemention'd Children that is to say to my Sons James, Tatum & William and my daughter Love, to Each One pair of Gold Sleeves Buttons & to Each one Bed with Furniture.

[this entire line is torn]
I give and bequeath the following Negroes (Viz) A Wench named Nancy and her Child nam'd Peter, A Wench Nam'd Dinah and her Child nam'd patience, a Wench Nam'd Sarah and her Child nam'd Abba and a Wench named Amber and all their Increase together with Eight Cows and Calves Eight Ewes and Lambs, Eight Sows and piggs and one Bed and Furniture But as my said Wife Sarah is now Sick and if it should please God that she should die before she Recovers of this Sickness, I Will that the abovemention'd Negroes &c. be divided Equaly among my four abovemention'd Children.

Item, In case any of my Children (except James) should die before they before [sic] Come of Age I Will that their Land be sold and the Money ariseing therefrom with their Negroes Cattle &c to them bequeath'd

(carried up)
Be equaly divided among the rest of my Children, and in case James should die before he comes of age All his Negroes Cattle &c Land Excepted to be Equaly divided among the rest likewise.

Item In case a Law Suit should be commenced by any of the MALBOURNEs, and should recover any of the beforemention'd Negroes from those to whom they are bequeath'd, my Will and desire is that all the other Negroes remaining may be Divided Equaly between my Wife and my four Children.

Item I likewise desire that the Negroes devolv'd to me by the death of my former Wife Ann CHURCH be divided in the following Manner (Viz) To my beloved wife Sarah and her Her Heirs for Ever a Wench Named Tollakin? & her Increase to my Daughter Love and her H[rest of line and the next torn] a Girl named Dinah and her increase.  To my Son Tatum a boy nam'd Will and a Girl nam'd Rachel & her Increase, and to my Son William and his Heirs for Ever a boy nam'd Davy, a Girl nam'd Sarah and a Girl nam'd Richell and their Increase which I bequeath to my said Children and their Heirs for Ever.

Item, To my Nephew Daniel SWEENY and to his Heirs for ever I bequeath that plantation and tract of Land that was formerly Richard BRIGHTs and also my Silver Hilted Sword.  I likewise desire that my said Nephew Dan^l SWEENEY may have the Sum of Twenty five pounds pr Annum allowed him for his Service dureing the time he shall Attend on getting getting [sic] in the Debts? due to [torn] and till the rest of the A[the rest of this line torn].

Item [the rest of this line torn]
Three Hundred Bushels; Three Hogsheads of Rum & also all the Land belonging to me in pasquetank and that piece of Land joining on the great Swamp formerly belonging to Rich^d BRIGHT and one Negroe Wench named Kink Be sold as soon as possible after my decease by the discretion of my Brother Josiah WILSON & my Nephew Daniel SWEENEY and that the Monies ariseing therefrom may be to pay off the Demands that my Nephew Malachi WILSON may have on me, and that he may Choose a new Guardian and that the residue of the said Monies may be to pay off my just Debts as far as it will go.

Item.  I bequeath to Drew HOLSTEAD JUNIOR and to his Heirs for Ever, One Young Mare and her Increase.

Item. I will also that all my Customers indebted to me may be

(Turn over)
Allowed the liberty of the following pork Season to pay off their Debts due to me in pork at the rate of Twelve Shillings and Six pr Hundred weight, but such as do not pay before the End of the said Season to be oblig'd to pay in Cash.

As for all other my Household Goods, Stock of Cattle ready money plate? and other Goods & Chattles whatever to me belonging and not beforemention'd in this Will, After my just Debts and Funeral Expences are paid, I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Sarah and my beforemention'd four Children to be divided Equaly among them as likewise all the Debts due to me that can be got in By the Direction of my Brothers Josiah & Malachi WILSON and my Nephew Daniel SWEENEY which I hereby do [next several words torn] which said Stock [next line torn] as they [torn] and the Stock [torn] to be kept [torn] plantations bequeath to each Child till they shall come of age.  I likewise desire that two Negroes One a Man Name'd pomp the other a Man Named Charles, be kept on the plantation whereon I now live for the space of two Years to make Cash &c, and that Timber may be Cutt for that & other Necessary uses.

And I do hereby Nominate and appoint my beloved wife Sarah WILSON Executrix jointly with my Brother Josiah WILSON and my Nephew Daniel SWEENEY joint Executors of this my last Will & Testament Hereby Revoking, disanulling and disalowing all former bequests, Wills and Legacys by me heretofore in any wise left or made; and do hereby Ratifie & confirm & disclose this and no other to be my last will and Testament.  In Wittness whereof [several words torn] and Seal this [several words torn] day of May? in the year of our Lord God one thousand Seven Hundred and fifty four.
    /s/ Caleb WILSON        Seal

Sign'd Seal'd published and Declar'd by the within named Testator (Caleb WILSON) to be his last Will & Testament in presence of us who have subscrib'd our Names in presence of the said Testator & of each other --
    Drew HOLSTEAD
    Tho^s BURGES
    Malachi WILSON
    Jos^h NORBURY
    W^m [his mark] BLUNT

At a General Court held at the Court House in Newbern the Second Tuesday in September in the XXVIII Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second Anno Dom 1754

Present James HASELL Esq^r Chief Justice
    The last Will and Testament of Caleb WILSON Deceased was Proved in Open Court by the Oaths of Thomas BURGES and Joseph NORBERRY and William BLOUNT Three of the Subscribing Witnesses thereto who on their Oaths did [4 or 5 words torn out] that they saw the Tes[rest of this line and the next torn] that he was of Sound [torn] Memory at the Time of [torn]ing the same and that they [torn]STEAD and Malachi WILSON the other Subscribing Witnesses thereto Sign in the Presents of the Testator and in their Presence, And Sarah WILSON and Daniel SWANEY Two of the Executors having been duly Qualified by Taking the Oaths of Executors.  Ordered That M^r Secretary have Noti[torn] thereof that Letters Testamentory May issue Accordingly.
    [torn] SNEAD CGC

[On the back of the will is written: Last Will & Testa[torn] of Caleb WILSON; Lett^rs issued Sep^r Court 1754]

[Source: North Carolina State Archives - MARS ID: 12.96.1.2529 (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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