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I Abel C. Ashbee of the County of Dare and state of North Carolina being well in body and sound in mind and memory praise God for the same do make and declare this to be my last will and testament in the manner and form following

1^st I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Mary S. Ashbee all of my property including both real and personal property at my death to dispose off [sic] as she sees proper for her maintainance and support during her life time and to deed, give or convey said property as she sees proper during her life time, she paying all of my honest debts and burial Expenses out of said property and the residue I hereby bequeath to her, my wife, the said Mary S. Ashbee.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and Seal this the 25^th day of January 1886.
    /s/ Abel C. Ashbee

Witness
    G.B. Bliven
    Mahala B. Bliven

State of North Carolina}    SS: In the Superior Court
         Dare County       }
    A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of A.C. Ashbee deceased is Exhibited before me the undersigned Clerk of Court for said county by George B. Bliven and the due execution thereof by the Said A.C. Ashbee, by the oath and Examination of the said George B. Bliven and Mahala B. Bliven, the Subscribing witnesses thereto, who being duly Sworn doth depose and say, and each for himself deposeth and saith, that he is a subscribing witness to the paper writing now shown him purporting to be the last will and testament of A.C. Ashbee and the said A.C. Ashbee in the presence of this deponent subscribed his name at the end of said paper writing which is now shown as aforesaid and which bears date of the 25^th day of January 1886.
    And the deponent further saith That the Said A.C. Ashbee, the testator aforesaid, did at the time of subscribing his name as aforesaid, declare the said paper writing so subscribed by him and Exhibited to be his Last will and testament, and this deponent did thereupon subscribe his name at the end of said Will as an attesting witness thereto, and at the request and in the presence of the said testator.
    And this deponent further saith that at the said time when the said testator subscribed his name to the said last will as aforesaid, and at the time of the deponent's subscribing his name as an attesting witness thereto, as aforesaid, the said A.C. Ashbee was of sound mind and memory, of full age to execute a will, and was not under any restraint to the knowledge, information or belief of this deponent.  And further these deponents say not.
    /s/ G.B. Bliven
        Mahala B. Bliven

Severally Sworn to and Subscribed this 8^th day of October 1887 before me.
    /s/ John W. Evans, Clk. Superior Court