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State of North Carolina}
       County of Dare     }

In the name of God Amen.   
I Samuel Tillett of sound mind and memory but considering the uncertainty of my earthly Existance do make publish and declare to be my last will and Testament in manner and form following --

Item 1st - I order that enough of my chattles to be sold to pay all of just debts and the cost of a decent burial.

2 - I give devise and bequeath unto Matilda Tillett Etheridge, wife of Van Buren Etheridge, all of my estate both real and personal for and during her natural life and after her death to go to the children of said Matilda Tillett Etheridge share and share alike to them and their heirs forever.

3 - I hereby appoint Matilda Tillett Etheridge Executrix of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.
        /s/ Samuel Tillett    Seal

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Samuel Tillett to be his last will and Testament to us who at his request & in his presence and in the presence of each other do subscribe our names as witnesses thereto.
     J.C. Meekins
     B.F. Meekins

Dare County}    In the Probate Court
    A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Samuel Tillett deceased is exhibited before me Wm. D. Chaddic, the undersigned Judge of Probate in and for said County, by Matilda Tillett Etheridge the Executrix therein named and the due Execution thereof by the said Samuel Tillett by oath and examination of J.C. Meekins and of B.F. Meekins the subscribing witnesses thereto who being duly Sworn doth depose and say and each for him self 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 Samuel Tillett at the end of said paper writing which is now shown as aforesaid which the deponent acknowledged the signing the said paper writing to be the last will and testament.
    And the deponent further saith that the said Samuel Tillett the testator aforesaid 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 these deponents did thereupon subscribe their names at the end of said will as and attesting thereto and at the request and in the presence of the testator.  And these deponents further saith that the said time when the said testator subscribed his name to the said last will as aforesaid and at the time of the deponents subscribing his name as and attesting witness there to as aforesaid the said Samuel Tillett was of sound mind and memory of full age to execute a will and was not under any restraint to their knowledge information or belief of these deponents, and further these deponents say not.
    J.C. Meekins
    B.F. Meekins

Severally sworn and subscribed this 1^st day of August AD 1876.
    W.D. Chaddick, Probate Judge

Note: According to his tombstone in the Tillett Cemetery in Nags Head Woods, Capt. Samuel Tillett was born Mar. 29, 1798 and died April 8, 1876.  He appears in Currituck County in 1830 between the age of 30-40 with no females;  1840 between 40-50 years of age with no females; in 1850 as age 54 & 1860 as age 65 and is a lighthouse keeper.  Matilda, age 19, is living with him in 1860.  It appears that he may have never married.

This will was transcribed 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.

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