Will of Samuel Harper, Sr. - 1817
Transcribed by Linda Carpenter
©2002Source: Warren County, North Carolina
Will Book 21, Page 167-170In the name of God, Amen. I Samuel Harper Sr. of Warren County, & State of North Carolina, on the twenty seventh day of June, eighteen hundred and seventeen, being weak of body but of sound & perfect mind & memory, Blessed be God, do make and publish my last will and testament, in manner following, that is to say. It is my desire that all my just debts be paid.
Item. I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Priscilla Harper, one feather bed & furniture, one trunk, also all my stock of every description, vis horses, cattle, hogs & sheep, and all my household and kitchen furniture, excepting one feather bed and furniture, together with all the ready money, and crops of every kind, which may be on my plantation at my deceased, and all my plantation tools, to her, her heirs, and assigns forever.
Item. It is my will and desire that my beloved wife Priscilla Harper have the loan and use of all my land on which I live, together with the following negroes (to wit) David, Charles, Jim, Aaron, Allen, Nimmer & her increase, Sarah & Tabb, during her natural life or widowhood, and at her death or marriage, I give the same to my son Henry Harper, in case he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, but if he should die under twenty one years of age, then and in that case, I bequeath to my beloved wife Priscilla Harper, a negro woman, name Nimmer & increases from this time to her, her heirs and assigns forever. And the remainder of the above mentioned negroes, together with the land & plantation, be sold, and money arising from the sale thereof, be equally divided between my wife, and sons John and Joseph, Samuel, Higdon & Pink.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son John Harper, one negro man, named Tom & a boy named Robin, now in his possession to him, his heirs & assigns forever.
Item. I give unto my son Pink Harper, one negro man name Peter, together with one feather bed & furniture, to him, his heirs & assigns forever.
Item. I give & bequeath unto my son Samuel Harper one negro boy named Alford, to him, his heirs & assigns forever.
Item. I give & bequeath to Joseph Harper, one negro woman named Lemon, to him, his heirs & assigns forever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Higdon Harper, one negro man, named Turner, to him, his heirs & assigns forever.
Item. I give & bequeath unto each of my CHILDREN, not herein named, five dollars, to be levied out of that part of my estate bequeathed to my wife.
Item. I do hereby nominate, constitute & appoint, to this my last will & testament Benjamin Davis Executor, and my wife Priscilla Harper, Executrix. Sam Harper (SEAL)
Singed, sealed, published & declared by Samuel Harper, the Testator, to be his last will and Testament in presence of us.
Mo. Bennett (Jurat)
Arthur Davis (Jurat)
N. B. Interlined before signed, with "Allen" - from this time & a" boy, named Robin." The item including Jos. Harper's legacy.
* Samuel Harper's first wife remains unknown to me. Priscilla Davis Sandifer was his second wife and the mother of Henry Harper. Samuel Harper married Pricilla Davis Sandifer 4th of March 1813, Warren County, North Carolina. Gibson County, TN 1860 Census - Henry D. Harper living in Gibson County, TN. : H. D. Harper 43, Ruth 41, Wm. 21, Leonora 18, Lizabeth 16, Colista 15, Pricilla 80, G-128-261. Pricilla (2nd wife of Samuel Harper) was his mother.
One of the children not listed in the will above is William Harper, son of Samuel Harper and his first wife, my direct ancestor. He married Patsy Yarbrough, daughter of William Yarbrough, 1785 in Warren County, North Carolina. Patsy Yarbrough Harper died Nov 1792, Warren County, NC, after the birth of their 3rd child. William Harper married Rebecca Bull 26 Dec 1793, Warren County, North Carolina. William and Rebecca Bull Harper moved to Davidson and Sumner County, TN about the year 1795. Source: Sumner County Loose Records, case# 7192, Harper, Edmond vs. Parker, John et al.
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