Category: Wills and Estate Records

JOHN FORBES, SR. (1750 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
JOHN FORBES SR.
November 24, 1747

November the 24th Day 1747

In the Name of God Amen. I JOHN FORBES Sen. of Pasquotank County in the
province of North Carolina, Planter, being of perfect mind & memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling to mind the Mortallity of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testatment in the following manner and form;

Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved Son JAMES my plantation whereon I now live with ?? hundred acres of land to him and his heirs and assigns for ever only I reserve for my loving Wife MARTHA to have ye afsd. plantation and land during her natural life furthermore provided my Son die without heir that his Wife ELIZABETH to possess the afsd. plantation and land during her widowhood.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my loving Wife MARTHA all and singular my moveable estate both real and personal during her natural life and after her desease whatsoever is left to be equally divided among my children. Likewise I constitute make and ordain my loving Wife MARTHA whole and sole Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament and disanulling all other former testaments and declaring and pronouncing this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament as witness my hand and seal the day and year above written.

                                                                                                        JN. FORBES
                                                                                                          His x mark

Signed sealed and delivered in

The presence of us

PETER BROWN
    His x mark

SARAH BROWN
    Her x mark

N. Carolina
Pasquotank County
July Court Anno Dom 1750
Present His Majesties Justies

These may Certifie that PETER BROWN one of the Evidences to the within Will
appeared in open Court & made Oath on the Holy Evangelist that he was present
& saw JOHN FORBES sign seal publish and declare the within to be and contain
his Last Will and Testament and he the said JOHN FORBES was then of sound &
disposing memory (too faded to read) SARAH BROWN the other Evidences sign her
name (faded) same…….(faded) MARTHA FORBES Executrix and Qualified (rest is
very faded and almost unreadable) letter issued 10th day July Anno Dom 1750

Test. THO. TAYLOR

Letter issued 9ber 21st 1750

Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse
(Transcribed as written, including errors in spelling and grammar.)

 

JOHN TORSKEY (1747 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
JOHN TORKSEY
November 10, 1745

In the name of God Amen I JOHN TORKSEY of Pasquotank County in the Province of North Carolina being sickly and weak of body but of perfet mind and memory thanks be given unto God for it calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is apinted for all men to die do mak and ordain this my Last Will and Testement that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul in to the handsof God that gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried at the descration of my executers and as tuching such worldly estate whore with it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I dispose of in the following manner and form—–

Itom. I give and bequith to my well beloved THOMAS TORKSEY one negro man named Bossen and eight burels of pork thet he owes me and one feather bed to him and his heirs for ever.

Itom. I give and bequeath to my well beloved Son BENJAMAN TORKSEY the plentation that I now live on and all the land thar unto belonging and one feather bed to him and his heirs for ever.

Itom. I give and bequeath unto my well beloved Daughters ELIZABETH and SUSANE –
— negros if there be to many of my negro woman named Jeane with ??? self and her two childern Pegg and Wappen and thare encrease betwn this and tim of delivery and if not to memey what there is liven at the time and if thare be more then fore of the sead negros my said Dafters to have which fore thay please to them and hares lawfull begotten of thare one bodys and if my childern that are liven and my will and desire is that shall not recive thare said negros nor devide them tel such time my youngest Dafter SUSANE arrives to the age of eighteen years or the day of marrye only my will and desir is that my Daughter ELIAZBETH shall have the use of the sd. Negro garl Pegg at the day of marrye tel the time of devition then to be equally devided between them likewise I give and bequeath my two Daughters each of them a good ??? furniture and a stone jugg at the day of mariage likewise my will and desir is that if ?? are be a negro or negros of the sd. Jeane and her childern and theire in creese then the fore apinted for my two Daughters to be equilly devided between my two Sons THOMAS and BENJAM and the rest of my estate to be equally divided among my four childern above named likwise I constitute make and ordain my two Sons above named my hole and sole Executere of this my Last Will and Testement and I do utterly dissalow ?????(to dark) testament heretofore as witness my hand and seal above written

                                                                                             JOHN TORKSEY
                                                                                                  His “E” Mark
                                                                                           (the E is backwards)

sined sealed and acknowledge
in presents of us

A BURGES

JOHN WRIGHT
His Mark

ABASANA PURKENS
His Mark

North Carolina
Pasquotank County

April Court Anno Dom 1747
Present His Majesties Justices

There may ?? Wm. Burgess(?) Wright(?) two subscribing Evidones to the within Will appared in Opon Court and made Oath upon Holy Evangelist that they ware presant and saw JOHN TORKSEY sign seal publish (too dark) to be his Last Will & Testament, and that the said JOHN TORKSEY was at said time of sound disposing memory and that they also saw Abasana Perkins the other subscribing ?? sign his name thereto at the same time.Then also approved BENJAMIN TORKSEY Executor and took the Oath appointed for his qualification & ordered (too dark) Honorable N. ?? Esq. Secretary — Notice that letters may issue

Witness Thomas Taylor Clerk of County
Court att Broomfwtosthe(?)

Thos. Taylor Clerk
day of July 1747

Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse

(Transcribed as written, including errors in spelling and grammar.)

 

FRANCIS FLETCHER (1743 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
FRANCIS FLETCHER
1743

I FRANCIS FLETCHES Province of North Carolina and County of Pasquotank (unreadable) of perfect mind and memory blesed be God for the same and calling to mind that is appointed for all men once to dye do ordain constitute and app (torn) this to be my Last Will and Testament revoking disanuling all other wills by me at any other time heretofore made and allowing this only to be my Last Will and Testament.

That is to say first and principally I recommend my soul into the hands of God who gave it hoping for salvation through the mercey and merrits of Jesus Christ my Saviour and my body I comitt unto the earth from whence it was taken to be decently burried at the discretion of my Executrix here after mentioned; and as to what worldly estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give dispose and bequeath of as followeth after all my just debts and funeral expenses are paid and satisfied.

It. I give and bequeath unto my Loving Wife MARGARET FLETCHER all my goods and chattells all my accts. Of out standing (unreadable) and all my estate real and personal to her and her heirs for ever.

Lastly I do nominate constitute and appoint my loving Wife MARGARET FLETCHER my whole and (unreadable) Executrix to this my Last Will and Testament as Witness my hand and seal day and month above (unreadable)

                                                                                          FRANCIS FLETCHER
                                                                                                    His x mark

Signed sealed and delivered
In the presence of us

BENJ. BAPTISTS

JONATHAN LANGATHEN   jurat
His x mark

WILLIAM DELENEY   jurat
His x mark

North Carolina
Pasquotank County

January Court anno Dom 1743
Present His Majesties Justies

These may certifie that JONATHAN LANGATHAN and WILLIAM DELENY two of the subscribing Evidences to the within Will appeared in open Court & made Oath on the Holy Evangelist that they ware Present & saw FRANCIS FLETCHER sign seal publish, declare the within to be & contain his Last Will and Testament and that the said FRANCES FLETCHER was at that time of sound & disposing memory and that they also saw BENJAMIN BAPTIST the other subscribing Evidence sign his name thereto at the same time. Then also appeared MARGARET FLETCHER Executrix in open Court, and took the Oath (unreadable) by law for her Qualification Ordered that the Honorable NATHANIEL RICE Secretary have notice that Letters may issue Date ???? Clerks Office the 25th Day of January 1743.

Test. THO. TAYLOR

Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse
(Transcribed as written, including errors in spelling and grammar.)

 

PHILLIP TORKSEY (1755 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
PHILLIP TORKSEY

February 25, 1755

North Carolina Pasquotank County

I PHILLIP TORKSEY being very sick and weak of body but of perfet sence and memory thanks be to God for it do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in maner form as followeth that is to say first I recominend my soul to God that gave it and my body to the earth to be buried at the descreution of my Exect. Hereafter mentioned.

Itom. I give and bequeth to my beloved Brother ——TORKSEY one two year old hefer.

Itom. I give and bequeth to my beloved Brother JOHN TORKSEY one two year old
heiffer.

Itom. I give and bequith to my beloved Cosen MAIGIL(?) REED(?) one negro boy Daniel at the decese of my Wife to her and her haire for ever.

Itom. I give and bequeth to my well beloved Wife (blacked out) of my estate both rail and pal???.

And I appint and ordain my beloved Wife ELIZEBETH to be my whole and sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament and do utterly disannul all other Wills by me made and acknowledge this to be my Last Will and Testament as witness my hand and seal this twenty fifth day of Feb. 1755.
Elizbeth and ???? was underlined before sined.                                                            

                                                                                             PHILLIP TORKSEY seal

Sined seled and published
In presence of

W. BURGES

ABEL GALLOP jurat Exe. Qualifed

    His “A” Mark

Benjeman Torksey
    His X Mark

North Carolina

Pasquotank County

June Court Anno Dom 1755
Present His Majesties Justices

These may Cortesie that Abel Gallop one of the Evidonce to the within Will appeared in open Court and made Oath that the said PHILLIP TORKSEY sign seal publish and declard the within ???? this Last Will and Testament and that the said PHILLIP TORKSEY was at that time of sound and disposing memory and that —–said the other evidonce sign ???? ???? Then appeared ELIZABETH TORKSEY Executrix and duly qualified as the said ???? that the Honorable Henry McCullock(?) Esq. Secretary Notary(?) that letters ????

Test. Thos. Taylor

PHILLIP TORKSEY WILL
Letters issued
30 of June 1755
in Pasquotank County

Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse
(Transcribed as written, including errors in spelling and grammar.)