THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
JOHN ARMOUR
March 21, 1728
In the name of God Amen.
The Twenty first day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty Eight Nine. I JOHN ARMOUR of the precinct of Pasquotank and provence of North Carolina. ????being very sick & weak in body but perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God for the same. Therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my Last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in decent Christian (rest of page torn)
Item. I give and bequith unto JOHN DAVIS my former Wifes Brother twenty five acres of land held by aplot to him and his heirs for ever proved that if it should ?? that my Daughter MARY shall have the refusall of it
Item. I give and bequoth unto my Loving Wife two negroe men named Dick and Tom to her and her heirs for ever Likwise Little Sarah and Hannah as afore said for ever.
Item. I give and bequoth unto my Son(?torn) ARMOUR one negroe boy named Perry, one negroe garl named Silive as also one negroe girl named Amo to him and his heirs for ever.
Item. I give and bequoth unto my Daughter ANN one negroe boy named Harry one negroe boy named Jack and one negroe girl named Jane to her and her heirs for ever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my Daughter MARY one negroe boy named Stephen two negroe girls named Frank and Rase to her and her heirs for ever.
Item. I give and bequeath to my Wife one negroe woman named Great Sarah and all her children that which she shall bare hearafor I give to my Son I give her also three horses named Jocky Trip & Capor as also one mare branded with “DB” and her increase to her and her heirs for ever.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my Son a young mare of a dark bay as also a yong horse with a bold face and branded with my brand on the rear side with my with my brand.
Item. I give to my Daughter ANN one horse named Durgin as also one black mare brand on the far butock with an “ “ sid Wife a the spade mare.
Item. I give to my Daughter MARY one ???? horse named Jerky one old mare named Bony branded with “IA” and one black mare of four years old and their increase for ever.
Item. I give to my Wife one flone(?) horse named Pot(?)
Item. I to WILLIAM DAVIS my former Wifes Brother old est heffer at Griffin Swamp mark with a peak in right ear and crop in the left to him with her increase
Item. I give unto my two Daughters ANN and MARY all the rest of the cattle of the above said mark that can be found viz. a peek in the right ear & a crop in the left both them and their increase to be equally divided at the time of mariage.
Item. I give unto my Wife three yoke of oxen ——-(smudged) the hears(?) weth a crop affixt one on Rool(?) nick right ear and a crop and an und or Rool in the left to her own proper use and I give rest of my cattle to my Wife and Son to be divided at her discretion.
Item. I give to my two Daughters ANN and MARY each four ewes and a ram to be delivered to them at the time of marriage and the remainder of the sheep I give to my Wife.
Item. I give unto my two Daughters each of them a bead and furniture to be delivered to them at their marriage.
Item. I give my Son one bead and furniture to be delivered to him at the age of eighteen years.
Item. I give to each of my Daughters a two gallon pot.
Item. I give to my Son a Cullos and a gun.
Item. I give my Daughter ANN a trunk and a small bose.
Item. I give to my Daughter MARY a small chest.
I give and bequeath all the rest of my estate to my true and loving Wife whom I appoint and nominat to be my executor together with her Father Mr. DAVID BAILY my ???? of this my Last Will and Testament containing three sides of paper and I doe hereby utterly disalow revoke and disannull all and every other former wills to??? By me ??? before made. Ratifying & confirming this and only this to be my Last Will and Testament in witness I have now unto set my hand and seal the day and year before mentioned.
JOHN ARMOUR
Signed sealed and Delivered published Pronounced by
JOHN ARMOUR to be
His Last Will and Testament
In presence of
–Transcriber’s Note: This part of page seems to be missing there are no witnesses nor is there a probate date only that it was in March Court.
Contributed and transcribed by Judy Merrell Brickhouse
(Transcribed as written, including errors in spelling and grammar.)