The Will of John Burnham
North Carolina }
Pasquatank County }
January Inferior Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions
Present his Majesty Justices
This may certify that John Rich, one of the subscribing evidences, to the within will appeared in open court and made oath on the Holy Evangelist that he was present, & saw the within named John Burnham dec’d, sign, seal, publish, pronounce, and declare, the within writing to be, and contain his last will and testament, and that he was at that time of sound and desposing mind and memory, and that he also saw Caleb Nash and Timothy Green the other subscribing evidences, sign their names then to at the same time. Then appeared David Burnham, excutor and was duly qualified ordered that the Hon’ble Benj. Heron Esq. benetary ? have notice that letter in May ??. Test Tho.Taylor Jr. Co. Clk
Registered the 11th day of March A.D. 1765 in book 1 fo. (44) Tho. Taylor Jr. Co. Clk
In the name of God Amen, the sixteenth Day of March one thousand seven hundred & sixty four.
I John Burnham of the county of Pasquatank, in the province of North Carolina. being sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory, do make & ordain this my last will & testament. that is to say princepally & first of all I give & recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it & my body I recommend to the earth to be decently buried, & as touching such worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give, demise, and dispose of in the following manner and form.
Item, I give to my son John Burnham my negro man named Abraham
Item, I give to my son Joshua Burnham my negro garl named Meriam and one hundred acres of land on the Northermost part of my New pattant ? to him and his heirs forever.
Item, I give to my son John Burnham sixty acres of land joining to Joshua Burnham to him and his heirs forever.
Item, I give to my son David Burnham sixty acres of land joining to Joshua & John Burnham it being the southernmost part of my new pattant ? & joining Joseph Jones land, to him and his heirs forever, and my negro man named Aron & the plantation & land where I now live & all I have adjoining to it be the same more or less to him and his heirs forever. (This line I can’t read part of it but it is still about David) hogs and one pewter basin, two puter plates & my two negro garls named Fiph and Eve to him and his heirs forever, also two fether beads & furniture & one hand mill and my gun
Item , I give to my daughter Elizabeth Burnham twenty pounds to be paid her by David Burnham in cattle or hogs or any kind of provision or clothing as her nessiby? shall require or five pounds per year til the Legeuies? be paid.
Item, I give to my grandson Timothy Burnham one cow and calf to be delivered him by David Burnham
Item, I give to my son David Burnham my stibynd? and best pot, I also appoint my son David Burnham to take care of my wife, his mother to maintain her ??? her life & I give to my son David Burnham all the remaining part of my estate that is not allready given for that purpose. Here I do make , constitute & appoint my son David Burnham my whole & soul Excutor of this my last will & testament & I do utterly disalow, revoke, & disanull every other former will or testament ever before made by me Ratifying and confirming this & no other to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the day and year above written, signed, sealed, published, pronounced, and declared by, John Burnham as his last will and testament in the presents of the subscribers.
Caleb Nash
John Burnham (seal )
John Rich Jr.
Timothy Green Executor qualified
Contributed and transcribed by Vera Burnham