Source: Year Book – Volume 2 – Pasquotank Historical Society – Elizabeth City, N.C.
Edited by John Elliott Wood (1958).
Tag: Burgess
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.)
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.)
CHARLES WRIGHT (1772 Will)
Will of
CHARLES WRIGHT
1772
In the name of God amen.
The seventeenth day of January one thousand seven hundred and seventy two I Charles Wright of the county of Pasquotank and province of North Carolina planter, being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory God be thanked and calling to mind the frailty and mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed once for all men once to die. Do make and ordain this my last will and testament and as touching this worly estate whence with it hath pleased God to bless me within this life I give and dispose of in the manner and form following.
Item: I give and bequeath to my loving wife Anna Wright two negroes to wit F__ and Genne, also two good feather beds and furniture, one fifteen bottle case and one safe and one bead chest and one looking glass, one ball faced mare and one rone horse and one young halton named Jockey and all my hogs and two cows and calves, four ewes, one large puter dish and one half gallon bason and one small quart bason and all at he earthen ware and all my chairs and one small oval table and one eight gallon pot and one four gallon pot, one tea kettle and one baking kettle and one dutch wheel and one great wheel and pr cards and one dozen spoons. Also I leave to my beloved wife Anna the use of my houses and plantation whereon I live and timber to support it during her widowhood. Also I leave to my said wife the use of my negro boy Lemeck during her wodowhood.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Auguston Wright on condition he shall make over all his right in the land I shall mention and I give to his other brothers, to each one he shall make a title and also to make over his right in that part I give to his sister he compling with the above conditions. Then I give to my said son Auguston Wright and his heirs forever one hundred acres of land be the same more or less buted and bounded by a ditch across the plantation and a branch to the beaver dam and from the ditch down chesnut oak glade to Smiths line and if my sd son Auguston Wright shall refuse to comply with the above condition. Then I give and bequeath the aforesaid land to be equally divided between his other brothers born of Mary my first wife. Also I give to my sd son Auguston Wright one bay mare and several other things he has all ready in his possession.
Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Cartwright a piece of land called Sattle neck binding on the beaver dam and across the mouth for fifty acres of land be the same more or less to her and her heirs forever and one cow and calf and all that I have given her in possession. Also I give to my Dughter Elizabeth one negro girl named Dol.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Levy Wright one young sarrol horse. Also I leave to my aforesaid son Levy the use of fifty acres of land lying in Richneck binging on the beaver dam during his natural life and after his decease to my son Auguston Wright to him and his heirs forever. Also I give to my sd son Levy one feather bed and furniture and one small gun.
Item: I give and bequeath to my two sons Charles Wright and Lot Wright the remainder of my land that is not given away to be equally divided between them and their heirs forever. Lot having his part in the plantation that I have reserved to my wife. Also I give to my sd two sons each of them a feather bed and same furniture. Also I give to my son Charles Wright two three year old heifers. Also I give to my son Lot Wright two two year old heifers. Also I give after my wifes decease or marriage one negro boy named Lemeck equally to my two aforesaid sons Charles and Lot Wright. Also I give to my son Charles one large gun.
Item: I give and bequeath to my son Zecekiah Wright one negro boy named Luke.
Item: I give and bequeath to my daughters Alameth Wright, Anna Wright and Miriam Wright one negro girl named Hagan and her increase to be equally divided among the aforesaid girls when the youngest comes to age of twenty one or would have come to that age.
Item: I leave the remainder of my estate to my wife Anna Wright in consideration for her to raise my five youngest children and pay all my just debts and also constitute and appoint my loving wife and John Squires executor and executrix to this my last will and testament. Ratifying and confirming this and no other to contain my last will and testament and I do disanul and revoak other will or wills made by me in witness here of I have here unto set my hand and seal.
Charles Wright (seal)
Signed, sealed, published and declared by me Charles Wright to be my last will and testament in presence of:
Isaac Gilford, jurat
William Wright jur.
Asa Burgess
Contributed by Harry Schoettle