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JOHN FRESHWATER (1753 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OF
JOHN FRESHWATER
April 9, 1753

Know ye that I JOHN FRESHWATER of the County of Pasqutank being sick & week in body but of sound mind and memory thanks be to God. Theirfore calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain thease preseats to contain my Last Will and Testament that is to say first of all I gave and recommend my soul unto the hands of God that gave it and my body to the Earth to be buried in desent Christain maner at the discretion of my Executors hearafter named and as touching such worldly estate whear with it hath pleased God to bles me with in this life I gave devise dispose of the same in the following manner and form this 9 Day of Aprel 1753.

Item. I gave and bequath unto my Sun WILLIAM ARMSTED one platashon lying in Richman County with all the land thereunto belonging to him and his heirs or assigns for ever.

Item. I gave and bequave unto my Sun JOHN FRESHWATER one plantashon lyin on the ??? Richman lying on mastiey(?) ??? to him and his heirs or assigns for ever.

Item. I gave and bequath unto my loving Wife all remirter part of my estate to her during her life and then to bee equaly devided between all my children WILLIAM ARMSTED FRESHWATER and my Sun JOHN and ELIZABETH and my Dafter FRANCES ARMSTED FRESHWATER and my after of ??? after my just debts and funrer charges be ??? my loving Wife ELIZABETH FRESHWATER and my Sun WILLIAM ARMSTED FRESHWATER Executor and Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament, I do hear by disllow revoke disnull all and every other former testaments wills ??? Excutors by me in any wise before named willed and bequath ratifing and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament in witness whear of I set my hand and seal the day and year above written

                                                    JOHN FRESHWATER

Test. JOSEPH PENDELTON
ABRAHAM HOSEA

North Carolina
Pasquotank County
July Court Anno Dom 1753

Present his Majestys Justises

These may Certifie that ABRAHAM HOSEA one of the Evidences to the within will appeared in open Court & made Oath on the Holy Evangelist that he was present & saw JOHN FRESHWATER sign seal publish & declare the within to be & contain his Last Will & Testament & that he the said JOHN FRESHWATER was at that time of sound & disposing memory & that he also saw JOSEPH PENDLETON & ANN PENDLETON the other Evidences sign their names thereto at the same time then appeared ELIZABETH FRESHWATER Executrix & was duly Qualified as such ordered
that the Honorable JAMES MURRAY Esq. Secretary have notice that Letters may issue thereon as the law directs dated at the Clerks office the 11th Day of July Anno Dom 1753

Test. THOS. TAYLOR ck.court

True Coppy Test. THO. TAYLOR JA. MURRAY

Letters iss’d the 6th day of 8ber 1753

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

 

PETER “PIERRE” FOURRE (1697 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OF
“PIERRE” PETER FOURRE
August 6, 1697

In the name of God the Father, Sonne, & Holy Ghost

I PETER FOURRE of the County aforesd being now in perfect sence & memory though ??firme & sick in my body, considering de certainty of death & not
nowing the time & hour thereof have made appointed & declared this my Last
Will & Testament this 6th day of Agust 1697 as follows——

Imprimis. I recommend & give my Soul unto the mercifull hands of my Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ & appoint my body to be decently interred at the discretion of my excor. After named firmly believing & hoping the resurrection reuniting of my ?? Soul through the meritt of our Lord & Saviour & of my worldly & temporal estate which God hath given me I will & dispose as follows.

2ly. I give & bequeath unto my loving Wife my lands & livings & all Iam ponen(?) with all during her life time——

3ly. And after her decease I give & bequeath my plantation & land & what belong to it unto my Sonne JOHN FOURRE & for the movables within & without the door that shall be left after my Wife’s decease to be divided as followeth.

4ly I give my Daughter NICHOLE one shiling

5ly I give unto my Daughter MARGUERIT one shiling

6ly I give unto my Daughter MARY one haffer of about three years old

7ly If JOHN FOURRE my Sonne should die without heirs then my plantation & land belongin to it should fall unto my Daughter ESTER FOURRE.

Lastly I will & appoint CATHERINE FOURRE my beloved Wife above named my Executrix of this my Last Will and Testament witness my hand & seal this 6th of Agust 1697

                                                                                    PIERRE FOURRE

Signed sealed & declared
In presence of

ANTHONY MARCHHUM
His “A M” hand

FRANCIS DE LA MARE

If it be the Lords will that my Wife & I should dye before that my Daughter ESTHER be of age I will that she should live & stay wth. Her God Mother Mrs. ELIZABETH HUNT untill that she be of age & that also she should look after what soever should belong to my said Daughter ESTHER.

We have heard PIERRE FOURRE speak the words of this g:vh Article & desired FRANC DELAMARE to write it as his will the 15 of ??? 1697

FRANCIS DE LA MARE

???
(Note can’t make out this subscribers name)

Transcriber’s note:The County is listed as Albemarle but I believe it belongs with what later became Pasquotank County

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

 

JOHN FOURRE (1732 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OF
JOHN FOURRE
March 13, 1730

In ye name of God Amen I JOHN FOURRE being Anchant & Old but of perfict sence and memory thanks be to God for same knowing ye uncertainty of his(sic) life here on earth doth think it fitt to dispose of what world ye goods which God of his great mercy hath (torn) onst me I do appoint this my Last Will and Testament first & foremost I bequeave my soul to God my Creater with a shour and sertain hope to receive full pardon of all my Sins through ye death of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ & my body to ye earth from it was taken to be buried (unreadable) such dessent manner is my Ext. hereafter named shall think (unreadable)

Imprimis. I give and bequath to my beloved Son JOHN(?) ISAAC FOURRE ye manner plantation where I now live to him and his heirs and a nego gearll named Darkess with one horse named Roger and three cowes and calves ye he is possessed already.

Item. I give and bequath to my beloved Daughter ELIZABETH FOURRE half of one plantation which I bote of FRANCES DELAMAR with one nego woman named Nan to hir and hir heirs with three cowes and calves

Item. I give and bequave to my beloved Daughter MA??ER FOURRE ye other half
of ye plantation I bote of FRANCES DELAMAR to be equally divided between ye two gearll with a melater gearll named ??? and three cowes & calves to hir & hir heirs.

I give to my beloved Son NATHANIELL FOURRE ye plantation where JOHN MASON now lives att ye mouth of Lettell River with one nego gearl named Hanour with three cowes and calves, two him & his heirs

Item. I give and bequath to my Sister MARY SORRY one young mare

Item. I give & bequath unto my beloved Wife one nego boy named Tom with ye plantation I now live on during her life and all ye movbles with in dors and without that is to say hoses & marse cattell and sheep & hogges two hir (unreadable) dispossing and all so I do appoint my beloved Wife and my well belove Son NATHANELL FOURRE and ordain them my only soule exectors to this my Last Will and Testament as witness my hand this thidteen day of March in year of our Lord 1730 and in the fourth year of ye Reign of King George ye Second King of Great Briton France and Irland Defender of ye faith

JN. FOURRE

Sined sealed and delivered
In ye presente of us

JN. MILLS

JOHN COOPER(?)

THOMAS CORRG
     His x mark

Pasquotank prect. Aprile Co. 1732
The above will was proved by ye Evidences in open Court
Test. WM. ????

Lres grant. 5th May 1732

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

 

CORNELIUS FOREHAND (1728 Will)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
OF
CORNELUIS FOREHAND
February 24, 1727

In ye name of God Amen ye twenty forth day of February in ye year of our lord 1727. I CORNELUIS FOREHAND of Northest parish of Pasqutank being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory Thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind ye mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into ye hands of God that gave it and for my body I recommend it to ye earth to be buried as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following maner and form .

Imprimis. I give and bequeath to ELIZATH my dearly beloved Wife one bed and
furniture together with all my household goods and moveables.

Item. I give to my well be loved Son JOHN FOREHAND my gun one cowe name ming (?) with all her increes

Item. I give to my well be loved Son CORNELUIS FOREHAND fifty eakers of
land at ye head of my land jining to AMES(?) line

Item. I give to my well be loved Son JAMES FOREHAND my dwelling plantasion with fifty eakers of land belonging to it and one cow named trumpet.

Item. I give to my well beloved Dafter ELIABETH FOREHAND one cow named ????? and a date chare(?)

Item. I give to my well be loved Son THOMAS FOREHAND two cows ???? to my
well beloved Son RICHARD FOREHAND one cowe

I give to my well be loved Dafter MARY FOREHAND (nothing left to her)

Item. I give to my well beloved Wife ELIZABETH FOREHAND whom I likewise constitute make and ordain my only and sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament. All & Rest of my eastate by having to be possessed and enjoyed and I do hereby utterly disan(torn) revoke and disanul all and every other former (torn) testaments Wills and confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament in witness (torn) I have here unto set my hand and seal ye day and year above written.

                                                                                               CORNELUIS FOREHAND
                                                                                                      His x mark

WILLIAM PHILLIPS(?)
    His x mark

JOHN KIGHT
    His “J” mark

This day came befor me ELIZBETH FOREHAND and made oath on ye Holy evangelis to full fill within mentioned Will this 26(?) day of July in 1728

JOHN SOLLEY

Pasquotank
July Court 1728
The within Will was proveth in open Court by the Evidences of ISAAC JONES, WM. PHILIPS and JOHN KIGHT
Test. R. EVERARDE(?)

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