Author: Susan Griffin

JOHN HECKLEFEILD (1721 Will)

Will of

JOHN HECKLEFEILD

1721

IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I, John Hecklefeild, of the Precinct of Pequimmons, in the County of Albemarle, in the Province of North Carolina, Gent., being sick & weak of Body, but of sound mind & memory (Blessed be God for the Same) & Knowing ye Certainty of Death, to hereby make, Ordain, Constitute & Appoint this to be my last Will & Testament, hereby revoking & making void all former Wills by me made, & this only to stand & be of force in Law. First & principally I recommend my Soul to God that gave it, hoping and Assuredly trusting in & thro’ the Meritts of my Blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, to obtain full & free pardon of all my Sins; My Body I committ to the Ground to be decently interr’d at the discretion of my Executors hereafter mentioned, according to the manner I buried my last Wife. As for w’t worldly Goods it hath pleas’d God to bestow on me in this Life, I give, devise & bequeath the Same in manner & forme following:

Imprim. I give to the Hon’ble Charles Eden, Esqr., Governor, my Mourning Ring w’th a Death’s Head & y’e Christall

Item. I give to Mr. Edm’d Gale, ye Diamond Rign I formerly us’d to wear, being all Diamonds.

Item. I give to Mr. George Durant one Mourning Ring, value thirty Shillings.

Item. I sett at perfect freedom from all Slavery to be claimed by my Heirs, Executors, &c., my Negro Woman Jane, for her diligent care had of me in my Sickness.

All the Rest, Residue & Remainder of my Estate W’tsoever & wheresoever to be found I give & bequeath to my Son, Hecklefeild, & I further Nominate, make, constitute & appoint Mr. Edmond Gale & Mr. George Durant, Executors of this my last Will & Testam’t, & Guardians to my sd. Son, John Hecklefeild, that they my afors’d Executors shall have the Tuition & Education of my sd. Son until he arrive at the age of Twenty & one years after the best thought manner this Country will admitt.

What Negroes he hath Capable of it, I desire they may be hired yearly to Good paymasters for the better Support of my Sd. Son. And I further desire, that watsoever of his Estate will not be thought Serviceable to him when he shall come of Age, may be disposed of for good pay & converted into Young Negro Women for his use.

But if my sd. Son do die before he be of the Age of Twenty & one years w’ch (by Gods blessing) will be in the year one thousand, Seven Hundred & Thirty seven, then w’t Estate I have by this Will given to him, I give & bequeath as follows, viz: the one half p’t thereof to my Sister in Law, Mrs. Mary Cox, or her heirs, living near Essex Bridge, in Dublin, in Ireland; the other half p’t to Mr. Edm’d. Gale.

In Witness whereof, I hereto set my hand & seal this thirtieth day of May, in ye year of our Lord, 1721.

JOHN HECKLEFEILD (Seal)

Sign’d, Seal’d, publish’d & Declar’d by the Testat’r to be his last Will & Testam’t in Presence of:

WILLIAM BURCLIFT.

           his

DARBY 0 O’BRYAN.

          marke

ENOCH FLOWER.

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NORTH CAROLINA SS. CHARLES EDEN, Esqr., Govern’r &c. Darby O’bryan this day came before me & made Oath that he saw Collo. John Hecklefield, Seal & declare the within Will to be his last Will & Testam’t & y’t Wm. Berclift & Enoch Flower, the other two Evidences thereto were then Present; that ye Sd. Hecklefeild was then of Sound Memory & sign’d the same without any Constraint or compulsion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sett my hand at Chowan, Aug’st ye 8th, 1721.                                                                             CHARLES EDEN.

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Recorded in Will Book 2, page 305, Office of the Secretary of State.

Contributed by Nola Duffy

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RALPH BOOZMAN (1750 Will)

Will of
RALPH BOOZMAN
1750

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. The fift Day of January, In the Year of Our Lord, 1744-5: I, Ralph Boozman, in the County of Perqs., Husband Man, being In good Health and of Perfect Mind and Memory, Thanks be given unto God therefore, calling to mind the mortality of my Body & Knowing that it is Appointed for all men to Dye, do make & Ordain this my Last Will and Testiment: that is to Say, principally, and first of all, I give & Recommend my Soul Into the Hands of God yt gave it; And for my Body I Recommend it to ye: Earth, to be Buried In a Christien like & Decent Manner, at the Discretion of my Exs. And as Touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me with in this Life, I Give, Devise, & Dispose of the Same In the following manner and firm:

Imprimis. It is my Will & I do Order, That in the first place, all my Just Debts and Funeral Charges be paid & Satisfied.

Item. I Give and Bequeath unto my Dearly beloved Sister, Mary Bullock, all & Singular the Lands, Messuagis and Tenements, to her, and after her Decease, to the Children of Joseph Bullock, and Thomas Bullock, (That is to Say) the Heirs of the sd: Joseph Bullock & Thomas Bullock, Whom I Likewise Constitute, make and Ordain my Sole Exs. of this my Last will & Testiment.

Item. I Give & Bequeath unto Sarah the Daughter of my Sister, Mary Bullock, five pounds, Current money of this Province, & a Cow & Calf.

Item. I Give & Bequeath unto my Beloved Sister, Mary Bullock, all my Household Goods and Moveables, and after her Decease to the Children of Joseph Bullock & Thomas Bullock as aforesd: And I do hereby Utterly Disallow, Revoke, and Disannul all and Every Other former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, Deed or Deeds of Gifts, and Exs: by me In any Ways before this Time Named, Willed and Bequeathed. Rat- ifying, and Confirming this and No Other, to be my Last Will and Testiment.

In witness whereof, I Have hereunto Set my Hand and fixt my Seal the Day and Year above Written.

the mark of RALPH R BOOZMAN. (Seal)

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced, and Declared by the Said Ralph Boozman as his Last Will and Testiment, In the presence of us the Subscribers, Vizt:

JOSHUA HOBART. (Seal)

Jurt. JAMES SITTESON, Junr. (Seal)

                        her

Jurt. HANNAH   H   SITTESON. (Seal)

                      mark

NORTH CAROLINA, PERQUIMANS COUNTY. SS. January Court, anno Dom, 1750. Present His Majestys Justices:

Then was the within will proved in Open Court by the Oaths of James Sitterson, and Hannah Sitterson, in due form of law and at the Same time Thomas Bullock, Executor to the Within will, was duly Qualified by taking the affirmation by law appointed to be taken by Executors. Ordered that the Secretary or his Deputy of said province have Notice that Letters Testamentory issue thereon as the law Directs.

Test. EDMUND HATCH, Gler. Cur. __________________________________

Copied from Original Will filed in the Office of the Secretary of State.

Contributed by Nola Duffy

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BENJAMIN BATEMAN (1780 Will)

Will of 

BENJAMIN BATEMAN

1780

In the Name of God amen this Second day of July One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty I Benjamin Bateman being in sound mind and memory do make this my Last will & Testament as follows Item I lend to my wife Mary the use of all my lands and also all my Estate to her use During her widowhood and after marriage – my will and desire is my hole Estate ???? and Equally divided between my wife & four children to theirs and their heirs forever. I leave my wife Mary & Joseph Mullen my Executux & Executor to this my Last will & Testament. Benjaman Bateman (Seal) ______________________________________________

From: NC State Archives, Perquimans Co. Wills 1711-1909,

C.R.077.801.1. Bateman, Benjamin, 1780.

Contributed and transcribed by Ellis Bateman ______________________________________________

CALEB CALLAWAY (1706 Will)

Will of

CALEB CALLAWAY

1706

PEQUIMONS IN NORTH CAROLINA:

I, Caleb Callaway, being Sick And weak of body, butt, through the marcy of the Lord, in Sound and perfect mind And memory, And Considering ye Certainty of Death and not Knowing the time it may pleas him to take mee hence, Doe make and Ordayne this my Last will and testament, first revoking All former will or wills by mee made, Doe Ordayne this only to Stand & remaine As my Last will And Testament As follows:

Itm. I Give and bequeath Unto my Son, Josua Callaway, the first Child that Shall bee hereafter borne by my negrow girle named Ruth, (wch negrow Girle is wth my Daughter, Rachell, And her husband, John Wiatt) that Lives to bee two years and Half, and the Sd mother being to nurse the Sd Child tell it is Come to that Age, & then to bee Delivered to my Sd. Son, Josua, or his assins, by John Wiatt.

tt. I allso give to my afore Sd. Son, Josua, All my Coopers tools.

It. I Give Unto my Grand Daughter, Eliz: Wiatt, the Daughter of John Wiatt, when Shee Come to Age, Or Att the Day of marriage, her Choyse of Any one of the rest of the Children that shall bee born one my afore Sd. negrow Girle, Named Ruth. I allso give to my Sd. Grand Daughter, the first mare fould that Either of my two mare brings, to run for her Use and to bee in her Fathers Custody. And In Case Any of the Increas of the Sd mare fould Shall Grow Up fitt for saile, my will is that my Son in Law, John Wiatt, Shall have liberty to Sell the Same for Good Housold Stuf, for my More Sd. Grand Child Use.

It. It is my will that my aforeSd. negrow Girle named Ruth, bee and remain wth my Daughter, Rachell, and her Husband John Wiatt, for & During theer naturall Lifes, And yt they Shall Have ye whole profit of hir Labour, and After theare Deces, then if the Sd negrow Girle Shall bring more Children then is before Given, then Shee and Those Children to bee Equally Devided Among Such other Children as shall bee beegat hereafter one my aforeSd Daughter, Rachell, by her Husband John Wiatt.

It. I Give to my Loving wife, Elizabeth, if Shee stands to this my will, All my Stock of sheep and one mare, And Hors, her Choyse out of my stock of Horses.

It. I Give to my Son, Josua Callaway, one full third partt of All the rest of my Personal Estate yt remains, besides wt is already Given. It is also my will yt in Case my Son Josua, will him Self in p’son Come And Live One my Plantation in Yawpim Creek, that he Shall now forth wth have ye one Half of Cleare ground, and half ye Barn, & Half ye Benefitt of ye Orchard, butt in Case yt my Son Dus nott Come himself, then he Shall nott putt a tennat theare During his mothers Widowhood.

It. The Other Half of my Plantation, wth All the rest of the Houses thereon, & Half the Orchard, I appoynt And Hereby Ordr. that my Afore Sd wife, Eliz:, Shall have the Use of During her widowhood; butt in Case yt my Sd wife Shall marry a Husband, then it is my will yt my Plantation bee Indeferantly Devided into three parts, my Sd wife to Choos one third part During her naturall Life, And my Son forthwth to Enter on the other two Third parts.

It. I Allso hereby Apoynt yt ye other two third parts of my Personal Estate not Already Given, Shall bee and remain in the hands of my Sd Lo: wife, Eliz:, So long as Shee remains a widow, butt in Case Shee marries a Husband, then my will is yt my Son, Josua Callaway, Shall Have one third part of those two Thirds in her Hands. And in Case that my Sd wife Shall Die a widow, Soe yt the two thirds of my Sd personall Estate lies in her Hands Dureing her naturall life, then my will is yt those two thirds of my Estate in my Sd wifes possesion Att her death, Shall bee my Son Josua Callaways, And his Heys: for Ever, together wth all my reall Estate of Lands, Houses &:

It. I Do Appoynt my Son, Josua Callaway, my Sole Exec- utors of this my Last will and testament, hereby requiring him to See All my Just Debts in the first place Satisfied Oute of my Estate. In Confermacion of wch, I have here Unto Sett my hand And Seale, this 10 Day of Jun., Ano:, 1706.

CALEB SALLO WAY. (Seal)

Sealed & Delivered in presents of:

THOMAS LONG    his mark.

JOHN BARROW.

ANTHONY A WHERRY.    his mark

parte Enterlined by me, Caleb Salloway.

Memd. added: It tis my will that my Daughter, Elizabeth, have a yong Cow delivered to her Father, for my grandaughter owne estate, and her Father to have the same Liberty to dispose of the Increas of the Cow, as of the mairs Colt.

As witness my hand, this 13 day of June, 1706.

CALEB SALLOWAY. __________________________________

Proved in Court by the Oaths of Thomas Long & Anthony Wherry.

This 13th Day of July, Anno Dom. 1706. Test. THO: SNODEN, Cl. Cur.

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Copied from Original Will, filed in the Office of the Secretary of State.

Contributed by Nola Duffy

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JONATHAN BATEMAN (1802 Will)

Will of
JONATHAN BATEMAN
1802

In the name of God Amen Jonathan Bateman of the county Perq being very sick but of a perfect mine and memory Praised be God do make this my Last will and Testament as followith the in/irimis. My will is that my funeral carges and other Just Debts be paid.

Item unto my Loving wife Sarah Bateman four cows the choise of my Stock of Cattle also one Mare the above gifts to my wife She May Dispose of as She May think propper.

Item Leave my son John Bateman Ten Shillings to him and the heirs of his body Lawfully begotten.

Item I give my wife one feather Bed which I did not think of in the above gifts for her to Dispose of as She may think propper. All the rest of my estate shall be sold by my Excr and the money arising there from to be Eaqually between My wife and Two Daughters, Nancy Stone & Martha Bateman. Caritty?? Leonstatute?? and appoint my friends John Smith & Thos Whedber? Executors To this my Last will Testament in witness

Document Let My hand & Seal.

This 10 Day of Febr, 1802. Jonathan Bateman

Witness Mariam Smith (X) her mark

Recorded: May Term Court, 1802.

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From: NC State Archives, Perquimans Co. Wills 1711-1909

C.R.077.801.1. Bateman, Jonathan, 1802

Contributed and transcribed by Ellis Bateman

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SARAH DAIL JORDAN (1934 Will)

Will of

SARAH DAIL JORDAN

1934

North Carolina,
Perquimans County,

I, Sallie D. Jordan, of Perquimans County, North carolina, being of sound mind and memory, but knowing the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, do make, publish and declare this paper writing, to be my last will and testament. hereby revoking and making void all and any will heretofore at any time made by me in manner and form as follows:

Item first: I give, devise and bequeth to my beloved son, William Kenneth Jordan, all my property, both real, personal and mixed, whereverfound to him and his heirs forever, provided, however, that should the said Wm. Kenneth Jordan die before he arrives at the age of twenty-one years, unmarried, and leaving no child or children, then and in that event, I give all the said property to my brother, Wm. E. Dail, my two sisters Pearl Hunter and Lizzie Nixon, to them and their heirs forever, share and share alike.

In testimony whereof, the said Sallie D. Jordan has hereunto set her hand and seal this the 2nd. day of November, 1917.

Sallie D. Jordan ( seal )

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Sallie D. Jordan, to be her last will and testament, in our presence who, at her request, in her presence and in presence of each other, subscribe our names hereto as witnesses.

L. W. Norman

Charles Whedbee

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North Carolina,
Perquimans County,

R.M. Riddick, Jr. and Wm. H. Hardcastle, each being duly sworn, deposes and says that he is well acquainted with the handwriting of L. W. Norman, one of the subscribering witnesses to the paper writing puporting to be the will of Sallie D. Jordan, deceased, which is hereto attached, dated the end. day of November, 1917, having often seen him write, and that the name of the said L. W. Norman subscribed as a witness to said will is in the genuine handwriting of the said L.W. Norman; and each affiant further swears that he is well acquainted with the handwriting of Sallie D. Jordan, deceased, whose will the attached paper writing. dated the 2nd. day of November, 1917, purports to be, having often seen her write, and that the name of the Sallie D. Jordan subscribed to said will is in the genuine handwriting of the said Sallie D. Jordan.

R. M. Riddick, Jr.

Wm. H. Hardcastle

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21st. day of November, 1934

H. G. Winslow
Clerk Superior Court.

It is therefore considered and adjudged by the court, that the said paper writing and every part thereof is the last will and testament of Sallie D. Jordan, deceased. Let said will, together with the probate, be recorded and filed. This Nov. 21st. 1934

H. G. Winslow

North Carolina In the superior Court
Perquimans county Before the Clerk

In the matter of the will )
of Sallie D. Jordan, deceased.)
The paper writing hereto attached and purporting to be the last will and testament of Sallie D. Jordan, deceased, is exhibited before me the undersigned, Clerk of the Superior Court of Perquimans County, North Carolina, by Wm. Kenneth Jordan, the beneficiary therein named, and thereupon the following proof thereof is taken by the oath and examination of Chas. Whedbee, one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, and of R. M. Riddick, Jr., and Wm. H. Hardcastle, as follows:

North Carolina,
Perquimans County.

Chas. Whedbee, being duly sworn, disposes and says that he is a subscribing witness to the said paper writing now shown him, purporting to be the last will and testament of Sallie D. Jordan, and that he saw Sallie D. Jordan, execute ( or heard Sallie D. Jordan, acknowledge the execution of ) this writing as her last will and testament, and that affiant attested it in the presence and at the request of Sallie D. Jordan, deceased;and that at the time of its execution said Sallie D. Jordan was in
affiant’s opinion of sound mind and disposing memory. Affiant further swears that L. W. Norman, the other subscribing witness to said will, signed the same as witness in the presence of affiant, and that affiant saw him sign the same, and that said L. W. Norman is now dead.

Chas. Whedbee

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21st day of November, 1934

H. G. Winslow
Clerk Superior Court

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Contributed by Katherine Jordan

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