Will of
THOMAS BELL
1733
NORTH CAROLINA, SS.
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. I, Thomas Bell, of Albemarle County, Gentn., being of Sound and Perfect mind and memory, doe make, Ordaine, constitute and declare these presents to be and contain my last Will and Testiament, hereby revokeing & makeing Null and Void all former and other Wills by me heretofore made or declared.
Imprimis. I give devise and bequeath unto my Cousen, William Bell, and to his Heirs for ever, all my Tract of Land called Matthew’s Point in Perquimains Precinct.
Item. I give devise and bequeath unto my Cousen, Thomas Bele, Son to my Brother, John Bele, and to his Heirs for ever Fifteen Acres of Land out of my Tract of Land joyning on Kendricks Creek, it being the Tract of Land on which I now live, and to be laid out according to the discretion of my Execut’s hereafter named, so as to take in & include the Plantation that is cleared & the House now built at the Back Landing; Also Two hundred Acres of Land more to be laid out by my Executo’s as aforesaid so as to joyne on the deep Runn & Swamp or division between my land and Mr. Cullen Pollocks & so as not to take in or include my Plantation that is Cleared at the deep Runn.
Item. I give devise and bequeath unto my Cousens, Ann & Jane, the Children of my Brother, John Bell, the Sum of Fifty Pounds (the currancy of this Country) to each, to be paid unto them Severaly as they shale arrive to full age or day of Marriage which shall first happen.
Item. It is my Will that my Executs. hereafter named or the survivor of them doe see that out of the profitts annualy arriseing by my Estate, they doe maintain & Educate my Cousins, Thomas, and Anne, Children of my Brother, John, in as handsome and good a manner as may be.
Item. Is my Will that ale the residue of my Estate boath real & personal be and remain unto my Loveing Wife, Elizabeth, dureing her life, and after her dcease unto my Cosen, William Mackey, & his heirs for ever. Provided & be it here- by understood that if my Cousen, William Mackey, shall depart this life before my Wife; or dye without Heirs lawfully begotten by him, that then all my said Estate boath real & Personal be and remain (after the Decease of my Wife) unto my Cousen, Thomas Bell, the Son of my Brother, John Bell & his Heirs for ever.
Item. It is my Will that no Sale be made of any Slaves or Stock, but that my Estate be kept intire as it now is as near as possible dureing ye life of my Loving Wife, Elizabeth, excepting my Sloop which I leave to the discretion of my Executors hereafter named to employ or dispose of as they shall think most proper.
Lastly, I doe make Nominate & appoint my Loveing Wife, Elizabeth, and Loveing Cousen, William Mackey, to be Executrix & Executor of this my Will & Teastiament whome I desire to see all Parts of this my Will performed. In Testimony whereof, I, the said Thomas Bell, have here- unto put my hand & Seale this Eleventh day of December, One thousand, Seven hundred & Thirty three.
THOS. BELL. (Seal.)
Signed, Sealed, Published & declared to be my last Will & Testiament (being Interlined, with ye words [after ye Decease of my Wife]) in Presence of us.
SAML. DURRANCE.
W. DOWNING,
her
HANAH H GIRKIN.
marke
CHOWAN, Sc. January Court, 1733. The within Will of Thomas Bell was in Open Court proved by the Oath of William Downing, one of the Subscribing Evidences thereto.
Test. MOSELEY VAIL, Cler. 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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