Written 1854	Proved 1855

In the name of God, Amen
I Thomas Little of the County of Richmond and State of North Carolina, planter, having lived to an advanced age, and knowing the uncertainty 
of life, and being desirous of disposing of the effects with which God has entrusted me, while I have strength and capacity so to do, I hereby 
make, publish and ordain the following as my last will and testament, in manner and form following, that is to say first, I give my soul to God 
who gave it, and desire that my body shall be decently interred, at the discretion of my surviving friends: and as to my worldly effects I 
dispose of them as follows (to wit)

Item 1st.  I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Little and to her heirs forever, four negroes (to wit,) Little Reau, Caudis, 
Clary, and Dinah.  I also loan unto my beloved wife aforesaid, during her natural life in lieu of her dower, the following property, to wit, 
the one half of all the lands I may die seized and possessed of in the Counties of Richmond and Montgomery in the State of North Carolina, 
except such part as I may herein-after devise to my son John P. Little and my summer residence on "the mountain" in the County of Montgomery,
containing about four acres: also the one third part of all my stock of every kind, my household and kitchen furniture, farming utensils of 
every kind, and also the one third part of whatever crop and provisions I may have on hand at the time of my decease.  I also loan my beloved 
wife aforesaid, during her natural life, a sufficient number of negroes in valuation, including the four negroes above devised, to make an 
amount equal to one fourth of all the negroes I may own at the time of my decease.  I further loan unto my beloved wife as aforesaid, one 
hundred and forty shares of Bank stock, in the "Bank of Wadesborough," North Carolina.  All the aforementioned property, real and personal, 
Bank stock etc loaned as aforesaid, after the death of my wife, I wish distributed as I may herein after direct.

Item 2nd.  It is my will and desire that my beloved wife Elizabeth Little and my son and daughter, Benjamin F. Little and Jane P. Little have 
and enjoy in common, the lot of about four acres of land, with the appurtenances thereunto belonging within Item 2nd of Montgomery, known as 
my summer residence, during the life of my said wife, and at her death, to be and remain in common between my son and daughter Benjamin F. 
Little and Jane P. Little, as a summer residence.

Item 3rd.  I give and bequeath unto my son John P. Little during his natural life, and at his death to be distributed as I may herein-after 
direct, all the lands which I bought from Robert L Steele, situated in the counties of Richmond and Montgomery in the state of North Carolina; 
except three hundred acres of  piney lands:-Two hundred acres of which I wish laid off beginning where P. N. Stanback's line crosses the road 
leading from my plantation to the mountain, and North of the road leading from Little's Mills on Little River to Dumas' ferry, and running with 
the first mentioned road to the corner of the fence inclosing John P Little's summer house at the mountain, and then turning a westerly 
direction with the fence, not crossing the County line however, going far enough to turn a southerly direction so as to join the lands I 
bought from Dudley Mask, and include three hundred acres of land: and the other hundred acres, I wish laid off between the North and South 
prongs of Hamer Creek, in as convenient form as my be, having regard to the interest of all my distributees.  I further give and bequeath to 
my son John as aforesaid during his natural life the following negroes (to wit) Will, Mary, Eli, Dave, Una Jane, Sam, Peter and Jake, all of 
which he has in possession, together with a sufficient number of other negroes, including those above mentioned, to amount in value to the one 
fourth part of all the negroes I may own at the time of my decease.  I also give unto my son John as aforesaid forty seven shares of Bank stock 
in the Bank of Cheraw, South Carolina, and one hundred and twelve shares of Bank stock in the Bank of Wadesborough North Carolina.

Item 4th.  I give and bequeath unto by son Benjamin F. Little and my daughter Jane P. Little all my remaining negroes, being the one half of 
all the negroes I may own at the time of my decease, and also one half of all the lands I may own at the time of my decease, except the lands 
I have devised to my son John in the former part of this my will, and the lot of four acres on the mountain heretofore disposed of, and at the 
death of my wife aforesaid it is my will and desire that my son B. F. Little and daughter Jane P Little have all the lands I have loaned their 
mother in the first and Second items of this my will, to be equally divided between them.  I further give and bequeath unto my son and daughter 
viz [B. F. ?] and Jane P Little two thirds of all my stock of every kind, my household and kitchen furniture, farming utensils of every kind, 
and whatever of crop and provisions I may have on hand at the time of my decease.

Item 5th.  I give and bequeath unto my son Benj. F. Little one hundred and eighty three shares of Bank stock in the Bank at Charlotte North 
Carolina, and thirty one shares of Bank stock in the Bank of Cheraw, South Carolina.
Item 6th.  I give and bequeath unto my daughter Jane P. Little one hundred and twenty two shares of Bank stock in the Bank of Cheraw, South 
Carolina.

Item 7th.  I further give and bequeath unto my son B. F. Little and my daughter Jane P. Little at the death of their mother, all the stock of 
every kind, household and kitchen furniture, farming utensils etc which may be on hand at the time of her decease.

Item 8th.  I give and bequeath unto my sons J. P. Little and B. F. Little and to my daughter Jane P Little, at the death of their mother all 
the negroes with their increase, which I have loaned her in the former part of this my will,  also all the Bank stock I have loaned her in the 
Bank of Wadesborough, North Carolina.  I further give and bequeath unto my two sons and daughter aforesaid, after discharging my funeral expenses 
and the payment of my just debts, if any, which I may owe at the time of my decease, all the balance of my monies, bonds notes etc not heretofore 
devised, together with all the balance of my estate, of whatever kind or nature, which I may own at the time of my death, to be equally divided 
between them, share and share alike.   It is my will and desire at the death of my son John P. Little, that all the property both real and 
personal, including Bank stock, monies, bonds, notes etc which I have devised to him in this my will, together with such other property (if any) 
as may fall to him by reason of a contingency that may happen, consequent upon the further provisions of this my will, - shall be equally divided 
between his two daughters Jane Elizabeth Little and Sarah Ann Little the issue of  his first marriage with Sarah Ann Covington and any other 
issue of the said John P. Little except his son by his second marriage with Fanny Myers (not yet named by him) now about fourteen months of age, 
to whom I leave only five dollars, it being my will and desire that the said son by his second marriage with Fanny Myers shall receive nothing 
above that amount (five dollars) of the property real or personal, monies, bonds, notes etc, which I have loaned to my son John P Little for the 
term of his natural life.  And should all the issue of my said son John die, it is thus my will and desire, that all the property both real and 
personal, including Bank stock, monies, bonds, notes etc, as aforesaid, with all its increase, go to my son B. F. Little, and my daughter Jane 
P. Little, if living, and if dead to their issue if any, and if they have no issue, then to my next of kin.  It is further my will and desire, 
that should either my son B. F. Little, or my daughter Jane P. Little, die without issue, that all the property both real and personal, including 
Bank stock, monies, bonds, notes etc as aforesaid, which I have devised to him or her in this my will, shall then go to the survivor, and my 
son John, if living, and if dead, to his issue, and if he has no issue, then to my surviving son or daughter.  But the issue by his second 
marriage with Fanny Myers, a son not yet named by him, is always and in every case excluded, it being my will & desire that the said son shall 
upon no contingency, receive any portion of the property real or personal which I have herein before devised, further than the amount (five 
dollars) which I have to him bequeathed.  And finally it is my will and desire, that should all my children die leaving no issue, or if leaving 
issue, the issue should die, that all the property both real and personal, including Bank stock, bonds, notes, monies etc which I have devised 
in the various clauses of this my will, after the death of my beloved wife Elizabeth Little, shall descend to my relations by consanguinity 
according to the laws now in force in the state of North Carolina.  For the purpose of carrying the provisions of the foregoing will and 
testament into effect, I hereby nominate constitute, ordain and appoint, my two sons, John P. Little and Benjamin F. Little, my nephew Thomas 
Robinson (of the County of Anson) and my particular friend P. M. Powell, - my executors; hereby making void all former will or wills heretofore 
at any time by me made.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this twenty first day of June, in the year of our Lord one 
thousand eight hundred and fifty four.  Signed, sealed, published and proclaimed by the said Thomas Little, as his last will and testament, in 
the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

Attest	O H Dockery
	W. P. Stanback					Thomas Little   (Seal)
	J. A. H. Parker
	Nathan T. Bowden