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Colony of North Carolina
Tyrrell County
Dated 24 March 1754
In the name of God amen, this twenty fourth day of March seventeen hundred and fifty four; I Matthew Casewell of Tyrrell County in the Province of North Carolina planter being sick and weak in body, but of sound and perfect memmory thanks be give to God for the same therefore calling to mind the mortallity of my body & knowing it is apointed for all men once to die; do make and ordain this my Last will and Testament in the form & manner following: That is to say principaly and first of all I recommend my Soul into the hands of God who gave it me & my body to the Earth to be buried in a decent Christain burial at the decression of my Executors hereafter named. And as touching such worldly Estate where with it hath ___ pleased God to bless me in the life, I deposs of the same in the manner & form following.
Imprimis - I give & bequeath unto my beloved son Matthew Casewell the plantation and two hundred and twenty acres of land being the land formely belonging to Edward Phelps; and likewise twenty two acres of land out of the Loghouse Land(?) Joyning on Samuel Spruill line ......................
Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved son Samuel Casewell my Log House plantation with two hundred areas of land belonging to the same;
Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved son Elisha Casewell my manner plantation which I now live on; with one hundred thirty and six acres more or less to him and his heirs and assigns forever.
Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Joanna Caswell the land called ye Red Banks with one hundred acres of land joyning the plantation to her her heirs and assigns forever with twenty two acreas of land in the Log House survey joyning her brother Matthew:
Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Eliz Casewell the plantation and land belonging to the same; known by the name of Briffets Island to her & her heirs & assigns forever
Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Jemima Casewell the plantation and land belonging to the same; known by the name of Addisons Island; and likewise my part of the tract of land surveyed between me and James Phelps Senr. Lying on the east side of the Scuppernong River to her and her heirs and assigns forever.
Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Tabitha Casewell two hundred acres of land known by the name of the Log House land joyning my son Samuell to her or her heirs and assigns forever, or forty pounds proel. My son Matthew having the refuase(?) then Samuel.
Item - I give and bequeath to Casewell Hassell one cow calfe and her increase
Item - I give and bequeath to my well belove wife Elizabeth Casewell one third part of all my personal Estate the remainder to be equally divided between my children, to be divided at the descression of my executors.
Item - I make constitute and ordain my beloved wife Elizabeth Casewell Executrix and my beloved father in law Samuell Spruill and my son Mathew Casewell Executors of this my Last will & Testament (Utterly disaanuling all other) allowing this and no other to be my Last will and Testament In witness whereof I have .....set my hand & seal the date above written.
Matthew (his -MC- mark) Casewell
Signed sealed published pronounced
and declared by the sd. Matthew Casewell
as his Last will and testament in the
presence of us
Joshua Turner, Jurat
Robert Elton
Edward Phelps
North Carolina
Tyrrell County
June Court 1754
These my certify that Joshua Turner one of the subscribing evidences to the within will came into open count & made oath on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God that he saw Mathew Caswell sign seal pronounce & declare the within writing to contain his last will & Testament and at the same time her saw Robert Elton & Edward Phelps sign their names as evidence to the same. Then appeared Samuel Spruill & Mathew Caswell Executors & Qualified themselves as Executors by taking the oath as the Law in such cases directs. Ordered that the Honorable James Murray Esq. Secretary of this Porvince have notice therof that Letters Testamentory issued accordingly.
Test Evan Jones Clerk Court
Mathew Casewell Will Letters Recorded 25 September 1754
Recorded in the Secretary's Office Book A page 133.
Minutes
Tyrrell County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions
March Session 1762
On motion of John Pearson atty. in behalf of Elisha Caswell orphan of Mathew Caswell deceased who personally appeared and chose Isaac Lamb guardain of his person & estate William Alexander and Jeremiah Wynne appeared and became security in sum of two hundred pounds starling.
Personally appeared Isaac Lamb, William Alexander and Jeremiah Wynne and acknowledge their guardain bond for the tuishon of Elisha Caswell orphan of Mathew Caswell deceased for the sum of 200 pounds starling.
On motion of Isaac Lamb &c it is ordered that Elisha Caswell orphan of Mathew Caswell be bound an apprentice to the said Isaac Lamb to learn the mistery & art of a marrener & he was accordingly bound & ordered to be recorded.
March Session 1764
Read the petition of Mathew Caswell in behalf of his brother Elisha Caswell &c. ordered that Mathew Caswell be and he is appointed guardain of his brother Elisha Caswell on giving security in the sum of one hundred pound security which is given by Joseph Spruill and Joshua Spruill.
March Session 1765
Ordered that Mathew Caswell be summoned to appear at our next court to account for the executorship of Mathew Caswell deceased in behalf of the orphans.
August Session 1768
Mathew Caswell exhibited an account against Tabitha Caswell amount 27 pounds which was allowed and ordered to be filed.
November Session 1768
On motion of Mr. John Pearson in behalf of Jemimah Caswell &c ordered that Jonathan Bateman son of Nathan Bateman be guardain to Jemima Caswell orphan of Mathew Caswell deceased and that he give security according to law at our next court.
November Session 1774
On motion of William Cumming Esqr. ordered that Nathan Bateman Senr. guardian of the children of Mathew Caswell pay unto Joseph Chapman who married Jemima the daughter of the said Mathew his dividend of said estate.
North Carolina Archives
Loose Estate Papers
Tyrrell County (C.R.096.508.12), Box 12
Caswell, Matthew, 1762
Bond dated 4 Mar 1762 in the amount of two hundred pounds appointing Isaac Lamb guardian to Elisha Caswell orphan of Matthew Caswell deceased, William Alexander & Jeremiah Wynne securities.
Bond with no date other than 1764 in the sum of two hundred pounds appointing Matthew Caswell guardian to Elisha Caswell orphan of Matthew Caswell deceased, Joseph Spruill & Joshua Spruill securities.
Transcriber's Notes:
Remaining papers in the 1762 file of loose estate papers for Matthew Caswell are for a different Matthew Caswell who wrote his will in 1770.
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