Tyrrell County
I Jordan Davenport of the County and State aforesaid being of sound mind & memory but considering the uncertainty of my earthly existence, do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following, that is to say.
First- I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved wife Sally, two beds & furniture for the same, one rocking chair & half dozen other chairs, buggy & harness, horse, cart & harness, two cows & calves, six head of sheep, one sorrel mare one half of my crop on hand one half of my stock of hogs on hand, negroes, Mariah, Mary, Mose, Caroline & Barley and one half of my farming tools. I also lend to my wife Sally during her natural life the following discribed land the manner plantation, whereon I now live to begin at the river and run along Alexander's line to the Main road & along the main road toward Wm. Hassell's, so as to come opposite the a ditch in my field, which runs nearly at right angles with the main road. But does not extend to the road, then across to & along said ditch & same course to the back line & along Mrs. Godfreys, the line of the lands of Silas Wynne's heirs, & to Scuppernong River & along the river to the beginning. Also I lend to my wife Sally during her natural life, two negroes named Mack & Affa and old woman Nelly, (secondly) I give and bequeath to my grandson Levi Jordan Davenport negroes Mirand & her children Dorcas, Emily & Mack, & increase hereafter also.
And I further give to Levi Jordan, my grandson at the decease of my wife, negro boy Mack
Third- I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Mary Caroon Davenport negroes Buster, girl Dinah Harriet & Rose, & Ann. I further give to my granddaughter, Mary C. Davenport, at the decease of my wife Sally negro Affa & her increase,
Fourth:- I give and devise to my two grandchildren Levi Jordan. & Mary C. Davenport, all my rights & titles of land not heretofore allotted off, say- the tract on which I resided, subject to the life time of my wife, as described in this will with meets & bounds as givin in my titles-
Fifth. It is my will that negores Stehpen & Nelly should be sold to pay my just debts.
Sixth:- After all my just debts are paid, & settled, I give and bequeath to my two grandchildren Levi I. & Mary C. Davenport, all my estate of every kind, name & nature, not heretofore allotted off by me in this Will, and whereas as my grandchildren is of minor age, now therefore my will and desire is that James M. Davenport, be and he is hereby constituted & appointed guardian. to hold the guardianship of thes respective estates, which I have alloted to them in my last Will and Testament, until they shall (i,e.) the said Levi I. and Mary C. Davenport shall severally arrive at the full age of twenty one years, given under my hand & seal the 22d. day of November 1856-
Signed, sealed, published & delivered, by the said Jordan Davenport, to be his last Will and Testament.
Jordan his X mark Davenport (SEAL)
James L. Hassell,
Eli Spruill
John Dunbar
State of North Carolina
Tyrrell County
Court of Pleas and Quarter
sessions
January Term. 1857
Then was the within paper writing purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Jordan Davenport, deceased, exhibited in open court, and the due execution there of proved by the oaths of Eli Spruill & James L Hassell, two of the subscribing Witnesses, thereto, who swore that at the time of the execution, the testator was of sound and disposing mind & memory, and that they signed the same at his request and in his presence, & that the signature was written by the direction of the testator by Eli Spruill, one of the said witnesses, & in the presence of the other witness, Hassell, and of the testator, wherefore let the same be admitted to probate, with this certificate. James M. Davenport has administration granted to him with the will annexed, who duly qualified-
Saml. McCleese Clk.
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