State of North Carolina 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, State of North Carolina 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.
Tyrrell County
Eli Spruill
John Dunbar
Tyrrell County
Court of Pleas and Quarter
sessions
January Term. 1857
Return
to Tyrrell County Probate Records
Updated June 4, 2001
Mike Schoettle