In the name of God amen: I Thomas Leigh of Tyrrell County & State of North Carolina do make this instrument my will & testament revoking all others in manner & form as follows ---

Item - I lend to my wife Rosanna Leigh the land and Plantation whereon I now live until my son Benjamin shall arive to the age of twenty one years, then my desire is that my wife have the one third part of said land & plantation with the buildings during her natural life.

Item - I lend unto my wife Rosanna Leigh the following negroes Cristopher Raney, Jane, two loged lon and Esther during her natural life and at her death I give them to be equally and their increase among my children Samuel, Ann Elizabeth Benjamin and Rose Ann Leigh ---

Item - I give unto my son Samuel Leigh all the land that I bought of Thomas and Spencer Ludford to him and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body ---

Item - I give to my son Benjamin Leigh all the land whereon I now live with the exception of his mother above dated to him and his heirs lawfully begotten ---

Item - I give to my son Samuel Leigh two negroes Milly & Daniel and one bed and furniture ---

Item - I give unto my daughter Ann Elizabeth Mann four negroes Peg, Daniel, Silus and Jerry, now in their possesion also one bed and furniture, one cow and yearling now in their possesion.

Item - I give unto my son Benjamin Leigh three negroes, Isaac, Dave, and Tamer to him and his heirs lawful begotten ---

Item - I give unto my daughter Rose Ann Leigh four negroes Mackro Moses, Adam and Beck & Hannah ----

Item - I give unto my wife Rosanna Leigh two beds and furniture one horse and side saddle one yoke of oxen and chest and my bofat furniture half dozen chairs, one chest two cows & calves one yearling fifteen head of hogs ten head of sheep one table of bay my case and bottles also one pine table and kitchen furniture and my groceries that I may have on hand at my death or so much as may be sufficient for her and her family for one year also one cart two plows and set harness one loom & harness ---

Item - I lend unto my wife Rosanna Leigh my desk and bufat until my son Benjamine shall arive to the of twenty one years ---

Item - I give unto my son Benjamine Leigh my desk and bufat when shall arive of age twenty one to him and his heirs forever ---

Item - I give unto my son Samuel Leigh all my farming tools and half of carpenters tools my desire that son Samuel take care of all the tools so as Dave may have the use until my son Benjamine shall arive to the age of twenty one years. Then my desire is that equally divided them between them ---

Item - I give the land that I bought Charles Hoskins to my two daughters Ann E. Mann and Rosena Ann Leigh to equally divided between them ---

Item - All the rest of my property not disposed of I leave to be sold at credit of six months by Executors to pay my just debts the ballance left if any my desire is be equally divided among my children above named Samuel Ann E. Mann, Benjamine Rose Ann Leigh. I constute and appoint my son Samuell Leigh and Ephraim Mann Executors to this my last Will and Testament in witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty fifth day of May 1822.

Thos. Leigh (Seal)

This will was exhibited in open court & duly proved by the oaths of Henry Alexander Joseph McCleese & Edmond Alexander who swore that the signiture is in the hand writing of Thomas Leigh the Testator Y court ordred the same to be recorded at same time appeered Samuel Leigh & Ephraim Mann & quallified as executors thereto.

Test Jas. Wood Clk.

Minutes
Tyrrell County Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions

January Session 1823

The last will & testament of Thomas Leigh was exhibited & proved in open court by the oaths of Henry Alexander Joseph McCleese & Edmund Alexander who swore that the believed the whole will to be & contain the hand writing of the testator said will not having been signed - ordered that leters testamentary issue thereon with a coppy of the will annexed - same term appeared Samuel Leigh & Ephraim Mann & quallified as executors thereto in due form of law.

April Session 1823

Account sales & inventory of the perishable estate of Thomas Leigh deceased was returned to court on oath by his executors & filed.

January Session 1824

Samuel Leigh one of the executors of Thomas Leigh deceased returned to the court an advertisement notifying the creditors of the said Thomas Leigh certified by Jeremiah Wynne & filed.

April Session 1824

Samuel Leigh's guardian account with Rose Ann Leigh & Benjamin Leigh was examined by the court and ordered to be filed.

July Session 1826

Ordered that Joseph McClees James Forbes Abram Pledger & Edmund Alexander or any three of them be appointed commissioners to audit and settle the estate of Thomas Leigh deceased and make return to the next term of this court.

January Session 1827

Ordered that Joseph McClees James Forbes Abraham Pledger & Edmund Alexander or any three of them be appointed commissioners to audit and settle the estate of Thomas Leigh deceased and make return to the next term.

April Session 1827

Ordered that Joseph McClese James Forbes Abram Pledger & Edmund Alexander or any three of them be appointed commissioners to audit and settle the estate of Thomas Leigh deceased & make return to the next term.

July Session 1827

Ordered that Joseph McCleese James Fobes Abraham Pledger & Edmd. Alexander or any three of them audit and settle the estate of Thomas Leigh deceased & make return to the next term.

April Session 1828

Samuel Leigh returned an audited account of the estate of Thos. Leigh balance due the estate of $806.49 & filed.

January Session 1829

Saml. Leigh came into open court and renewed his guardian bond to Rosana Leigh orphan of Thos. Leigh.

North Carolina Archives
Loose Estate Papers
Tyrrell County (C.R.096.508.27), Box 27
Leigh, Thomas, 1823

Bond dated 30 Sep 1823 in the amount of five thousand pounds appointing Samuel Leigh guardian to Benjn. & Rosanna Leigh minor orphans of Thos. Leigh deceased, Ephraim Mann & James A. Spruill securities.

Bond dated 27 Jan 1829 in the amount of two thousand dollars appointing Samuel Leigh guardian to Rose Ann Leigh a minor orphan, Ephraim Mann & Lemuel Basnight securities.

Petition in January Term 1834 by Samuel Leigh, Benjamin Spruill and wife Rosana and Thomas E. Mann infant by his father and guardian Ephraim Mann stating that Thomas Leigh departed this life testate and in his will bequeathed to the petitioners after the death of his widow Rosannah Leigh the residuary interest in a cetain number of negroes designated by the will of the said testator. On the 28th day of January 1834 the said Rosannah Leigh for valuable consideration relinquished and released to the petitioners all her right, title and interest in and to the said bequeathed negroes named as follows viz. Jinny, London, Mustifer, Rainey, Easter, Nize, Chloe, girl Jinny, Major & Penny. The petitioners now have the full & unqualified right to the said negroes and they being at present unprofitable and an expense to the petitioners and it being difficult to make a fair and equal division petitioners pray they be authorized and empowered to expose the negroes to sale.

Transcriber's Notes:

Tyrrell County marriage bonds show the marriage of Benj. Spruill to Rosy Ann Leigh on 17 Dec 1832, George H. Alexander security; also Ephraim Mann to Nancy Leigh on 5 Feb 1821, Samuel Leigh security; also Thos. Leigh to Rosanna Spruill on 17 Dec 1794, Richd. Leigh security.

See court minutes and estate papers for Benjamin Leigh in 1826.

See the will of Hezekiah Spruill in 1802 for more info on Rosanna Leigh.

Return to Tyrrell Co Wills Introduction & Table of Contents

Updated December 4, 2020
Ellen Kroll