Return to the Tyrrell County Probate Records State of North Carolina
Tyrrell County
Book 4, page 159
Dated 17 April 1886
In ye name of God Amen. I Johnathan H. Meekins of Tyrrell County North Carolina being in good health and sound mind and memory and recalling to mind that it is appointed to all men to die do make and declare this to be my last will and Testament in maner and form following.
Item 1st - It is my request that decent burial shall be furnished out of my estate ofr my body after my deceast
Item 2nd - I leave to Elma Meekins daughter of W. M. and Lneizer Meekins the sum of one hundred dollars during her natural life and should the said Elma Meekins die without leaving a liveing chjild then the said amount of one hundred dollars to be given to Catherine Brickhouse.
Item 3rd - I loan to Catherine Brickhouse during her natural life all the balance of any estate both land and personal property of every natural and kind and then to her children forever and should the said Catherine die without issue of her own body it is my request that all and every part of said property shall decend to my heirs at law. This my Last will and Testament to be declared superceeding all other wills formally made and they all paper writing imtidating this declared null and void.
In witness whereof I Johnathan H. Meekins have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this the seventeenth day of April A. D. 1886.
Johnathan H. Meekins (Seal)
Signed declared and published
by the above named Johnathan
H. Meekins as and for his last
will and Testament in the presence
of us who at his request and in
his presence have subscribed
our names as witnesses thereto
J. C. Meekins Sr.
S. S. Simmons
F. C. Patrick
I J. H. Meekins being in sound mind do add this codicil to my last will and Testament it is my wish and desire that Catherine Brickhouse now Catherine Armstrong shall be sole executrix to my last will and Testament. In witness whereof I J. H. Meekins have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of the following witnesses this the thenty day of June A. D. 1895.
J. H. Meekins (Seal)
Witnesses
C. E. Tatem
C. W. Hussey
J. A. Litchfield
North Carolina} In the Superior Court
Tyrrell County } Before D. T. Holmes C.S.C
Catherine Armstrong
To
The Court
The petition of Catherine Armstrong respectifully showeth unto the Court that sometime during the month of June 1895 Johnathan H. Meekins late of said County of Tyrrell died domiciled in said County of Tyrrell having first made and published his last will and testament on the 17th day of April 1886 with J. C. Meekins Sr. S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick as subscribing witnessses thereto and that on the 10th day of June 1895 said testator made a codicil to said above discribed will and Testament with C. E. Tatem C. W. Hussey and J. A. Litchfield as subscriing witnesses thereto and that your petitioner is the sole executrix named in said Last will and Testament of said Testator.
That the estate of said Testator consists of real and personal property situated and being in the meighborhood of Killkenney County and State first above named and that the same is woth about $500. So far as your petitioner has been able to ascertain.
That you petitioner and Elma Meekins are the sole legatees named in said last will and Testament of said Testator and that they both reside in Tyrrell Counmty and that said Elma Meekins is and infant fifteen years of age without Guardian.
Wherefore your petitioner prays the Court that said last will and Testament of said Johnathan H. Meekins be admitted to probate and that letters testamentry be issued to her at once upon said estate.
Catherine Armstrong
Sworn and Subscribe before me 9th day of July 1895
D.T. Holmes C.S.C
North Carolina} In the Superior Court
Tyrrell County } Before D. T. Holmes C.S.C
July 9th 1895
Catherine Armstrong
To
The Court
A paper writeing purporting to be the last will and Testament of Johnathan H. Meekins late of Tyrrell County North Carolina dated 17th April 1886 with J. C. Meekins Sr. S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick as subscribing witnesses thereto and a codicil attached thereto signed by said J. H. Meekins with C. E. Tatem C. W. Hussey and J. A. Litchfield as subscribing witnesses to the sam dated the 10th day of June 1895 is this day exhibited before me D. T. Holmes Clerk of the Superior Court of Tyrrell County by Catherine Armstrong the Executor therein named and the one execution thereof by said Johnathan H. Meekins by the oath and examination of J. C. Meekins Sr. The said S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick the other two witnesses therto being dead and by the oath and examination of C. E. Tatem and J. A. Litchfield two of the witnesses to the codicil annexed to said last will and Testament. The said J. C. Meekins Sr. Being first duly swown deposes that he is one of the subscribing witnesses tothe paper writing now shown him purporting to be the last will and Testament of Johnathan H. Meekins dec'd. That said Johnathan H. Meekins in the presence of this deponent and the said S. S. Simonons and F. C. Patrick the other two subscribing witnesses thereto who are now dead. Subscribed his name at the end of said paper writing now shown as aforesaid and which beare date 17th day of April 1886 and the deponent further says that said S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick at the same time subscirbed their names to said paper writeing as subscribing witness therto and deponent further says that said Johnathan H. Meekins the Testator aforesaid did at the time of subscribing his name as aforesaid declare the saiid paper writeing to be his last will and Testament and this deponent and the said S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick at the same time sign theri names as subscribing witness at the end of said will as attesting witness therto at the request of and in the presence of said Testator and this deponent further says at the time when the said Testator subscribed his name to said last will and Testament as aforesaid and at the time deponent subscribed his name as one of the attesting witness thereto as aforesaid the said Johnathan H. Meekins was of sound mind and memory of full age to execute a will and was not under any restraint to the knowledge information or belief of this deponent and further this deponent say not.
J. C. Meekins Sr.
Sworn and Subscribed before me 9th day of July 1895
D. T. Holmes CSC
North Carolina} In the Superior Court
Tyrrell County} Before D. T. Holmes CSC
Catherine Armstrong
To
The Court
A paper writeing with a codicil to said paper writing attached purporting to be the last will and Testament of Johnathan H. Meekins with C. E. Tatem C. W. Hussey and J. A. Litchfield as subscribing witnesses thereto the said last will and Testament with the codicil is exhibited before the court this day for probate the due execution of said codicil by said J. H. Meekins is duly proved by the oath and examination of C. E. Tatem and J. A. Litchfield two of the subscribing witnesses thereto who being duly sworn deposes and says each for himself says that the said J. H. Meekins whose name appears to the paper writing now shown him is the proper signiture of said J. H. Meekins and that said J. H. Meekins signed said paper writing in the presence of these deponents and at the time of signing the same said J. H. Meekins declared the same to be his last will and testament with the codicil therto and that they each for himself subscribed his name at the end of said paper writing as a subscribing witness thereto in the presence of and at the request of said Testator and that at the time said Testator signed his name to said codicil to said last will and Testament was of sound mind and memory and of full age and was not under any restraint to their knowledge information or belief of these deponents the deponent C. E. Tatem further deposes and says that he was well acquainted with S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick the two witness who are now dead who signed said last will and Testament of said J. H. Meekins as subscribing witness that the signature of said S. S. Simmons and F. C. Patrick are in their own proper hand writing and that he is will acquainted with their hand writeing he having often seen them write and further these deponents say not.
C. E. Tatem
Jerry A. Litchfield
Sworn and Subscribed before me 9th day of July 1895
D. T. Holmes CSC
North Carolina} In the Superior Court
Tyrrell County} Before D. T. Holmes CSC
July 9th 1895
Catherine Armstrong
To
The Court
A paper writeing purporting to be the last will and Testament of Johnathan H. Meekins bearing date 17th April 1886 with a codicil thereto dated the 10th day of June 1895 with Catherine Armstrong named therein as the sole executor thereto and the due execution thereof by said Johnathan H. Meekins haveing this day been duly proved in open court by the oath and examination of J. C. Meekins Sr. C. E. Tatem and J. A. Litchfield subscribing witness thereto.
It is therefore ordered decreed and adjudged by the court that the paper writeing now shown the court is the proper last will and Testament of said Johnathan H. Meekins. It is further ordered decreed and adjudged by the court that said paper writeing be duly recorded and that letters Testamentery be issued to said Catherine Armstrong the Executrix named in said last will and Testament of said Testotor upon her takeing the oath as prescribed by law.
D. T. Holmes CSC
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