State of North Carolina
Tyrrell County
Book 4 Page 91
Dated 15 February 1881
In the name of God amen. I William C Pucket of the County of Tyrrell and State of North Carolina being of sound and desposing mind and memory but considering the uncertainty Human life do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following. First of all. Into the hands of that gracious & merciful God who gave it I commend my immortal spirit and I commit my body to the ground to be buried in a plain and decent manner in a full assurance of a reunion of it with my soul at the last day. And in an humble hope of a resuriction to ever lasting life through our lord Jesus Christ, in respect to those temporal possesions which it has pleased and indulgnit providence to bestow on me. I will as follows. Item - 2d I lend to my wife Hester A Pucket during her natural life all of my real estate and the remainder of my personal estate that is not desposed of as in Item first and at her death to be divided as in manner herein after mentioned. Items - 3d It is my will and desire that after my wife Hester A Pucketts death that my executor shall sell by public sale all of my personal estate that may then be on hand. And all of my real estate to sell in manner either public or private as he may think best to the advantage of all my children & to execute & make all proper & sufficent assurances to the purchaser of said property and the proceeds of such sale to be equally divided among my children namely James T. Puckett William H Puckett Charles D Puckett Sarah F Puckett & Dora A Puckett. Item - 4th It is my wish and desire that my son William H. Puckett settle the estate by having this will proven and then making the divisions with as little cost as posible. And that he act as Guardian for my three younger children namely Charles D, Sarah F & Dora A Puckett. Finally I constitute and appoint my son William H. Puckett sole executor to this my last will and testament revoking all others heretofore made; and in testimony thereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this February the 15th 1881.
Item - first My desire is that my son William H Puckett shall have all of my books that is now in his possession in fee simple & that my son Charles D Puckett shall have my double Barrell gun in fee simple. And that my executor shall sell a suficent quantity of my personal estate and pay off all of just debts as son as posible after my decease.
W C Puckett (seal)
Signed Sealed executed.
and Published in the presence
of us
Thos. W. Swain A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of W C Pucket deceased is exhibited before me the undersigned Judge of Probate in and for said County by W H Pucket the executor therein named and the due execution thereof by the said W. C. Pucket by the oath and examination of Thos W Swain and C. J. Norman the subscribing witnesses thereto who being duly sworn doth depose and say and each for himself deposeth and saith that he is a subscribing witness to the paper writing now shown him purporting to be the last will and testament of W. C. Pucket. That the said W. C. Pucket in the presence of this deponant subscribed his name at the end of said paper writing which is now shown as aforesaid and which bears date on the 15th day of February 1881. and the deponant further saith that the said W. C. Pucket the testator aforesaid did at the time of subscribing his name as aforesaid declare the said paper writing so subscribed by him to be his last will and testament and this deponant did thereupon subscribe his name at of the said will as attesting witness thereto and at the request and in the presence of the said testator and this deponant further saith that at the said time when the testator subscribed his name to the last will and testament as aforesaid and at the time of this deponant subscribing his name as a attesting witness thereto as aforesaid the said W. C. Puckett 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 deponant and further these deponants say not. Severally Sworn and subscribed this 16th day of April 1881 Thos W. Swain
T L Jones
C. J. Norman
Tyrrell County -
In the Probate Court
C. J. Norman
Probate Judge
Return to the Tyrrell County Probate Records
Updated August 18, 2001
Ellen Kroll