Submitted by Teresa Kelley
May 31, 1873
State of North Carolina
Washington County
In the name of God Amen. I MARY SPRUILL of the State and County above named being of sound mind and disposing memory and knowing the uncertainty of human life do make and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following.
ITEM. I give and bequeath to my daughter SARAH PARMELE one bed, bedstead mattress, and the clothes belonging to it.
ITEM. I give and bequeath to my daughter ROXANNA SPRUILL my large bed, bedstead mattress, and the clothes belonging to it.
ITEM. My house and land that I purchased of MRS. A. C. FREMISS? I devise to my children and their heirs as follows. To my daughter SOPHY ARMISTEAD one share, my daughter ALICE PARMELE one share, to my daughter CLEMENTINA BARKER one share, to my daughter HANDY BELL one share, to my daughter GRACE GARRETT one share, to my daughter ROXANNA SPRUILL one share, to my son SAMUEL PARMELE one share, to my son GEORGE PARMELE one share, and to my daughter SARAH PARMELE one share during her life them to the other children above named surviving her, my daughter SARAH being of weak mind. I hereby declare that she shall always be taken care of by her brothers and sisters. And for this reason have only devised her a life estate to my said land. It is my desire that my land remain in the family always that of my children for the sake of a division wish to sell let some one of them buy out the others.
I appoint my son in law PROSPER ARMISTEAD to be my executor to this my last will and testament. And in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 31st day of May 1873 in the presence of JNO E. REDDICK and JOS WINDLEY who are the subscribing witnesses thereto.
MARY (her mark) SPRUILL
Signed and sealed in the presence of and acknowledge to be her last will and testament before
JOHN E. REDDICK
JOS WINDLEY
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Probate of Mary Spruill will
Admitted to Probate 11 July 1873
Washington County, In the Probate Court. A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of MARY SPRUILL deceased is exhibited before me the undersigned Judge of Probate in and for said County by PROSPER ARMISTEAD the executor therein named and the due execution thereof by the said MARY SPRUILL by the oath and examination of JOSEPH WINDLEY and JNO E REDDICK 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 MARY SPRUILL. That the said MARY SPRUILL in the presence of this deponent subscribed her name at the end of said paper writing which is now shown as aforesaid and which bears date on the 31st day of May
1873 and did in the presence of this deponent acknowledge the signing the said paper writing.
And the deponent further saith that the said MARY SPRUILL the testatrix aforesaid did at the time of subscribing her name as aforesaid declare the said paper writing so subscribed by her and exhibited to be her last will and testament. And the deponent did thereon subscribe his name at the end of said will as an attesting witness thereto. And at the request and in the presence of the said testatrix did this deponent further saith that at the time the deponents subscribed his and each of them their names as an attesting witness thereto as aforesaid the said MARY SPRUILL 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 these deponents and further these deponent say not.
J A MELSON JOHN E REDDICK
Probate Judge JOS WINDLEY
11 July 1873