Bath County, NC - Will of Joshua Porter, 17xx

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JOSHUA PORTER'S WILL.

In the name of god amen. I, Joshua Porter, of Bath County, in ye Province of 
North Carolina, Esq., being of Sound & perfect mind & memory & Calling to mind 
ye Cer­tainty of Death, & not knowing when it may Please ye Lord to call me out 
of this Life. Revoking & by these presents make Void all former & other wills by 
me heretofore made, do now make, Constitute and Ordain this to be my Last Will 
and Testament, in Manner & Form following:

Imprimis, I render my Soul to allmighty God; & my Body I Commit to ye Earth to 
be Buried in a Decent Manner.

Item, I give ye Use & Occupation of all yt Tract of Land & Plantation whereon I 
now Live, lying on ye East Side of Derhams Creek in Bath County in ye Province 
afsd., Contain­ing by Estimation four hundred & Seventy five acres, be ye Same 
more or less, it being ye Lands yt I bought of Mr. Thomas Harding, Deceasd-, 
with all & Singular ye Houses & Apperti-nance thereunto belonging, unto my Son, 
John Peyton Porter, & to ye heirs of his Body Lawfully begotten; & for default 
of Such Issue, I Give ye use & Occupation of ye afsd. Land & Plantation unto my 
Daughter, Elizabeth Porter, & to ye heirs of her Body Lawfully begotten; & for 
default of Such Issue, I give ye use & Occupation of ye afsd. Land & plantation 
unto my Cousin, John Fry, & to his heirs of his Body Lawfully begotten; & for 
default of Such Issue, I give ye use & Occupa­tion of ye afsd. Land & 
Plantation, unto my Cousin, Anne Lillington, & to ye hears of her Body Lawfully 
begotten.

Item, I give unto my Daughter, Elizabeth Porter, One Thousand Acres of Land 
lying on ye South Side of Deshams Creek, Joying on ye upper Side of Majr. Robert 
Turners Lands, & Commonly goes by ye Name of ye Sand Hills, to her & her heirs 
for Ever.

            wills.
Item, I give ye Use & Service of three Slaves unto my Sd. Daughter, Eliza. Porter, 
to ye heirs of her Body, Vizt: Patt, Jane, & Simon, I allso give unto my Said Daughter 
ye first Slave Child yt shall be born in my family after my Decease;
but my Will is yt if my Said Daughter should Dye without Issue, yt then I give ye Use 
& Service of ye Sd. Slaves unto my Son, John. Payton Porter, & to ye heirs of his Body 
Law­fully begotten.

Item, I give my Said Daughter, Elizabeth Porter, fifteen Cows & Calves, & ye Sum of 
One hundred & fifty Pound, Currant Money of this Province, to be paid her at ye Day 
of Marriage or when she arrives to ye age of Twenty One Years, which shall first happen.

Item, I give ye Use & Service of One third Part of my Person­al Estate unto my beloved 
Wife, Dorothy Porter, for & dureing her Natural Life & after my Said Wifes Decease, 
it is my Will & pleasure yt ye afsd. third part of my Estate may be Equally Devided 
between my Son, John Payton Porter, & my Daughter, Elizabeth Porter, to them & their 
heirs for Ever.

Item, I give ye Use & Service of ail ye rest of my Moveable Estate not herein before 
given, be it of what kind So Ever, as Negros, Musters, or Indians, & their Increase, 
unto my Son, John Peyton Porter, & to ye heirs of his Body Lawfully Be­gotten; & for 
Default of Such Issue, I give ye Use & Service of ye afsd. Moveable unto my Daughter, 
Eliza. Porter, & to ye heirs of her Body Lawfully begotten; & for default Such Issue, 
I give ye afsd. Moveable Estate & Slaves unto my Cusin, John Fry, & to ye heirs of his 
Body Lawfully begotten;
& for default of such Issue I give ye afsd. Moveable Estate & Slaves unto my Cousin, 
Eliza. Fry, & to ye heirs of her body Lawfully begotten; & for Default of Such Issue 
I give ye afsd. Moveable Estate to my Cousin, Anne Lillington, & to ye heirs of her 
Body for Ever.

Item, I give unto my Loving friend Philip Cremer, Ten pound, to Buy him a Mourning Ring.

Item, I give unto my God Son, William Trippe, Ten pound for ye like use.

Item, it is my Will & Desire yt none of my Slaves be re­moved from my Said Plantation, 
but yt they be put Under a Carefull Overseer, & kept to work in Order to raise Money to 
Discharge my Just Debts & Legacies, & it is my further Will & desire yt my Execs. hereafter 
named see yt my Son & Daughter may be Carefully learnt to read & write & to Cypher, & yt 
they may be duly Educated, & yt a Sufficient Sum of Money may he raised out of my Estate 
by me Execs. in Order for my Said Son & Daughters Education as afsd.,
Item, I do nominate & appoint, yt my Loving Brother, Edmund Porter, & ray two Brother 
in Law, Messrs. Patrock


(to be continued)