USGENWEB NOTICE:  In keeping with our policy of providing free
information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial
entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These
electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other
presentation.

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Virginia Crilley (crilley@eramp.net) August 28, 1997.

BERTIE COUNTY,  NC      WILL
 

JOHN RUFFIN, 1844 probate
(Son of Wm5 & Penelope, Wm4, Wm3, Rob2)
Bertie County Will Book G p 378
	I, John Ruffin, of the County of Bertie and State of North Carolina, do
make publish and declare this paper writing in manner and form following to
be my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.

First, I direct my Executors out of my personal estates to pay all my just
debts.
Secondly,  I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife my carriage, carriage
horses, household & kitchen furniture to her and her heirs,  I also devise
to my said wife one third of the lands of which I am s....  during her
natural life, but my desire is that they be layed off to her out of the
plantation on which I reside,  to include my dwelling house.    I also give
and bequeath unto my said wife  one fourth of all my personal estate after
the payment of my debts and by personal estate I intend all the estate of
every description,  except my land of which I may die possess;  to her and
her heirs forever.

Thirdly, I give, devise and bequeath unto my Executors herein after named,
or to such of them as may qualify, to the survivors or survivor all the
balance of my estate, real, personal and mixed,  upon trust however that
they shall keep my farms in operation and my Negroes at work upon them,  as
near as possible as they now are,  or may be at the time of my death,   and
to enable them to do so,  I hereby authorize and empower them,  to sell for
cash or on a credit any disorderly or unmanageable slaves and to purchase
any slaves or other things which in their judgement may be necessary to keep
my said farm stocked,  out of my estate, to employ overseers or other agents
to superintend the farms, and to sell at public or private sale for cash or
on a credit, the produce which may be raised on said farms and to keep the
estate as one common undivided fund until such time as the legacies
hereinafter given to my children are directed to be paid over to them, and
then in trust for that purpose.
   My will and desire is that such of the Executors herein after appointed,
as shall qualify thereto, the survivors or survivor shall be guardians of
the person & estate of my children,  John Thomas Ruffin,  Wm Julia Ruffin,
and Sally Ann Ruffin and I hereby appoint them as such,  and I direct that
my children shall be educated and supported out of the estate devised and
bequeathed to my Executors in trust, until they shall receive their
legacies, and such support, education and main tenancy shall be a charge
against the common fund and shall not be deducted from their respective
legacies.
   It is my will and desire, that whenever any one of my children,  shall
arrive at the age of twenty one years, or marry,  the portion of my Estate
hereinafter devised and bequeathed to such child shall be paid by my
Executors to him or her and in case of the death of any or either of my said
children before they arrive at the age of twenty one or marry that his or
her legacy hereinafter devised and bequeathed should to the survivors or
survivor, and their heirs.
   I give and devise to my son, John Thomas Ruffin and his heirs forever,
the following tracts of land,  to wit, all that portion of the plantation
upon which I now live  (subject however to my wife's lie estate in such
portion thereof as may be allotted to her) which lies south of the road
leading from Windsor to Turners X Roads and extending to Roquist, the
plantation which I bought of Noah Thompson and the Williams plantation
adjoining upon the condition that he pay to his sister,  William Julia when
she arrives at the age of twenty or marries,  five thousand dollars.  In
case, however, the said William Julia should marry before the said John
Thomas arrives at the age of twenty one years, then he is not to pay the
said sum until that time, nor interest thereon.   I also give and bequeath
to the said John Thomas Ruffin and his heirs one third of all the personal
property which may belong to my estate when he receives his legacy.
  I give and devise to my daughter,  Sally Ann Ruffin and her heirs, the
following tracts of land, to wit, all that part of the plantation where I
live which lies south of the Reedy Branch to the Road leading from Windsor
to Brittons X Roads (subject however to my wife's life estate in such part
thereof as may be allotted to her, and the following tracts of land in the
Indianwoods,  to wit, the Esther Pugh plantation, the lands purchased from
Thomas J. Pugh, the lands purchased from G. T. Johnson and from Harry
Johnson's heirs, all three of which latter tracts adjoin the Esther Pugh
plantation.  I also give and bequeath unto my said daughter and her heirs,
one third part of all the personal property which may belong to my estate,
when her legacy is to be paid to her.
   I give and devise to my daughter, William Julia Ruffin and her heirs, the
following tracts of land (to wit) all that part of the plantation wherein I
reside which lies north of Reedy Branch to Cashey Swamp (subject to the life
estate of my wife in so much thereof as may be allotted to her, and the
following tracts of land in the Indianwoods,  all adjoining each other to
wit, the Casper tract,  the Friar tract,  the Joseph Pugh tract, and that
part of the Harry Johnson tract attached thereto and the William B. King
tract.   I also give and bequeath unto my said daughter five thousand
dollars, to be paid to her by my son, John Thomas, as herein before
mentioned and one third of all the personal property which may belong to my
estate when she receives her portion or legacy; to her and her heirs.
   My intention and desire is that my personal property shall be equally
divided among my children;  that is the first one that arrives at the age of
twenty one or marries, is to have one third of all the personal property
which may then belong to my estate, when the second one shall arrive at the
age of twenty one or marry he or she is to receive one half of the residue,
and the remainder to be held by my Executors for the third until he or she
shall marry or arrive at the age of twenty one years.
  I constitute and appoint my friends, James S. Bryan,  Lewis Thompson and
William Bishop of Bertie County, Executors to this my last will and
testament; and such of them as may qualify guardians to my children, and I
particularly request and enjoin it upon the guardians of my children that
they shall be well educated.   In addition to these commissions, I give and
bequeath unto each of my Executors who may qualify, two hundred & fifty
dollars to be paid out of my Estate.
  In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this
10th day of November, 1841.		Signed  John Ruffin
Signed, sealed, published & declared by the
testators as his last will & testament in presence 
of us who sign the same in his presence & in presence of
each other.
Jno S. Tomlinson   Thos J. P. Smallwood

Codicil:    I John Ruffin do publish and declare the following as a part of
my last will and testament.  
  I give devise and bequeath unto my daughter, Sally Ann Ruffin, in lieu of
the land devised to her in the Indianwoods,  the following lands (to wit)
the Joseph Pugh tract of land, the Casper tract and the William King tract,
and the Friar tract all adjoining each other to her heirs forever.
  I give and devise unto my daughter, William Julia,  in lieu of the land
hereinbefore devised to her in the Indianwoods, the following, to wit,  the
Esther Pugh tract, the Thomas J. Pugh tract, the Harry Johnson, all
adjoining each other to her and her heirs forever, and I hereby revoke the
legacy of five thousand dollars herein before directed to be paid to William
Julia by my son John Thomas Ruffin.
  I give and devise unto my son, John Thomas Ruffin, in lieu of the devise
hereinto before made to him in the Indianwoods, the following tracts of land
(to wit) the Noah Thompson tract, the Lewis Williams tract, to him and his
heirs forever.
  My will and desire is that the devises made to my children of my lands not
in the Indianwoods should remain as they are in the foregoing will.
Signed sealed & published in 			Signed John Ruffin
presence of
William M. Clark
David Outlaw

State of North Carolina, Bertie County Court, Feb term 1845
The last will and testament of John Ruffin dec'd was exhibited in open
court, and the hand writing of Jno S. Smallwood & Thomas JP Smallwood, the
first being dead and the last having married one of the legatees, was proved
by the oath of John H. Grimes.  At the same time the execution of the
codicil to the said will, was proved by the oath of David Outlaw, one of the
subscribing witnesses.  Judgement of the court that the said will and
codicil having been sufficiently proved to be recorded.
  At the same time William Bishop and Lewis Thompson, Esquires, two of the
Executors appointed by the said last will and testament were duly qualified
agreeably to law.     John T. Taylor, Clerk