Bertie County NC Will of Thomas HARE(1785) File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by "Gary L. Murray" Will of Thomas HARE(1785) Bertie County, North Carolina In the name of God Amen I Thomas Hare of the County of Bertie and State of North Carolina Planter being sick and weak but of Perfect Sound and disposing mind & memory blessed be god for it, do this twenty fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thou= =sand seven hundred & Eighty five Make and ordain this my last Will & Testament in Manner & form following Vizt___ First I recommend my Soul to god who gave it my Body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried & desire that all my just debts & funeral expen= =ces be paid by my Executors________________ Secondly I lend to my Daughter Penelope Spikes during her & her husbands natural life a Tract of~ land lying in Gates County bounded as follows~ begining at old Joseph Spikes's upper Corner and runing on Jesse Saunder's line the full extant of said line then along my own line to Mill's swamp then down the run of the swamp to where my old line & Lewis's joins, then to old Spikes's Lower corner then along Spikes's line to the first Station. I also lend my said daughter during her & her husbands natural life seven negroes Doll Demsey Sam Kesiah Ben Weaver Phillis & her youngest child, and after the Death of my sd Daughter Penelope Spikes & her hus =band Francis Spikes. I give all my right & title to the afore mentioned Land to be equally divided a= mong their Children it is also my will & desire that the above mentioned negroes be equally di= =vided among the Children of the said Penelope & Francis Spikes at their Death to them sd their Heirs forever.~~~~~~~ Thirdly I give & Bequeath to my Daughter Eliza =beth Wife of Philip Lewis seven negroes Vizt Nan & her Child Bob, Dick, Cooper. Charles & Hannah and all (new page) the remaining part of my land in Gates County to them and their Heirs forever~~~~ Fourthly I give & bequeath to my beloved Wife Pene= =lope Hare the following Negroes Vizt Negroe wench Amey Phillis & her two youngest children little Ar thur Negroe Man Pompe York. Five head of cattle one Feather Bed & twenty barrels of Corn to her & her Heirs forever_________ I also lend my beloved wife Penelope Hare during her natural life the plantation whereon I now live & the land belonging to it that is on the East side of the road going from Andrew Oliver's Ferry to Windsor_______________ Fifthly I give & bequeath to my Daughter Jaminna wife of Jonas Wood the following Negroes Vizt Dave. Harry. ann. Joe. Dinah & Nimrod to her & her Heirs forever ~~~~~ Sixthly. I give & Bequeath to my Son Thomas Ed= =ward Hare two negroes named as follows Vizt Jacob & Sam. to him & his Heirs for Ever~~~~~ Now My Will and desire is that my three young= =er children be maintained, and raised with the remaining part of my Estate and when either of the girls comes to the age of twenty one years or marry and calls for their proportion my Executors are hereby desired to divide what is in their possession as my Estate in such manner as shall seem to them equal and give the one that desires it their part for them & their Heirs forever~~~~ Lastly I appoint my Trusty Friends Anthony Ar= =mistead Sen. & William Mckensie Executors to this my last Will & Testament in Witness Where of I have hereunto set my hand & affixed my seal the day & year first above Written Signed sealed Published acknowledged in the Presence Thomas Hare(seal) (new page) of us Robert Hall Jno Belote John Belote Juner The above Will continued. Item I further give to my Son Thomas Edward Hare my plantation lying in the Islands to him & his heirs for Ever~~~~~I likewise give unto my Son Thomas Edward Hare the plantation whereon I now live to him & his heirs forever~~~~~~~~~ Item I give unto my Son Thomas Hare a sorrel Mare & two aclipes Colts Signed sealed publish. acknow Thomas Hare(seal) ledged in presents of Test Noah BLote John Belote Bertie County Feb.y Term 1786 The Last Will and Testament of Thomas Hare dec'd the first part was proved in open Court in due form of Law by the Oaths of Robert Hall John Belote Sen. & John Belote Jun. at the sametime the lower part was proved by the Oath of John Belote Jun. and Ordered to be Recorded Stevens Gray ccc (The above will was transcribed from the orginal in the Archives in Raleigh by the best of my ability. The 18th century "S" was converted, and all capital letters are as seen. One further note: Penelope Spikes was really Penelope Speights and her husband Francis Speights. But in order to keep the originality of the written, I wrote as seen. ======================== 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.