Chowan County, NC - Wills File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ken Keeton Will of John Keeton of Nansemond Co,Virginia Probated in Chowan Co.,N.C. 1705 In the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,one God without end,Amen. This 13th. day of Sept. 1705, I, John Keeton, of the upper Parish of Nansemond Co.,being sick in body, but of good and perfect memory,thanks being to God, and calling to remembrance the uncertainty of this transitory life and that all flesh must die whomsoever it shall please God to call, do make, consumate, ordain and declare this my last Will and testament in form following revoking and anulling by this effort all and every testament and earlier Will, or Wills, formerly by me and declared either by word, or by my writing, and this to be taken only for my last Will and testament, and none others allowed, and first being penitent and sorry,from the Bottom of my Soul for sins past most humbly desiring forgiveness of the same, I give and submit my Soul unto Almighty God, my saviour and redeemer, in whom, and by the merits of Jesus Christ I trust and believe and assume to be saved and to have full redemption and forgiveness for all my sins, and that myself with my body at the General day of Resurection I shall rise again with joy, and through the merit's of Christ's death. I profess to be buried in such place, and when it shall please my executors hereafter named and appointed.Now for the settling of my temporal affairs and such goods, chattels and debts as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I do now order, give and dispose of the same in manner following. First, I Will that all just debts and duties that I owe to any manner of person or persons whatsoever shall be well and truly confessed and paid as ordained to be paid when convient time after my decease by my executors herafter named. I give and bequeath to my loving son John Keeton all my lands and tenements that I am now posessed after my own body forever with the only privilege of disposing of 100 acres of land that is before given by me in the Woods Plantation to my wife during her natural life, and after her decease, to go to my said son and to the heirs of his body forever. I give and bequeath to my future posterity that shall herafter be lawfully begotten in wedlock by my son John Keeton and his wife, if a male Ido give out of the sale of my crops the sum of 70,000 lbs. of tobacco such as shall be good to the likinf of the said male heir whom shall attain to an age to receive the same and that security be given for the said tobacco immediately after my decease, but if it shall be the pleasure of God that my son not be bessed with a male child then the 70,000 of tobacco be equally devided between his female children after my said son's decease always provided he gives security for the same to be paid as it is to be given afterwards to be in the hands of any person or persons that shall give good security for the same to be paid as it is heretofore stated. The remainder of all my personal estate( that is, to say) my goods, wares, merchandise, jewels, plates, casks, negroes, debts, household furniture and every other goods whatsoever is coming to me in Virginia oe elsewhere, and of whatever nature or kind whatsoever I give and bequeath as follows(that is, to say) the one half of all my goods before mentioned which is not before given I give to my loving wife and my dear and loving daughter Mary Keeton to be equally devided between them but if my said wife shall not be satisfied with the bequest by giving herself and her daughter one half and will insist upon her thirds then the law take it's course, and if she shall recover her third and decide that she shall have regard for her daughter then let the remainder of the said one half of her third by her recovered for our daughter Mary Keeton to be at her disposing as she thinks convienent. (signed) John Keeton {seal} Other side of Will reads; Sept, 13, 1705 Then I give and bequeath the other half of all my goods and other posessions before mentioned which is not given to my said and loving son John Keeton to be disposed of by him as he shall think convient after my equal division therof shall be made and always provided that my said wife and daughter shall receive their first choice and lastly I do appoint my loving son John Keeton to be my whole and sole executor of this my last Will and testament. In witness wherof I have herwith set my name and seal to the two sides and sealed the same iwth my seal this day and year above written. signed John Keeton (seal) Signed sealed, uttered and declared by this Testator that the within writing is the wole intent and meaning of the said last will and testament and orders that the same be taken by all person whatsoever and is declared by the said John Keeton in the presence of the following, Thos. Milner John Spring Daniel Sullivan Keeton's Will by Order of the Court Submitted by Ken Keeton for free distribution by rootsweb.com __________________________________________________________________________ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. __________________________________________________________________________