CRAVEN COUNTY, NC - Will - Lemuel Hatch, 1774 ====================================================================== 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. These 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. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Edward L. Davis Mar. 1999 ======================================================================== LEMUEL HATCH'S WILL IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I LEMUEL HATCH, of the County of Craven in the Province of North Carolina being now in perfect health of Body and of Sound Mind and Memory; thanks be to Almighty God for the same: but calling to mind the Mortality of my Body, knowing that it is Appointed unto all men once to Die, I do make and ordain this last Will and Testament. And first of all, I commit and commend my soul to the Hands of God who gave it and my Body to be Buried in a Christian like and decent manner, at the discretion of my Executors nothing doubting but that I shall receive the Same at the great Risen Day And as for what Worldly Estate of Lands and Tenements, Goods and Chattels it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me with in this life, I lend, Leave, Give and bequeath in manner and for following. IMPRIMIS. I lend unto Mary my beloved Wife the Use of the Lands and Plantation whereon I now dwell, lying between Steel's and Reasnover's Runs, for and during her Widowhood, or until my son Lemuel comes of Age, or Marrieth, (then it is my desire that my Son Lemuel should have two thirds of said Lands and Plantation) also I lend her child's part of my moveable Estate and use of all my Moveable Estate during her widowhood or until my Cildren shall come of Age or marry, to bring up, School and Educate my Children; to keep all my Lands clear of Quitrents and the overplus (of my) to be put out on imprest, the party taking the Money to give Bond and Sufficient Security to my Executors hereafter Named for the use and Benefit of all my Children. ITEM. I give unto my Son Lemuel, part of a Tract of Land Patent during date April 29th 1760 being the residue of 540 Acres out of which I sold 200 Acres; the said land lying on Allumn Branch on the -- Side of Trent River, also a piece of Land Joining the Land I now live on, (description). The Patent bearing date 6th May 1760. Also the land I now live on (except a small Part thereof, given hereafter to my Sons John & Edmund) I also give the Land I bought of David Ventress (Deed bearing date 16th March, 1764.) I give him also 50 Acres of my Pocoson Land Patent being 200 Acres dated May 6th 1760. I give the said five Pieces of Land to my Son Lemuel his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my Son John One Piece of Land Called the Beaver Dam Land containing 300 Acres & Patent bearing date 10th October 1755. Also a Piece being part of the Land I now live on, (description) also 50 Acres Land in the Pocoson Patent---I give the said three to my Son John his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my Son Edmund One piece of Land I bought of James Frazer, I also give him my Saw Mill & Grist Mill, also 50 Acres of my Pocoson Land, I give the said five pieces Land & Mills to my son Edmund his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my sons John and Edmund equally to be divided between them, all my Lands in the great Neck, the Patent bearing date 23d May 1757. Edmund to have that half that Joins the Lands I bought of Jas. Frazer,also that part of the Land I now live on in the Great Neck Joining the Aforesaid Lands given them, to them their Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my Son Edmund the Liberty of getting Timber for the Mills Use off of my Land that the Patent bears date 3d October 1751. ITEM. I give to my Son Durant, a Tract of Land Containing 640 Acres Patent bearing date 3d October 1751, also 50 Acres of my Pocoson Land, also the remainder of the piece of Land given my Son Lemuel bearing Patent date 6th May 1760. Also a Piece Land I bought of David Ventriss Patent bearing date 29th Sept. 1735. Also 60 Acres Land where Joshua Collins Dwelt, once Transferred from Peter Steel and Stephen Glear, I give the said five pieces Land to my Son Durant his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my Son Asa one piece of Land in Onslow County on the -- Side of New River which I bought of Eleas Edens, also one lot on Newbern Conveyed to me from my Father-in-law Mr. John Fonville. I give the said Land and Lott to my Son Asa his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my son Ivy, One Piece of Land Containing 100 Acres granted me by Patent bearing date 26th Octo. 1767 on Follards Creek in Onslow, also my other Lott of Land in Newbern Joining my son Asa's I give the said Tract & Lott to my Son Ivy his heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give to my son Anthony One Piece Land Containing --- Acres which I bought of Thomas Foy I give the same to my son Anthony his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. I give my two Sons Asa & Ivy to be equally divided between them, 3 Tracts or Pieces of Land (to wit) the Land I bought of Wm Reed, Seven Messick & a Ps. I Patented bearing the date 29th April 1767, (Containing 200 Acres) Asa to have the upper half on the River and Ivy the lower half on the Sound. Also a ps. of Land I bought of David Bass--to be equally divided between them. I give the said pieces of Land to my Sons Asa & Ivy to them their Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. My Will & Desire is that all the remainder of my Estate be equally divided between my Seven Sons and Two Daughters Elizabeth & Mary at their Arrival to Age or day of Marriage to them their Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. My Will & Desire further is that if any of my Sons should die before they Arrive to the Age of 21 years, or have a Lawful Male Heir, then his or their Lands be equally divided between their Surviving Brothers, except it be one that hath Land left to be divided between him and another then I desire his Land may fall to his Coheir with him in it to be his, his Heirs & Assigns forever. ITEM. My Will & desire further is that if any of my Children should die before they Come of Age or have a Lawful Heir, that then his her or their part of Negroes or Moveable Estate be Equally divided between the Surviving Brothers & Sisters to be theirs their Heirs & Assigns forever & Lastly I do hereby Nominate, Constitute, Ordain & Appoint My Sons Lemuel & John Executors of this my last Will & Testament, and do hereby utterly disallow & make void all other Wills & Testaments, Vouching & declaring this only to be my last Will & Testament. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & fixed my Seal this Second day of April 1774. /s/Leumel Hatch SEAL Signed Sealed, published pronounced & declared the said Leml. Hatch to be his last Will & Testament in presence of: Edm. Hatch James Watson Chas. Markland N.B. I allso Do appoint Francis Fonvielle an Executor With my two Sons Lemuel and John as witness my Hand this Seventeenth Day of November 1776. /s/Lemuel Hatch SEAL Witness: Stokes Norment Elizabeth Norment Elizabeth Andress Edmd. Hatch James Watson The annexed Last will and Testament of Lemuel Hatch late of Craven County Esquire Deceased was proved, Before me, by the Oath of Edmund Hatch one of the Subscribing Witnesses thereto who swore that He saw the said Deceased sign Seal publish & declare the same to be his Last Will and Testament, that the Testator to the best of the Knowledge and belief of the Witness was at the Time of Sound and Disposing mind & memory And that he also saw James Watson & Charles Markland sign as concurring Witnesses with him. At the same time Stokes Norment a Witness to the Codicil to the said Will also Swore Before me that he saw the aforesd Lemuel Hatch sign seal & acknowledge the said Codicil, that the was then of sound mind and that he also saw Elizabeth Norment & Elizabeth Andress witness the same with him. Francis Fonville, Lemuel Hatch & John Hatch Executors in the said Codicil named Also appeared, before me, And Qualified as such, of which the Secretary is to take Notice & issue Letters Accordingly. Newbern 3d February 1777 Rd Caswell