LENOIR COUNTY, NC - Will - William Croom, 1828. ====================================================================== 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: Guy Potts 07 Dec 1998 ======================================================================== From original at the NC Archives, Raleigh, NC. Will of William Croom - June 2, 1828 Lenior County, North Carolina In the name of God, Amen, I, William Croom of Newington, Lenoir County, North Carolina, at the home of George Whitfield on my way to Florida, do on this 2nd day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight, make and declare this instrument of writing, written on one sheet of paper, to be my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following, viz. 1st. I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth Croom for and during the term of her natural life my Newington plantation and lands adjoining called the Red Hill plantation, containing in the whole about twelve hundred acres, with all the stock of horses, hogs, sheep and cattle on the plantation, also all the household and kitchen furniture, plantation tools &c. with a request that she will give to each of the children, that is Richard, Nancy, Eliza and Alexander, on their coming of age or being married, two beds and furniture, and one bed and furniture to Bryan. I also give her all the negroes I received from her fathers estate and from him in consequence of my marriage with her. I also give her Cinda and Daphne in lieu of John that I sent to Florida, to her, her heirs & assigns forever. 2nd. I give to my son Hardy B. Croom my Falling Creek plantation and all my lands adjoining, called Friendship Hall. Also all the negroes, and stock of every description, which I put in his possession, also negro man Sambo, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. 3rd. I give to my son Bryan Croom in Florida, all the negroes I have then in his possession, also Jacob and John, in the possession of Joshua St. Byrd, and all my right of lands in Florida. Also two thousand dollars to be paid him out of the sales of my estate to aid him in purchasing more lands in Florida, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. 4th. I give to my son Richard Croom all my lands below the Atkin branch, beginning at the mouth of the said branch where it enters the river, thence up the run of said branch to the main road leading from Kinston to Coxes Ferry, to John Washingtons line, thence up the branch with his line to his corner, thence with his line to Coles branch, thence with another of said Washingtons to his corner in Shade Loftins line, then with Loftins line east to the Flat branch back of the Pleasant Potts place, then up that branch to the main road at the turn where negro Fife lived, and from thence a direct line to the first corner of a fifty acre patent granted to John Hartsfield, now John William's, and with the line of said patent to the river at the upper end of Jess Jacksons sein beach, thence up the river to the beginning at the mouth of the Atkin, which boundary is intended to include the William White land, the Frank Shine, Shine Caswell, Joe Williams and Pleasant Potts lands, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. 5th. I give to my son William Croom my Tower Hill plantation, beginning at Neuse River, at a gum at Jackson's sein beach where his brother Richards line ends, and running out with said line to the main road at the tower, thence with Richards line again down the Flat branch to Shade Loftins corner, then down the said branch to Dunns line, then with Dunns line to his corner a lightwood knot near Griffins corner, a red oak, and from thence to the main road at a place where the pasture fence now stands, then with the fence easterly so as to strike the river at Smith's point, then up the river to the beginning, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. 6th. I give to my two daughters Anne and Eliza Croom all my lands below Tower Hill lands, given to William, including the Collier, McIlwean place where Wingate now lives and the Stonington lands where David Evans lives to be equally divided by three competent commissioners chosen by my Executors for that purpose, to them, their heirs and assigns forever. 7th. I give to my son George Alexander Croom all the lands loaned to his mother called the Newington lands, and Red Hill, with a request to his mother that she will give him her right in that part of the said land given her by her father in order to make his share equal with the other children. I also give him two negroes Spencer and his wife Amy as a consideration to him for his mothers dower on his lands, they being a gift independent of the division of negroes among my children mentioned below, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. 8th. All my negroes not given away in this will I leave to be equally divided among my five younger children, viz. Richard, Anne, William, Eliza and George Alexander, by families as near as can be, Sam Atkins and his wife and children to be included in Richard's lot, Jack Smith, wife and children in Williams, Quayle, wife and children in Alexanders, to them, their heirs and assigns forever. 9th. I leave all my lands between Atkins branch, the River, Kinston, and the main road to be sold on a credit of one, two, or three years, at public or private sale at the discretion of my Executors. I leave also the residue of my estate to be sold on a credit of twelve months, lands rented and negroes hired, except, Richards lot of land and negroes, the possession of which, together with the Atkin mill, I wish him to have at my death, and the money arising from the sale of the lands, stock, produce, rent, and hire of negroes to be applied to the settlement of my estate, paying my son Bryan Croom two thousand or twenty five hundred or three thousand dollars if there be sufficient surplus. 10th. and lastly, I hereby nominate and appoint my friend Charles Westbrook, my wifes brother Nathan B. Whitfield and my son Hardy B. Croom Executors to this my last Will and Testament, and I hereby nominate and appoint Charles Westbrook as guardian to my son William or at least to take care of his property until he comes of age. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the date as above, being the second day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty eight. Signed, sealed, and declared by the Testator to be and contain his last Will and Testament in presence of us witnesses... Wm. Croom (Seal) Abraham E. Hardee George Whitfield STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, LENOIR COUNTY COURT OF PLEAS AND QUARTER SESSIONS JULY TERM 1829 Then was the foregoing last Will and Testament of General William Croom deceased duly exhibited in to court, and proved by the oath of Abram E. Hardy and George Whitfield the two subscribing witnesses thereunto and ordered to be registered. At the same time Hardy B. Croom and Charles Westbrook, two of the Executors therein named appeared in open Court and was duly qualified as such. Therefore ordered that letters testamentary issue accordingly. D. C. Caswell C. C. C. Registered in the Clerks Office of Lenoir Cou8nty the 10th day of August 1829. D. C. Caswell C. C. C. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA I, Lewis C. Desmond, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Lenoir, do certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the last Will and Testament of Gen. William Croom decd. as the same is of record. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand &c at Kinston is said county the 20th day of March 1833. Lewis C. Desmond, Clk. Last Will & Testament of Genl. Wm. Croom decd. Copy for Richd. Croom Esqr.