Onslow County NcArchives Wills.....Watson, William P August 18, 1886 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bill Gibson bgibson@uncfsu.edu June 21, 2006, 10:29 pm Source: Nc State Archives, Raleigh Written: August 18, 1886 Recorded: September 11, 1886 [start of document] State of North Carolina } Onslow County } I William P. Watson of said State and County being of sound mind but feeling the uncertancy of death do make this my last will and testament declaring all others void First- I give and bequeath to my daughter Josephine Watson, all of the tract of land known as the Stanly land lying on the west side of Yeopon-Branch and bounded as follows on the north by the Arnold tract, on the East- by Yeopon branch, on the south by Queens-Creek, and on the west by the Newbold land containing three hundred acres more or less. - - Second- I give and bequeath to my son Willie one tract of land on Bear Banks, near John Hawkins – Fishery containing forty acres, also all that tract of land lying on the South side of Queens Creek, known as the Burns Land & containing thirty acres more or less. also one lot – with improvement – in the Town of Swansboro N.C. Known as the Wind—mill Lot—also all of that tract of land known as the Offee Odum land & on the South side of Hall’s Creek containing fifty acres more or less, also that tract of land in the North side of Mill Ford Creek, known as the Emeline Bloodgood land containing forty acres more or less also the land I purchased from Dexter Odum known as part-of the George Odum land on the North side of Queens Creek and containing one hundred fifty acres more or less, also the Home place where I now live with all the improvements, situated on main road leading to Swansboro and bounded on the North by the Thos. B. Holland land, on the East the land of James Meadows Dexter Odum & E B. Morton, on the south by the main road running within three hundred yards to the Watson old place, to a large long leaf pine on the North side of the road running from thence in a Westardly direction to Wild Cat pond to the corner of the lands of E W. Freeman T. B. Holland & Watson old land containing four hundred Acres more or less— Third – I give and bequeath to my daughter “Katie” all of the tracts of land known as the Arnold, the Canady, and part-of the old Watson tracts bound on West- by Yeopon branch & Newbold land on the south by the Edward Jones land, on the East by Bowen Glancys land & on the North by the main road leading to Jacksonville & to a large long leaf pine near the Watson old place & from said pine in a westarly direction to the corner of the lands of E W. Freeman, T B Holland & Watson old land. Fourth—I give and bequeath to my neice – Laura Canady all of the track of land known as the Robert McLean land, lying on the main road leading to Swansboro & bounded on the North by William Francis- Burns land on the East & south by James- Holland land & on the West by the main road containing one hundred fifty- acres more or less, also a piece on which Benjamin Jones now lives & part of the Ben- Morton land containing seventy five acres more or less Fifty— It is my will that my Executor shall cause to be sold the land in Jones County N.C. known as the Bryan Stanly land for a division and the money used to pay the expenses on the same, and the balance to pay to my Wife City J Watson. Sixth it is my will that all of my personal [word left out] be sold by my Executor and after paying all necessary expenses, the balance of the money to be turned over to my Wife City J Watson for the support and education of the children – Seventh. It is my will that John Stanly & Wife Mary, may live where they now live at my Fathers old place undisturbed during their lives cultivate all the land necessary and otherwise improve & keep up the place Eight – It is my will and desire that my Wife City J Watson shall have the use of all my lands during her life time and that all the benefits – accruing from the same shall go to her use for the support and education of the children- Ninth—I hereby constitute and appoint Daniel S Rodgers as my Executor to this my last will and testament --.— In witness I hereunto set my hand and seal this the 18th day of August A. D. 1886 Wm P. Watson {seal} [his signature] Signed sealed and } delivered in presence of } W. E. Morton [his signature] F. H. Blount [his signature] [end of document] [start of document] State of North Carolina } Onslow County } In the matter of the probate } of the last will and testament } of Wm P. Watson dec. } A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of Wm P. Watson is exhibited for probate on the 11th of Sept 1886 before the clerk of the Superior court of the aforesaid County by Daniel S Rogers the Executor herein named, and upon the hearing of the said matter on said day it is found and declared: That the due execution of said last will is proven by the oath of W E Morton & F H Blount the attesting witnesses who say and each for himself depose and says: That he is a subscribing witness to the paper writing now shown him purporting to be the last will and testament of Wm P. Watson which bears date That the said Wm P. Watson in the presence of these deponents signed his name at the end of said paper writing so subscribed by him and exhibited to be his last will and testament and that the aforesaid deponents did thereupon subscribe their names at the end of said paper writing as attesting witnesses and at the request and in the presence of said testator. And the deponents further saith that at the said time when the testatees subscribed their names as attesting witnesses the said Wm P. Watson was of Sound mind and memory of full age to execute a will and was not under any restraint to the knowledge or information of these deponents. It is therefore considered by the Court that the said paper writing and every part and clause thereof in the last will and testament of Wm P. Watson and it is ordered to be recorded and filed. And thereupon Daniel S Rogers the Executor appeared and qualified as such Sept 11 1886. A C Huggins CSC Recorded in Book of Wills pge 203-4&5 [end of document] Additional Comments: William P. Watson was the son of John and Adeline Watson. He was born about 1832. One source says that he married Catherine Burns. If so, she would be the daughter of Solomon Chadwick Burns. His wife’s name is shown as “Kittie” in one census. The 1880 Census lists a female child born that year as “Baby” Watson. I presume, from this Will, that the daughter’s name was Catherine “Katie” Watson. He was listed as a “wheelwright” in the 1870 Census and a “carriage maker” in the 1880 Census. Laura Canady, his neice, was the child of John & Rebecca Canady (1870 Census). Rebecca Watson, a child of John and Adeline Watson, is listed in the 1860 Census. The birth years do not match according to the two census, but it may be that she was more than 3 years older than her husband. W. E. Morton would have been Wesley Edward Morton. F. H. Blount is listed as a physician in Swansboro according to “Branson's North Carolina Business Directory 1896 Onslow County”. E. W. Freeman would probably have been Elisha Washington Freeman, Sr. since E.W., Jr. would have only been about 17 years old in 1886. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/onslow/wills/watson116gwl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 7.8 Kb