ONSLOW COUNTY, NC - WILL BOOK 1 - Thomas A. Bell, 31 Aug 1829
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THOMAS A. BELL
State of North Carolina
County of Onslow
Will Book 1

In the name of God amen.  I, Thomas A. Bell, of the county of Onslow & State 
of North Carolina, being weak of body but of sound mind & memory, blessed by 
God, calling to mind the certainty of death, do this 31st of August in the 
year of our lord one thousand eight hundred & twenty nine.  Make & ordain this 
my last will & testament in manner & form following, to wit.  I commend my 
soul to the goodness and mercy of Almighty God who gave it me, trusting to be 
raised to life eternal in the resurrection through Jesus Christ.  My body to 
be buried in a christian like manner, my conjugal affection I leave to my 
beloved wife Ann Bell & my parental affections to my dear children with 
directions for them to live soberly, honestly, & industrious, ever loving each 
other as brethren of one family, looking also to God the Father & provider of 
their faith & touching (?) my worldly goods which it hath pleased God to bless 
me with.  I dispose of in the following manner.
ITEM  I lend my (wife) Ann Bell for the purpose of dower in my lands during 
her natural life, all my cleared lands in the north west side of mulberry 
branch including my buildings with privileges of clearing and cultivating the 
woodland that lies inside of the fences ajoining said cleared land and 
buildings with privilege of fire wood & rail timber on the lands ajoining said 
dower.  I also lend my wife Ann during her natural life my negro slave Derry 
(?) & for the better maintenance of my two young children, John Westly Bell & 
Christopher Dudley Bell, so long as my said wife Ann will keep them clean of 
board & clothing or a charge for the same against them.  I lend her, my said 
wife Ann Bell, my negro girl Hannah.
ITEM  I give to my wife, Ann Bell, my negro man slave by the name of Jim, my 
sorrell horse John, three cows & calves, eight head of sheep, all the 
household & kitchen furniture that my said wife Ann had when I married her and 
one years provision for her self & family to be laid off by men appointed by 
the court for that purpose to her & her heirs & assigns.
ITEM  I leave my negro boy Alfy (?) & all my perishable property of every 
description that is not before mentioned except one feather bed & furniture 
which I give to my two sons John W. Bell & Christopher D. Bell, for their own 
benefit then my just debts paid.
ITEM  I give to my son in law Elijah Wade my negro boy little Jim to him, his 
heirs 7 assigns.
ITEM  I give unto my grand daughter Mary Hellen Wade my negro girl Stilly (?) 
which is now living at my son in law James Wade's, her & her heirs & assigns.
ITEM  After the sale of my perishable property and my just debts are paid, the 
balance arising from said sale if any, I give to be equally divided between my 
two sons, John W. Bell & Christopher D. Bell, to be applied toward educating 
them.
ITEM  I give all the remainder of my property both real and personal not 
before mentioned to be equally divided between all my children by name, Polly 
Wade, William Bell, Daniel Newton Bell, John Westly Bell, Christopher Dudley 
Bell & also the negroes & their increase that I have loaned my wife Ann Bell 
when the loan as before mentioned shall expire, to them, their heirs & 
assigns.
The division to take place to Polly Wade when her husband James Wade shall 
petition for the same & the division of my sons to take place as they 
severally arrive to the age of twenty one years.
ITEM  My will & desire is that if my grand daughter Mary Hellen Wade die 
without lawful issue of her body that my daughter Polly Wade be the heir to my 
said grand daughter of the negro girl Sintilla & her increase if any & that if 
either of my sons die without issue that the surviving brothers be his heir.  
I also empower my Executor if he think it advisable for the benefit of my 
grand daughter to change said negro girl Sintilla by sale or otherwise for 
another girl to replace to my said grand daughter Mary Hellen in the lieu of 
the present one.
Lastly, I appoint my friend Frederick Foy, Esqr., sole Executor of this my 
last will & testament with all lawful powers belonging to an executor in such 
cases.  In witness whereof, I have signed, sealed, & acknowledge this my last 
will & testament the day & date mentioned in the preamble hereof.
(signed) Thomas A. Bell

Signed sealed & acknowledged in the presence of Test.
Levi Arnold
Elijah Wade


State of North Carolina, Onslow, Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, November 
Term 1829.  Then was this will of Thomas A. Bell offered for probate and the 
execution thereof duly proved in open court by the oath of Elijah Wade, one of 
the subscribing witnesses and Frederick Foy Esqr., the executor therein named 
qualified thereto agreeable to law.
Danl Ambrose, clk.