Orange County NcArchives Wills.....Cate, Thomas December 17, 1811 ************************************************ 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: Ben Franklin ben.franklin.ffru@gmail.com May 2024 Source: Loose Will, NC Archives CR 073.801, Will Book Volume D, pages 369-370 Written: December 17, 1811 Recorded: unknown date Testator: Thomas Cate In the name of God Amen I Thomas Cate of the County of Orange an[d] State of North Carolina being well in body an[d] in perfect mind and memory thanks be giving unto God caling to mind that it is appointed for all men once to die do make an[d] ordain this my last will and testament that is to say principal[l]y first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the hand of almighty God that ["it" erased] gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in A decent christion burial at the discration of my Executers nothing doubting but at the genarel resur[r]ection I shall receive the Same again by the mighty power of God and as touching of my worldly estate where unto it has ple[a]sed God to bless me in this life I give and dispose of the same in the following man[n]er and first that all Just an[d] lawfall ["ob" erased] debts to be paid I give and beque[a]th to my beloved wife Martha Cate all my mooveable property only She must gave[sic] out of it my Sons Thomas Cate an[d] John S Cat[e] an[d] to my daughter Dauratha Cate as much as we[?] gave[sic] to them is of age when ever they com[e] of age an[d] the rest [of] it she is to hav[e] doreing of her natural life or widowhood an[d] then to be equealy to be dev[id]ed amungst all my Children an[d] as [for] my land I gave unto my children in the following man[n]er the hundred acores land I got of Austin, I gave to my two daughters Poly Cate an[d] Ma[r]tha Cate Polly to have fifty acores next to the widow Thomases an[d] Martha the other fifty on the east side then to lay of[f] one hundred acores of my old track Joineing James Chambers begin[n]ing next to Crutchfield land running north through the track an[d] that to be devided between ["my" erased] Isaiah Cate [and] Thos. Cate my sons Isaiah to have the half next to Tapes on an[d] Thos. the other half next to Crutchfield John S Cate my son is to leave fifty acores Joineing of the Austin track an[d] my daughter Dauratha Cate [page 2] is to have fifty acores next to Crutchfield an[d] to my wife I gave[sic] sixty five acores of land lying in between John an[d] Darutha dureing of her natural life an[d] then to be sold and Polly an[d] Martha to have fifty dollers a pese an[d] then the balance to be devi[d]ed between all my children but non[e] of them to Sell ["their" erased] their Land as long as she lives their mother without the cansent of her but have the telling of it I also con[s]titute an[d] ap[p]oint my well beloved friend John Sykes an[d] my beloved wife Martha Cate the Executers of this my last will an[d] testament I [do?] hereby disan[n]ul all every other former testament willes are any wise before named I ratefy an[d] confirming this [to] be my last will an[d] testament in witness whereunto I have set my hand an[d] seal this the seventeenth day of Desember in the year of our lord one thousand eightteen hundred an[d] eleven Sign[ed and] Sealed in the presentc of us Teste her Susanna Durham Thomas Cate (seal) mark Susanna Durham Jurat Exrs. qualifd [Will Book Volume D, page 369] In the name of God Amen I Thomas Cate of the County of Orange & State of NoCarolina being well in body & in perfect mind & memory thanks be given unto God Cal[l]ing to mind that it is appointed for all Men Once to Die do make & ordain this my last will & Testiment that is to say principally first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it & my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Decent Christian burial at the disCretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the general resur[r]ection I shall receive the same Again by the mighty power of God & as touching of my worldly Estate whereunto it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give & dispose of the same in the following manner & first that all Just & lawfall detts[sic] to be paid I give & bequeath to my beloved wife Martha Cate all my Movable Property only she must give out of it my Sons Thos. Cate & John S Cate & to my daughter Dauatha Cate as much as we gave to them is of age when ever they Come of age & the rest of it she is to have during her natural life or widowhood & then to be Equally divided among all my Children & as [for] my land I gave unto my Children [Will Book Volume D, page 370] Children in the following manner the hundred Acres of land I got of Austin I gave to my two daughters Polly & Martha Cate Polly to have fifty Acres next to the widow Thomases & Martha the other fifty on the East side then to lay off one hundred acres of my old track Joining James Chambers beginning next to Crutchfield land running North through the track & that to be divided between Isaiah & Thomas Cate my son Isaiah to have the half next to Taps & Thomas the Other half next to Crutchfields John S Cate my son is to leave fifty Acres Joining of the Austin track & my Daughter Doratha Cate is to have fifty Acres next to Crutchfields & to my wife I give sixty five Acres of land lying in between John & Doratha during of her natural life & then to be sold & Polly & Martha to have fifty dollars apiece & [then] the balance to be divided between all my Children but none of them are to sell their land as long as she lives without the consent of her but having the telling of it I also constitute & appoint my well beloved friend John Sykes & my beloved Wife Martha Cate the Executors of this my last Will & Testiment I do hereby disan[n]ul all every other former Testiment Wills are any where [orig: wise] before named I ratify & Conferming this [to] be my last Will & Testament in witness whereunto I have set my hand & seal this 17th day of December in the year of our lord 1811 { signed & sealed in the presence { Thomas Cate (seal) of us } [her] Susanna (X) Durham Mark [her] Susanna (X) Durham Mark Additional Comments: Will Book Volume D, pages 369-370 Recorded unknown date Many of the instances of the word "and" were written as "an" in the loose will. The loose will skips many words, and the will book copy compensates for this by frequently adding in the missing words and minor changes of phrasing. In the witness signature area, it appears in the loose will that it is trying to represent only one person, Susanna Durham. Her mark is not distinct. The name is written twice perhaps representing two individuals, or a repeat of the name to make it more legible. Estate Papers comprise seven pages, and are found in a folder labeled "Cate, Thomas (1813)" Includes a Bill of Sale from Thomas R. Cate to John S. Cate.