Orange County NcArchives Wills.....Edwards, John 1796 ************************************************ 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 56-57 Written: 1796 Recorded: Nov 1801 Testator: John Edwards [Original Will, faded] In the Name of God Amen I John Edwards of Orange County, & state of North Carolina being very aged & Infirm but of sound & disposing mind & memory Thanks be to God but reflecting on the uncertaintey of human life and that all mankind must die do here by make and ["ordain" erased] ordain this my last Will & Testament here by revokeing and disanulling all former Wills & Testaments heretofore made by me. Imprimus I recommend my Sole[sic] to God who gave it & my body to the Earth to be buried in a decent & Christian like Manner at the discretion of my Executors my will is that my Just debts be first paid Item my Will is that I Lend to my bloved[sic] Wife Mary Edwards all my Estate real and personal dureing her natural life and her bed that she leys on to dispose to [w]ho She pleases under the Care of my Executors and after her death, I give and bequath the Same in manner & form following Viz I give and bequiath to my Son John Edwards ten Shillings Item I give and bequath to my daughter Susannah Odeam ten Shillings Item I give & bequeath to my daughter Mary Campbell then[sic] Shilling[s] Item I Give and bequath to my Son David Edwards to his Children one negro boy named Tome to be Equally Devided Item I give and bequath to my son William Edward[s] to his Children one negroe named Len to be Equally Devided Item I give and bequath to my Son Sill Edward[s] to his Children one negro boy named Lewis to be Equally Devided [page 2] one negroe Woman named Brinah I set free to live amunge my Children Item I give and bequath to my Son Henry Edwards five Negroes named Jack and Charles & Edey & Diner and Sall I give and bequath to my son Henrey Edward[s] one negro name named Tome and all my Lands and Stock of all Coinds and also my household Goods and Chattles and all my working tooles and also my son Henrey Edwards is to pay all my Just debts that may be demanded of my Estate and lastly I constitute & appoint my beloved son Henrey Edwards & Sackfield Brewer Executors to this my laste Will & Testament Hereby revokeing all other Wills heretofore made by me In Witness where of I have hereunto set my hand & seal this second day of April & in the year of our Lord one Thousand seven Hundred and ninety six Seined seald published and } declared in presence of } John Edwards (seal) Test Thomas Brewer } her } Jurat Elizabeth (X) Brewer } mark Henry Edwards qualif as Exr. [Will Book Volume D, page 56] In the Name of God Amen I John Edwards of Orange County, & state of North Carolina being very aged and infirm but of sound and disposing mind and memory Thanks be to God but reflecting on the uncertainty of human life and that all mankind must die do here- by make and ordain this my last Will and Testament hereby revoke ing and Disanulling all former Wills and Testaments heretofore made by me. Imprimus I recommend my sole[sic] to God who gave it, and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent and Christian like Man[n]er at the discretion of my executors my will [is] that my Just debts be first paid. Item my Will is that I lend to my beloved Wife Mary Edwards all my estate real and personal during her natural life and her bed that she lies on to dispose to who she pleases under the Care of my Executors and after her death, I give and bequeath the same in manner and form following Viz I give and bequeath to my Son John Edwards ten Shillings - Item. I give and bequeath to my Daughter Susannah Odeane ten Shillings - Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary Campbell Ten Shillings - Item I give and bequeath to my son David Edwards to his children one negroe boy named Tone[?] to be Equally devided Item I give and bequeath to my son William Edward[s] to his children one negroe named Len[?] to be Equally divided - Item I give and bequeath to my son Sell Edwards to his children one negroe boy named Lewis to be equally divided ---- one negroe Woman named Beriah[?] I set free to live among my Children -- Item I give and bequeath to my Son Henry Edwards five Negroes named Jack and Charles and Edy & Diner and Saul -- I give and bequeath to my son Henry Edward[s] one negro name named Tom and all my lands and stock of all kinds and Also my household goods [Will Book Volume D, page 57] and Chattels and all my Working Tools - and also my son Henry Edward[s] is to pay all my Just debts that may be demanded of my Estate --- And lastly I constitute and appoint my beloved son Henry Edward[s] and Zachfield Brewer Executors of this my last Will and Testamente hereby Revoking all other wills heretofore made by me in witness where of I have hereunto set my hand and seal this second day of April and in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety six Signed sealed published and declared in presince[sic] of Test Thomas Brewer John Edwards (seal) her Elizabeth (X) Brewer mark Orange County Sepbr. County 1801 The Execution of the foregoing last Will and Testament of John Edward[s] Decd. was duly proved in open Court by the oaths of Thomas Brewer & Elizabeth Brewer subscribing witnesses thereto and order to be record- ed --- At the same time Henry Edwards one of the Executors therein named qualified accordingly.--------- [Will Book Volume A, page 367] State of North Carolina Orange County To all Christian people to whome these presents come I John Edwards Send Greeting in our Lord God everlasting know ye that I John Edward for and in consideration of the love good will and affection which I have to and beare toward my loving friend Margret Edwards of Orange County have given and granted and by these presents do freely chearfuly and absolutely give and grant to the said Margret Edward during her lifetime and at her death unto her son Henry Edward his heirs and executors a Certain Negroe boy aged Eleven years named Bows[?] unto me belonging and which I may Justly Clame as in right my own whither a live or dead to have and to hold the said negro unto the said Margret Edwards and at her decease unto her son Henry Edwards and his heirs for ever and from henceforth as her proper good and at her death to her son Henry Edward his heirs executors and as his and their proper good for ever absolutely without any manner of Condition I the said John Edward have absolutely and of my own accord set and put in further testamony in witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal the fourteenth day of June in the Ninth year of the Independence of the United States and in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven Hundred and Eighty five } Signed Seald and Delivered } John Edwards (seal) in presence of } John Durrum } Sarah Durrum } Additional Comments: Will Book Volume D, pages 56-57 Recorded Nov 1801 Estate papers comprise 12 pages and do not contain further information about John Edwards' family or other persons.