Orange County NcArchives Wills.....Laws, George Sr January 12, 1798 ************************************************ 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 20-22 Written: January 12, 1798 Recorded: Aug 1800 Testator: George Laws, Sr In the Name of God Amen I George Laws Senior of the County of Orange & State of North Carolina do Make & ordain this my last Will & Testament as Follows ~~~~~~~ 1st I give and bequeath unto my Son George Laws two Negroes Vizt. Ben & Ned and one Third part of my Stock of Cattle to him & his heirs forever 2nd I give devise & bequeath unto my Son William Laws the land & plantati= =on Whereon I now live (Reserving the use of the Said plantation to my Daughter Elizabeth Laws during the time of her living unmarried) Also Two Negroes Vizt Fortune & Lucy and one third part of my stock of Cattle to him & his heirs forever ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 3rd I Give & bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Laws three Negroes Vizt. Hannah Tamar & Duley Three Feather Beds & Furniture all my house hold & Kitchen Furniture Plantation utensils of every kind all my horses hogs & Sheep, one Third part of my Stock of Cattle the Corn & other grain Now on the plantation with the Crop of every kind intended to be made The present year to her & her heirs forever I also lend unto her the use of the plantation whereon I now live during the time of her living unmarried ~~~~~ 4th I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Harris one Negro Boy named Phil to her & her heirs forever ~~~~~ 5th I give & bequeath unto my Grand Son George Laws son of William Laws One Negro Girl named Sarah to him & his heir forever ~~~~ 6th I give & bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Nancy Laws Daughter of William Laws one Negro Girl named Aggy to her & her heirs forever ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I give [page 2] 7th I give & bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Mary Laws Daughter of George Laws one Negro Girl named Hagar & to the heirs of her Body lawfully begotton but if She Should die without Such heir the Value of Said Negro to be equally Devided between my Sons George Laws & William Laws & my Daughter Elizabeth Laws or their Respective heirs ~~~~~ 8th I give & bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Betty Edge One Negro Boy named Jim & one Feather Bed & Furniture & to the heirs of her Body lawfully begotton but if She Should die without Such heir the Value of Said Negro to be equally Devided between my Sons George Laws & William Laws & my Daughter Elizabeth Laws or their Respective heirs ~~ 9th I give & bequeath unto my son in law Peyton Madison Five Shillings lawful money to him & his heirs forever ~~~~~ 10th I give & bequeath unto my son in law Jeremiah Edge Five Shillings lawful money to him & his heirs forever ~~~~~ 11th I here by Constitute & Appoint My Sons George Laws & William Laws Executors of this my last Will & Testament ~~~~~ In Witness where of I have here unto Set my hand & seal this 12th Day of January 1798 Signed Seal[sic] published & . . } } George Laws (wax seal) Acknowledged in the presence of us } his Joseph (+) Guess } Wm. Laws qualifd as Exr. mark } } Jurat William Madison } Rbt. Bennehan [Will Book Volume D, page 20] In the Name of God Amen, I George Laws Senior of the County of Orange and state of North Carolina do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament as follows ~~ 1st I give and bequeath unto my Son George Laws two negroes (Viz.) Ben, and Ned and one third [part] of my Stock of Cattle to him and his heirs forever 2nd I give [devise] and bequeath unto my son William Laws the land and plantation Whereon I now live, Reserving the use of the said plantation to my daughter [Will Book Volume D, page 21] Elizabeth Laws during the time of her living unmarried also two Negroes Viz! For tune and Lucy and one third part of my Stock of Cattle to him and his heirs forever ~~~ 3rd I give and Bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth Laws three Negroes Viz. Hannah Tamar and Duly three feather Beds and Furniture all my house hold and Kitchen Furniture plantation utensils of every Kind all my Horses hogs and Sheep one third part of my stock of Cattle the corn and Other grain now on the plantation with the Crop of every kind intended to be made the present year to her and her heirs forever I also lend unto her the use of the plantation whereon I now live during the time of her liveing unmarried ~~~ 4th I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Sarah Harris one negro Boy named Phil to her and her heirs forever ~~~~~ 5th I give and bequeath unto my grand Son George Laws son of William Laws, one negroe Girl named Sarah to him and his heir forever ~~~~ 6th I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Nancy Laws Dau= ghter of William Laws one negroe Girl named Aggy to her and her heirs forever ~~~ 7th I give and bequeath unto my [grand] Daughter Mary Laws Daughter of George Laws one negro Girl named Hagar and [to] the heirs of Her body lawfully begotton but if she should die without such heir the value of said [Negro to] be equally devided between my son[s] George Laws and William Laws and my Daughter Elizabeth Laws or their respective heirs ~~~~ 8th I give & bequeath unto my grand Daughter Betty Edge One negroe [Boy] named Jim, and one feather Bed and furniture and to the heirs of her Body lawfully begotton, but if she should die without such heir the Value of said negroe to be equally devided between my son[s] George Laws and William Laws and my daughter Elizabeth Laws or their respective heirs [the following section (clause #9) does not match the same section in the loose will, rather it is a duplicate of clause 10.] 9th I give and bequeath unto my son in law Jeremiah Edge [Peyton Madison] Five Shillings law =ful money to him & his heirs forever ~~~ 10th I give and bequeath unto my son in law Jeremiah Edge five Shillings lawful money to him and his heirs forever 11th I ["give and bequeath" x-out] hereby Constitute & appoint my Sons George Laws & William Laws Executors of this my last Will and Testament ~~ In Witness whereof I have [here unto] set my hand & seal this 12th day of January 1798 ~~~ Signed Seal[sic] published & acknowledged in presence of us his Joseph (X) Guess mark William Madison George Laws (seal) Rt. Bennehan [Will Book Volume D, page 22] Orange Cou[n]ty August 1800 The Execution of the foregoing last Will and Testament of George Laws was duly proved in open Court by the oaths of Joseph Guess & William Madison two of the subscribing witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded, At tehe same time Wm. Laws one of the executors therein named qualified Accordingly Test J. Taylor CC Additional Comments: Will Book Volume D, pages 20-22 Recorded Aug 1800 No estate papers found. His inventory was mixed in with the estate papers of his son, George Laws, file labeled "Laws, George (1815)" [Estate Papers - Inventory of Estate Nov 1800] [Note: These papers come from file labeled "Laws, George (1815).] Inventory of the Estate of George Laws Senior deceased Return to November Court 1800 by his Executor William Laws 15 Negroes Male & Female [Sundry items omitted]