ORANGE CO, NC WILL Christmas, John - 1783 File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ginger L. Christmas gxmas@gte.net Orange County North Carolina Will Book A p-261-268: John CHRISTMAS {#32} Dated: 11 August 1783 Recorded Orange County NC Probated in November Court 1783. In the name of God Amen. I John CHRISTMAS of the County of Orange in the state of North Carolina planter being sick and weak in body but in perfect mind and memory thanks be to God for the same and calling to mind the uncertainty of this transitory life and being willing to settle my worldly affairs in order to make this my last will and testament in manner and form following: FIRST I commend my soul to God who gave it hoping through the death and merits of Jesus Christ my Savior to be made partaker of the fading joys of immorality and as for that temporal estate it hath been pleased God to bestow on me I give and bequeath in the manner and form following that is to say whereas my sons Thomas and John and my daughters Mary Elizabeth and Henrietta are all married and have moved from me, such estates as I judge equal proportions of my substance and I do hereby give and bequeath each of them my sons Thomas, my son John, my daughters Mary Elizabeth and Henrietta the sum of five shillings Virginia money. Besides that I do hereby confirm to them and their heirs and assigns an indisputable right to that I have heretofore given them revoking all manner of claim to any part or parcel same from any person or persons whatever. ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Mary CHRISTMAS during her natural life the plantation whereon I now live with all the land on the south side Cane Creek and below the branch known by the name Moccasin and also my three negroes Harry, Sue and Aggie, a feather bed and furniture, a horse, bridle and saddle and to enable her the better to raise her children I lend her my eight Negroes Charles, Jacob, wife, Iona, Fatt, Terry, young Charles and Davy together with my other estate of horses, cattle, sheep and household furniture except such as I shall hereafter dispose of and it is my will and desire that my loving wife Mary do keep and enjoy during her widowhood all such estate lent her, but should she marry again then my will is that all the estate be divide among my three sons Robert , James and Charles and it is also my will that at my wife's decease that all the estate in her hand be also divided amongst said three youngest sons by my two sons Thomas CHRISTMAS and Richard. ITEM: I give and bequeath to my daughter Ann Pictles my negro girl Ginny and my negro boy Philamon, a feather bed and furniture, a mare, bridle and saddle with two cows and calves, with two bison, two dishes and six plates and should she die without lawful issue that the estate left her be divided amongst my three sons Richard , William and Nathaniel . ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my son Richard, his heirs and youngins forever a tract of land lying on the north side of Cane Creek from a line of marked trees running from or near the mouth of Richland branch with land whereon Thomas MASON formally lived also my will is that my son, Richard, have two negroes known by the names of Dick and Fanny with a feather bed and furniture, two cows and calves besides his own amongst my stock with two bison, two dishes and six plates. ITEM: I give and bequeath to my son, William , his heirs and youngins, all that tract of land lying on the north side of Cane Creek below a line of marked trees running from or near the mouth of Richland Branch, also two negroes by the name of Will and Nessy. ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my son, Nathaniel , his heirs and youngins, forever two hundred and fifty pounds Virginia money or stock at thirty-three and a third percent in gold or silver to be paid him from my son Thomas CHRISTMAS for my mill and negro Will within nine months from this date, if not paid them the said mill and negro named Tom with a feather bed and furniture. ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my son, Robert, his heirs and youngins, forever one negro named Benjamin. ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my son, James, his heirs and youngins, forever all my land that lying on the south side of Cane Creek and above the Moccasin branch with the addition of all the land lying on the same side if creek belonging to the land whereon Thomas MASON formally lived. ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my son, Charles, his heirs and assigns, forever all my land on the south side Cane Creek and below the Moccasin branch and it is my will that if either of my three youngest sons Robert, James and Charles die before they come of age leaving no issue then it is my will that their estate so left shall fall into the estate to be divided by my two sons, Thomas and Richard, with the remains of the estate to the two youngest sons it is also my will that if the land I have left to my four sons, Richard, William, James and Charles be lost and they fall on the estate of Michael WHATLEY that what is recovered be divided amongst said four sons, Richard, William, James and Charles. ITEM:I give and bequeath unto my Grandson Henry CHRISTMAS, son of John CHRISTMAS, deceased, my land lying in Warren County on the south side of the road adjoining the land formally Charles ALLEN's. And also my will is that if either of my three youngest sons, Robert, James and Charles come to age before my wife decease wanting their estate it is then my will and desire that my said two sons, Thomas and Richard divide the estate I lent my wife and give them what they see cause to as not to exceed a third, and should there be any remainder at my wife's decease its my desire that it be divided with the estate of my wife at her decease to my three youngest sons, Robert, James and Charles by my two sons aforesaid Thomas and Richard and safely I do hereby constitute and appoint my loving wife, Mary CHRISTMAS, my sons Richard and Robert Executors of this my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void and null all former will or wills hereafter made and confirming this and none but this to be my last will and testament in the testimony whereof I have hereunto with my hand and seal this eleventh day of August one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three. John CHRISTMAS Signed, sealed and acknowledged by the testor to be his last will and testament in presence of us: Richard CHRISTMAS, William RICHARDS and James I. PICKARD. Orange County, November Court 1783 The Execution of the within will and testament of John CHRISTMAS , deceased, was duly proven in open court by the oaths of William RICHARDS and James I. PICKARD two of the subscribing witness thereto and ordered to be recorded. ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation.