Perquimans County NcArchives Wills.....Skinnger, William 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: Bob Stokley scvlifer@inteliport.com September 5, 2010, 7:53 am Source: N C Archives Written: 1798 I William Skinner of Perquimans County and State of North Carolina, Commifsioner of Loans within the Said State being at this time in health, and expecting I must shortly depart this life, am moved to commit my Last will and Testament to writing, in the following manner and form. (to wit) 1. I give and Bequeath unto my wife Dorothy Skinner and to her heirs forever all that part of the Estate of William McDonaldm deceased given to her by his will, also all my right of the Negroes divised to her as part of the estate (to wit) Olympia given by will and Negroes Hance(?), Jack, Peter, Pattey, Bess and Sall. Flora, Stephen and Annette, and all the household furniture which she is now PofesFd of of evtry kind,m I say I leave all my right of the said Negroes and furniture to my said wife, on condition that she does not endeavor to come in for any part of my.(sic) It is therefore on them conditions and no other that I make this bequest.2. I give and bequeath unto William Skinner and Caroline Skinner, son and daughter of my wife Dorothy Skinner born on the 29th day of March last, I say to them two unfortunate children I give the sum of fifty silver dollars to be equally divided between them, as their full share of my Estate and it is my will that the said fifty dollars may be deposited in the hands of my wife for them children, that if she is inclined to cheat her own children let her do it and she and the children dispute it. 3. I give unto my daughter Penelope Creecy and to her heirs for ever my negroe girl named Amey, now in her pofesfion. 4. and as it is well known that I have given to my granddaughter Nancy Cotton a negroe girl by the nme of Phebe, and to my granddaughter Dolley Cotton, now Dolley Blount, a negroe girl by the name of Hager I request that my Executors may not consider them two Negroes as any part of my Estate. 5. I give unto my son in law Lemuel Creecyh my best gunn, my pistols and my sword and belt which are all in his Pofesfion. 6. I give unto my nephew John Skinner, Esquire, my four volumes of Blackstone Commentaries and my gold headed cane. 7. I give unto my daughter, Elizabeth Cotton my horse call'd Thoughtless and my horse call'd Red Bird. These two horses are in her pofefsion by virtue of a verbal gift and that all my china, glass ware & earthen ware now n the house are to be considered her property at my death and that sundry articles of plate which are known to be her property and as such are not to be considered as part of estate by Executors. 8. It is to be remembered that the principal part of my Estate is convey'd by Deeds bearing date May 13, 1795 to my daughter Elizabeth Cotton & my daughter Lagvinia Skinner (now Lavinia Harvey) with some reservations. It is therefore to be considred by my Executors that every article contained in such deeds are the property of my said daughters, only subject to the payment of such dollars as are mentioned in the said deeds and that the several articles therein mentioned are not to be inventory'd in my Estate. 9. All the remaining part of my Estate not disposed of by deeds or by this will which is very little, it is my willk and desire that the same may be sold by my Excecutors either at public or private sale on such credit as they shall think best, to be sold immediately after my death at their discretion, and the money arising therefrom is to be applied to the payment of all my just debts which I may owe the United States and for any other purpose whatever. 10. It is my will and desire that my wife Dorothy Skinner may be treated by my Executors with every mark of respect which they may think she merits but not to give up to her one shilling of my Estate more than what is mentioned in this Will as by my intermarriage with her my Estate is more than two thousand pounds the worse. 11. It is my will and desire to be buried in the County of Peraquimans along side of my worthy deceast wife whose memory I cannot two much respect, I would wish to be buryed in a plain Pine Coffin without any pomp or parade, as I merritt none, and it is further my will and desire that this will may be proved in the County Court of Perquimans and all the proceedings thereon shall be of record in that County as what small Estate I have which is very small is in that County. Lastly, I nominate, constitue and appoint my friends, Joshua Skinner, John Skinner, John Harvey, Lemuel Creecy, William Creecy, William Wheaton, Charles Blount and William Blound, Executors to this muy last Will to see it fulfilled in every part and I earnestly request of my Executors (as it is the last favor I can ask) that they will qualify to this Will and that they use every exertion iun their power to see (illeg. Word) justice done to my children. In keeping them in pofesfion of that part of my Estate allotted to them by this Will as well as that part conveyed to them Deeds, Ratifying this and no other to be my Will. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set jmy hand & Seal this 15th day of August, 1797. /S/ WmSkinner Signed, Sealed & acknowledged by the said Wm. Skinner as his Last Will, in the presence of: Unreadable Name Stephen Skinner Charles Moore Attachment #1: I make no doubt but it will be insinuated by some persons that I was influenced by some of my relations in making the Will hereunto annexed in the manner it is. This I declare is not te case, but that I have made it calmly and cooley without the knowledge or privity of any person whatever, and I do declare that it is entirely my Will and I could -----wish some of my relations or connections (if my wife would agree to it) would take her little son, William Skinner out of her pofefsion and bring him up and give him some education, but not to remain under her care in such an infernal place as Edenton, tis a nursery for all vice and the most abominable place for youth, perhaps on the Continent. If my wife will agree to it I wish some person to take him, but this I am under apprehensions she will not agree to as she has such a high opinion of Edenton and the rules observed by all ages and sizes of the inhabitants that tis not likely she will agree to her cilds receiving a country education. It is observed in my will that a considerable part of my Estate is conveyed by Deeds to my children subject to the payment of my debts which I may owe the United States at my death, now in order to make that a matter as clear possible (to wit.) I wish all my Estate not disposed of by my will nor by deeds, may be sold at the direction of my Exor's. and the whole amount of that sale be apply'd to the payment of the balance which may appear to be due the United States at my death, but that not one shilling be apply'd to any other purpose whatsoever, and should that be insufficient to pay what may be due the United States, the residue of the balance due the United States must be raised out of that part of my Estate conveyed by Deeds, but after raising a sufficiency to pay the United States, the residue contained in them Deeds are to remain sacred for my children. Should any thing in them Deeds be obliged to be sold for the purposes aforesaid I would recommend that the land called White Plains…the lands which-----of Nathan Long and the lands patten by Miles Gale Skinner which -----Edward Hall, Sheriff be first sold. /S/ Wskinner (no date) Attachment #2: To Joshua Skinner, John Skinner, John Harvey & Lemuel Creecy I wish to beg your attention to my son, William. I wish as soon as I am dead and it can with decency be done that, that child may be put under the care of my daughter, Elizabeth Cotton, there to remain until he is five years old, at that time I wish my friends above mentioned to take him under their care and although he has no Estate I beg them to give him a liberal education it can be no great expense amongst the whole of them. I know I have little reason to ask it but tis hard the child should suffer for my imprudence. I could wish to have said much more but am unable to write. I hope the above will [be] sufficient to induce you all to pay attention to the child and his education. Wskinner January 19,1798 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/perquimans/wills/skinnger1621wl.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ncfiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb