PITT COUNTY, NC - Will - William Watkins, 1771

=========================================================================
  USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free
       information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial
       entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material.
       These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for
       profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations.

       Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes
       other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file
       contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of
       this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb
       Archives to store the file permanently for free access.

       This file was contributed by:
       Martha Mewborn Marble <mmarble@erols.com> Apr. 2000
==========================================================================

                     WILL OF WILLIAM WATKINS, 1771

Transcribed from riginal located at the NC Archives in the Secretary of 
State Papers. The request to copy does not contain the call number.

In the name of God Amen I WILLIAM WATKINS of Pitt County in the Province of 
North Carolina Planter being in a Weak & low State of health & calling to 
mind the uncertainty of This life do therefore make this my last Will & 
Testament Revoking & ?? nulling All other & former Wills by me heretofore 
made. And first I Recommend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God that 
gave it me hopeing through the Merrits of Jesus Christ to Obtain my 
everlasting Salvation. And my Body I desire to be buried in a Christian 
like manner. And as to my Worldly Estate I dispose of it in manner & form 
following, to wit,

I give & bequeath unto my beloved Wife CHRISTIAN WATKINS & to my two Sons 
JOHN WATKINS & WILLIAM WATKINS & to my four Sons in Law FRANCIS BUCK, JAMES 
CASON, WILLIAM ORMOND & JAMES JONES all my Ready money that I leave at the 
time of my Death to be Equally Divided between them Share & Share alike

And Whereas I have Some time ago made & Executed in an open & lawful manner 
Deeds of Gifts to my Sons & Sons in Law for my Land & Plantation & all my 
Negroes & my Still & Worms which was then immediately before the Execution 
of the said Deeds my Right & Property & which was Done Agreeable to & by & 
with the free & mutual Consent & Agreement of my aforesaid Wife & Sons & 
Sons in law, And my said Wife as I married her a Poor Woman without any 
Estate at all, at the same time Agreed & Concluded to Renounce & quit all 
manner of Wright or Dower in or to the said Land & Plantation in two of the 
aforesaid Deeds mentioned either in Law or equity or any other way, 
howsoever on Condition that I Would leave her at the time of my Death the 
one third part of all my Personal Estate except the Negroes the Still & the 
Worms. Therefore I do hereby Give & bequeath in behalf of the said 
Agreement as also for the love that I bear unto my said Wife CHRISTIAN 
WATKINS to her & her heirs for ever The one third part of all my personall 
Estate of all kinds whatsoever except the Ready money already Given and

And I do hereby Give & bequeath unto my said Sons in law FRANCIS BUCK & 
JAMES CASON the other two thirds of all my personal Estate of all kinds 
whatsoever except the ready money already given to be equally divided 
between them Share & Share alike. And the reason why I Give no more to my 
Sons JOHN & WILLIAM WATKINS & to my Sons in Law, WILLIAM ORMOND and JAMES 
JONES is because I have heretofore provided for them in the before 
mentioned Deeds of Gifts.

I give & bequeath unto my Daughter SARAH BUCK one Shilling lawful money of 
Great Britain

I give & bequeath unto my Daughter ELISABETH one Shilling

I give & bequeath unto my Daughter ANN one Shilling

I give & bequeath unto my Daughter RACHAEL one Shilling & the Reason is 
because I have provided for them in the name of their Husbands in the 
aforesaid Deeds of Gifts.  Lastly I appoint my beloved Wife & my Son in Law 
JAMES CASON Executrix & Executor of this my last Will & Testament. In 
testimony whereof I have hereunto put my hand & Seal this Ninth day of 
November Anno Domini 1771.

                        SIGNED  WM. WATKINS     Seal

Signed Sealed published & Declared by the Testator to be his last will & 
testament in the presence of us
CATHARINE (X) CROFTON
JOHN SALTER
RANDAL McDANIEL

The within last Will and testament of WILLIAM WATKINS was proved Before me 
this fourteenth day of October 1773 by the Oath of John SALTER one of the 
subscribing Witnesses theretor who sworn that he was present and did see 
the said Testator sign seal publish and declare the same to be and contain 
his last Will and testament and that at the time thereof he was of sound 
and disposing mind & memory And JAMES CASON the Executor therein named 
having taken the Oaths of Executor and qualified as the law directs This 
ordered that Lettors Testamentary be granted thereon accordingly.

                        H.?? MARTIN