Rockingham County, N.C. - WILLS - Robert SMALL, 1 May 1799 -------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. --------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by MS LOUISE T OVERTON _________________________________________________________ Rockingham County, N.C. #142 No probate date In the name of God Amen. This 1st day of May 1799-I Robert SMALL of the County of Rockingham, being sick in body, but of sound and perfect mind and memory, thanks be given to God. Therefore calling into mind the mortality of my body, knowing that it is appointed unto all men to die-do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say first. I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God who give it existence and my body to a Christian Decent Burial at the discretion of my Executors who I shall hereafter nominate and appoint-and as --------- such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life. I give demise and dispose of in the following manner and form. First- I give and bequeath to my loving wife Elizabeth SMALL the lower west part of the plantation whereon I now live sufficient to support her in a decent manner during her natural life. Together with an equal share with my children of my chattel property to kin and their heirs- as also the use and labour of my negro woman slave named Abby- to help raise my three youngest children. As to the disposal of my slaves, I do it in the following manner. I give and bequeath to my daughter Mary my negro girl named Nancy- with the reserve that the value of the negro girl shall be discounted out of such other part as may be coming to her out of my Estate. My negro woman Abby with such other increase as she may have up to the year 1808, or such time as my children may arrive to age as may be best for the children. For Benefit, together with Peter my negro man, to them be divided equally amongst my children and wife. My two other negroes Bob and Jane I will that they be sold with the rest of my chattel property at the discretion of my Executors- and I further will that all my just debts be paid and settled out of my Estate before any of the aforesaid distributions be made. Secondly- as to the division of my Lands, I do it in the following manner. To lay off one division adjoining the lines of Thomas KING and Abraham PHELPS lines running on East line is as to strike the mouth of the Quarry Branch thence south to the back line. Thirdly- One division of land to begin at MILLERS Rock Corner thence running a southwest course to intersect the last survey, and taking of that ---- ---- and -- to take one hundred acres ---------- surveyed The 4th Dividend is the plantation which will stand according tp estimation at three hundred acres after taking the West and South parts of -------(words not legible) The 5th Dividend on the head of the Haw Creek and on the Long Branch, taking fifty acres from that ------ adjoining William MILLER's line- and on the West side of Long Branch, it being a part of the three hundred and fifty acres - ---- that Lott will stand to two hundred fifty acres on both branches. The 6th Dividends which is the plantation whereon ---- HUTSON now lives- containing three hundred acres- adjoining thereto seventy-three acres from the last survey which being added will make three hundred and seventy-three acres of land- I give to my son John SMALL to him his kin. The 7th and 8th- Dividend consists of my two tracts of land on Jacobs Creek, as they join one dividing line to run East and West will suffice. The whole of the Lotts above mentioned I give and bequeath to my beloved children- after John SMALL taking his Lott, the rest to be valued by Commissioners appointed so as to make each dividend equal to the legate here mentioned-to witt- James SMALL, Thomas SMALL, William SMALL, Samuel SMALL, Abraham SMALL and Mary SMALL, to the and their kin and assigns, and I do hereby nominate and appoint as Executors Elizabeth SMALL, John BLACKBURN and John SMALL to manage this my Last Will and Testament as witness my hand and seal this day and year aforesaid. Signed Robert SMALL Signed sealed published and declared in the presence of ----- A. PHILLIPS (Abraham Phillips) Mary (her mark) MACKEY Josiah McBRIDE