Wills: John Keller Sr., 1803: Rowan County, North Carolina Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sharyn Fuller, October 2000 http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/rowan/wills/keller1.txt ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ******************************************************************************** WILL OF JOHN KELLER, Senior OF ROWAN COUNTY, NC, 1803 Transcribed by Sharyn Fuller, 25 October 2000 April ye 11th A.D. 1803 In the Name of God Amen I John Keller ---Sener of Rowan County and State of North Carolina being in perfect Memory but weake in body but of a sound Mind and knowing it is appointed once for all to die Do make this my last will and Testament and desire that it may be received by all as Such first I Defire my Body to be buried in a deacent manner at the Diserysion of my Executors hearafter Named beleaving it will be Raist again at the Resurrection of the Gerate day and be Excepted of God thrugh the merits of my Compasionate redeemer Jesus Christ And as for my worley property that it hath pleased God to blefs me with I give and bequeath in manner and form as following first I give and bequeath Unto my Dearly beloved wife Elizabeth Keller as much of my houfehold furniture as she may think ----_____ to take during hur life or widowhood with my Executors taking an Inventory of it and seeing that she dose not destroy it then my Executors shall at my wifes decease or marrage sell such property and divide it equal be twixt my three youngest daughters Catharine, Lizabeth and Anna and the Cotten that is in hand now I give to my beloved wife and as much of the meet and as shall be nesesary for hur and hur family and the rest to be sold for to git plank to build my wife and children a houfe and the wheat that is in the loft and the Corn in the Crib I give to my beloved wife as much as she may want to last hur and the family till fall and the meet is only to last hur till fall, the remainder of the wheat and corn is to be sold and my suns is to have the money to help build the house I give Unto my wife two cows such as she may choofe out of my Stock one Corn how an axe and my big Spaid and gardin how and my weavers Loom and tackling and quill wheat and my two heckels to be sold at hur deceafe or marrage and the money to be equally divided amongs all my beloved Daughters Secondly I give and bequeath Unto my sun John the plantation where on I now live except one half acer of Land and the Yard in which I give Unto my wife during hur life or widowhood and then to return to my sun John the half acer of Land is to be on the back of the new barn I give it Unto him his heirs or afsignees with his performing what is hear in after ----____ ____ or his heirs or afignes performing of it that is he shall give my Dearly beloved wife fifteen bufhels of good clean wheat and ten Bufhels of Corn two bufhels of molt one half bufhels of allurn salt one half bufhel of fine salt one hundred weights of good marchantable porke five pounds of good heckled flax ten pounds of tow five pounds of good clean cotton three pounds of good Clean wool and to go to mill for hur when she apoints him and find hur suffient firewood Cut and halld to hur doore fit for the fire and the whole of this he is to perform yearly Likewise my sun John is to support the two Cows for his mother and he is to have the Calves of them and they are to suck six weakes and he is to fence the half acer of land and to ecap it in fence and hur gardin and dung them as neads may require and plow them whenever she wants them plowd and likewife six of such appel treas as she may choofe during hur life or widowhood I give and bequeath unto my sun John my waggon and hind geers and Stretchers and two small Lock ____ and the two small wedges and Ninety six pounds of new Iron my gray gridstone one bar shear plow. thirdly I will and bequeath unto my Sun Henry Keller all that tract of land by ____ the waters of dutchmans krick that I purchaisd of Israel Catron (?) Unto him his heirs or afsigns with his performing what is hear in after mentioned that is to say he shall pay his mother six Dollars yearly and I give him a horse none by the name of Sealis and his Saddel and bridel and a yoak of steers that went by the name of his and one black bull one year old six sheap one black sow and the old rone horse is not to be sold but to be my sun John and I give my sun Henry the sith and cradel that he owns and all the shoomake tools my big Iron wedg and twenty four pounds of new Iron two plows and taiklin one ax one corn how one maddick my read grindstone two row hides and one Calf skin with his finding Leather and maiking his mother and three youngest sifters Each of them a pair of good shoof and the may wheat that he sowd for himself and the flax that he rowd for himself forthly I give unto my daughter Catharine one cow none by the name of pints one two year old one bead and furniture one new puter bason two plates two spoons and I also give unto my sun Henry all the timber he got out four waggons and I give Unto my Daughter Elizabeth one bead and furniture [line unreadable] of the geese and my sun John is to keep the geese till it is maid and then he is to have them likewyse he is to give hur a good Cow and a two year old heffer out of his part at hur ariving of age or marrage and he is to give my Daughter Anna good cow and heffer of two years old the cow he owed me to be paid at hur ariving of age or marrage and I give unto my daughter Elizabeth one puter dish and two plates two spoons Unto my daughter Anna my wifes bead and furniture at hur death or marrage my big puter dish one new bason two plates two spoons and all the rest of my moveable property that is not aportioned is to be sold except my Carpenters and Joiners tools for they are to be equally divided between my two suns as they can agre and what is sold to be one years credit given at the publick sail and first of all I give out of what is sold ten dollars to my three youngest Daughters Each of them is to have ten and the remainder to be equally amongs all my Daughters except barbery for she and hur husband has had twenty seven pounds hard money but if it amounts so that they get twenty seven pounds hard money each and any remaining then she is to have hur equal part of the reaminder and my sun John is to pay unto his sifters fifty dollers at my wifes decease or marrage and my sun Henry is to pay one hundred dollers to his sisters at his mothers death or marrage the hundred and fifty Dollers to be put to the Vandue money and Divided as that and if it takes it all to make up the rest of my daughters their twenty seven pounds then Barbery none if more then she draws hur equal shear of the remainder Like wife my two suns is to build their mother a good comfortable houfe for hur and hur Children to live in in the term of eighteen months from this date they are to have the nails and glafs and brick that I have prepard for building to help build the houfe with and all the glafs and brick that is left I give unto my sun Henry I do appoint my two beloved suns John and Henry Keller to be my Executors in this my Last will and teftamint Ratifing this and know other to be my Last will and teftament and all others hear to fore to be Void and of no effect in witnefs where of I have hear unto set my hand and affixed my Seal this day a bove ritten. Before the signing of this or sealing of it I give my sun Henry my big Sock(?) Chairs his John \/ Keller Senor mark Signed sealed published pronounced and Deamed by the said John Fuller Sener [line unreadable] and the preasents of each other have subscribed our names Benjamin Wilyon William Willson Jno Keller Will Reg. in Book C and copied by A.C.O. Note: The letter ìsî was often written as an ìfî, especially when part of a double ìss.î Also, the dictionary says a hackle is a comb for dressing flax or hemp. Therefore, ìheckledî flax might be flax that has been combed and readied for weaving. ABSTRACT OF WILL OF JOHN KELLER, SR OF ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Written 11 April 1803 Witnessed by Benjamin Wilyon and William Willson Wife Elizabeth Keller Household furniture for her lifetime (to be sold after her marriage or death and divided money divided among their 3 daughters), cotton as she chooses (rest to be sold and sons use money to build house for her), corn in the crib to last her till fall, meat to last her till fall, two cows of her choosing, one corn how, an ax, a spade, garden hoe, weaverís loom, tackling, quill (to be sold at her death or marriage), six appple trees as her choosing (revert to John at her death or marriage), Son John Plantation where John Sr. lives except ‡ acre on the back of the new barn to be used for a house for Elizabeth & children and to return to John after her death or marriage; he is to fence in the ‡ acre and garden and plow and dung them as needed; yearly, John is to provide Elizabeth 15 bushels wheat, 10 bushels corn, 2 bushels molt, ‡ bushel allurn sale, ‡ bushel fine salt, 100 weights merchantable porke, 5 .bs. flax, 10 lbs. tow, 5 lbs cotton, 3 lbs wool, sufficient firewood cut and hauled to ther door, go to mill for her when she desires, support the 2 cows for her (he is to have the calves); waggon and hind gears, stretchers, two small lock [?], 2 small wedges, 96 lbs. new iron, gray grindstone, 1 bar shear plow, old roan horse Son Henry Tract of land by ? the waters of Dutchmanís Creek purchased of Israel Catron (?); he is to pay mother Elizabeth yearly $6; horse known as Sealis with saddle and bridle, yoke of steers, 1 black bull 1-year-old, 6 sheep, 1 black sow, sythe and cradle, shoemaking tools, big iron wedge, 24 lbs. new iron, 2 plows and tackling, 1 ax, 1 corn hoe, 1 maddick (?), red grindstone, 2 rawhides and 1 calfskin with finding leather (to make his mother and 3 youngest sisters a pair of shoes each), May wheat he sowed, flax that he rowed, timber he got out, 4 wagons; any remainder of glass, brick and nails from building house for mother and sisters to live in; big Sock (?) chairs. Daughter Catharine 1 cow known by name Pints, 1 two-year-old cow, 1 bed and furniture, 1 new pewter basin, 2 plates, 2 spoons, $10 from estate sale plus part of any remainder, $50 from John at motherís death or marriage, $100 from Henry at motherís death or marriage, Daughter Elizabeth 1 bed and furniture, [unreadable line] of geese, 1 cow, 2-year-old heifer, 1 pewter dish, 2 plates, 2 spoons, $10 from estate sale plus part of any remainder, $50 from John at motherís death or marriage, $100 from Henry at motherís death or marriage, Daughter Anna 1 cow, 1 heifer two-year-old, motherís bed and furniture at her death or marriage, big pewter dish, 1 new basin, 2 plates, 2 spoons, $10 from estate sale plus part of any remainder, $50 from John at motherís death or marriage, $100 from Henry at motherís death or marriage, Daughter Barbery (Barbara, already married) An equal portion of estate sale of any amount that exceeds 27 pounds hard money each to the first 3 daughters, $50 from John at motherís death or marriage, $100 from Henry at motherís death or marriage, To be divided Carpenters and joiners tools between John and Henry as they can agree. Money from public sale of estate to be divided up among daughters (Barbara to have 27 pounds hard money less than the others because she and husband had been given that already) House to be built for Elizabeth and minor children by John and Henry Within 18 months of April 1803, John and Henry are to build a comfortable house for their mother and sisters. They are to use the glass and nails and brick that has been prepared for building. Any remainder of glass, etc. will go to Henry.