ROWAN COUNTY, NC - WILLS - David Smith, 20 Jan 1784 ----¤¤¤¤---- Wills: David Smith, 1784: Rowan County, NC In the Name of God Amen. I David Smith of Rowan County in the State of North Carolina being mindful of the frailty & mortality of human nature and that it is appointed for all men once to die, but Considering the uncertainty of the time thereof and being now in Perfect minde memory &understanding; I therefore this 20th day of January in the Year of of Lord 1784 make this my last will and Testement in manner and form following; First and principally I give my Soul unto Allmighty God who gave it to me and my Body to the Earth there to be Decently buried according to the Discretion of my Executors hereafter named, in Sure and certain hope that it Shall be raised up to everlasting Glory through the might power of my Saviour Jesus Christ, and for my Worthy Estate as it has pleased God to bless me with in this life, I Give bequeath & demise in manner and form following. First I will that all my Just Debts and funeral Charges shall be paid. Secondly I will that Dear beloved wife Anna Barbara Smith Shall have full possession of this my Plantation whereon I now live with all the Plantation tools, house furniture, and also Cattle and horses as many as Shee Shall think proper, or to Sell and Dispose of as many as Shee shall thing [sic] proper During her life without any interoption of any body as I might have done my Selve, if Shee shall remain a widow, but if Shee sh[] to mary again then all my moveable Estate Shall be sould, and is to be praised and Devoidede. Thirdly I Give bequeath and Demise unto my beloved Son Leonhart Smith the Plantation or tract of Land whereon he now lives of Six hundred and forty Acres more or less to him and his Heirs or Assigns forever. Forthly I give, bequeath and Demise unto my Son David Smith the Plantation whereon he now liveth on pounders branch Containing two hundred & Seventeen Acres more or less to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever. Fifthly I Give bequeath & Demise unto my son Frederic Smith the Plantation whereon he now lives on Abbots Creek Containing two hundred Acres more or less to him his Heirs & Assigns forever. Sixthly I Give bequeath and Demise unto my son Casper Smith a tract of land Containing two hundred and fifty Acres more or less as will She[r]v by a line made by me and my Son David Smith beginning at a hickory tree r[]r hunts line Going Down to the Spring to a post oak thence to another post oak on mudy run Swamp thence Down to a nother post oak, thence over mudy run to white Oak then down to mudy run to a hickory and over mudy run to a hickory then Down mudy run tell to Andrew Beards line to him and his Heirs and assigns forever, Seventhly I Give bequeath and Demise unto my Son Peter Smith a Plantation or tract of Land Containing two hundred and twenty Acres more or less on Mudy run Joining the trading road to him and his Heirs forever, Eightly [sic] I Give bequeath and Demise unto my son John Smith a Plantation or tract of land Containing one hundred Seventy Acres and forty five rods from Marels line Down Mudy run [interlineal addition: ten acres] of this my Deeded land to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever. Ninethly I Give bequeath and Demise unto my Son George Smith this my Plantation where on I now liveth after my Wifes Death, Containing three hundred Acres more or less to him his Heirs and Assigns for ever. Tenth and lastly I will that my three Nigrows or more Shall remain with my beloved Wife During her natural life if she remains a Widow, and the land here madeover to my Sons Shall be valued by two or three Sovoren men that the Executors shall appoint, and out of the Said lands or Plantations what one or the other is more Worth, and out of the moveable Este My two Daughters is to be made equal to my Sons namly Christina & Barbara Smith, and if any of my Sons or Daughters Should Die without any Lawfull Heir then it Shall be eqelly Devoided amongst the surviving once and after my Wifes Death the Executors Shall not let my Daughters have their Portion till they are married or till they arife to twenty four years of Age, and unto this my last will and Testament I ordain and appoint My troo and Loving friends Namely my beloved Son Leonhart Smith and my beloved Wife Anna Barbara Smith as my Lawfull Executorsto this my last will and Testament revoking and Disalowing all other former Wills and testaments, Deeds of Gifts or Dowers but this to be and remain my last will and testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my own hand and Seal the Day and Year first above written, but before the Con Clution, if my Wife should mary again then Shee Shall not Act anymore as Executor; or if I Should Die before the Land of my Son John is paid it is to be paid out of my real and personal Estate. The word ten acres is interlined in the 34 Line. his David D Smith Mark Signed Sealed and Acknowledged As my last Will and Testament in The present of us as Witnesses [ ] Samuel Suther John Billing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jim Davis ----------------------------------------------------------------------