Sampson County, NC - Will & Estate Records

William Rufus DeVane King was a Sampson County native son. He and his
family moved to Alabama where William helped found Selma, AL. He was
elected Vice President along with Franklin Pierce, President, but 
William died before taking office.

                 Washington City, District of Columbia, Jan. 1st. 1853.
   Finding that my health is rapidly failing and that without a great
change my life must soon come to a close, I have determined to dispose
of my worldly possessions. 

I give and bequeath to my beloved nephew William T. King, at Tuscalosa, 
Alabama, two boxes of silver plate which are deposited with Corcoran & 
Riggs of this City, also all of the bronses, china and glass which 
constituted my dinner service while I resided in France.

To my beloved niece, Catherine M. Ellis, I bequeath all my household
furniture of every description in the house I now occupy on C Street,
to be disposed of according to her will and pleasure.

To my nephew, William T. King, the only son of my brother, I give and
bequeath in fee simple to him and his heirs forever all my real estate
on the Alabama River in the County of Dallas, known as King's Bend.
I also bequeath to my said nephew a small tract of one hundred and
seventy acres adjoining the lands of Major Tipton and opposite the
ferry at Selma, to be held by him in fee simple. To my said nephew I
also give in fee five lots in the City of Selma which I own, with all
the Priviledges and Appurtenances thereunto pertaining.

To my beloved sister, Tabitha Kornegay, I give during her natural life
all my land on the Pine hills including the residence in which we have
resided together for some years, but it is my will and desire that on
the death of my said sister all the lands and improvements given to her
life shall lapse in fee simple to her granddaughter, Margaret Tabitha
Gayle, and I hereby bequeath to my dear little gand-neice all the lands
and improvements heretofore described to have and to hold in fee simple
to her and her heirs forever.

To my beloved sister, Helen King, I bequeath my plantation in Lowndes
County to her and her heirs forever.

It is my desire that my Executors hereafter named cause my plantations
to be cultivated and managed for the year, but so soon as the crops are
gathered I wish all my negroes, with the exception of my servant man,
John Bell, Jackson the barber, and old Creese and Gilbert, to be valued
by my executors, and without dividing families, allotted to them according
to the bequests which I shall proceed to make:

To my nephew, William T. King, I give and bequeath sixty-five negroes;

To Margaret Tabitha Gayle, my little grand-niece, thirty negroes (Nancy
and her children to constitute a part of this lot);

To my dear niece, Margaret William King, I give and bequeath thirty negroes;

To my nephew, Alfred I. Beck, I give ten negroes;

To my niece, Eliza Carter, I give ten negroes;

To my niece, Helen Key, residing in Louisiana, I give ten negroes;

My servant man, John Bell, is permitted to select his residence, either
in Liberia or any one of the free States or in the District of Columbia,
and my executors will pay over to him two thousand dollars, and my nephew
will take measures to insure his safe arrival at the place selected by him.

If my sister Kornegay will sell Harriet Blount, I wish my executors to
purhcase her, and together with her husband, Andrew Jackson, deliver them
to the agent of the Colonization Society to be transported to Liberia. My
executors will advance to the agent Five Hundred Dollars to be handed to
them after paying their expenses.

I wish also my executors to purchase from my sister, a negro boy, Asher,
my nephew to take charge of him and either send him to Liberia or to one
of the free States, as he may prefer. On his leaving Alabama my executors
will pay him Five Hundred Dollars.

Let the last installment on my railroad stock be paid from the first sales
of cotton.

I wish my said executors to cause a large and airy vault to be erected at
my residence in the Perry hills large enough to hold ten or twelve bodies,
and that they cause to be transferred to it the remains of my grandmother,
mother, John Beck, my brother-in-law, and those of my brother, John D.
King.

To my nephew, William T. King, I give my railroad stock.

I appoint as the executors of this my last will and testament, my old and
valued friends, Lewis Johnson, Dock A. Saltmarsh, James G. Cowan and my
nephew, William T. King. I require them to give neither bond nor security,
for I rely on their personal honor as more binding than any obligation 
they could enter into. I desire that my executors may receive Two Hundred
and Fifty Dollars a year each, and all their expenses paid.

My executors will pay to Catherine M. Ellis from the proceeds of my present
cotton crop Five Thousand Dollars.

Not knowing the number of slaves I possess, I desire that those not already
allotted be equally divided between the son of Franklin Beck, called after
me, and John, the son of Wm. Wiley Thomas.

My executors will cause to be disposed of at auction upon twelve months' 
credit, my stock of every description, together with the plantation tools.

In the event of the death of my grand-niece, Margaret Tabitha Gayle, before
her marriage or before her arriving at the age of maturity, it is my will
and desire that all of the property both real and personal heretofore to
her shall be equally divided between the children of Louisa Hogan, and
those of Wiley Thomas and Catherine his wife.

The rest and residue of my estate I will and desire shall be equally
divided among the legatees heretofore named in proportion to the amounts
respectively willed them under the same conditions and restrictions therein
imposed.

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed my hand and seal the day
and year first above written.

                                       William R. King  {Seal}

Signed and acknowledged in the presence of 
Sampson W. Harris, C. A. Bradford, I. Bragg.

                                  Certificate

Will probated on May 11, 1853


STATE OF ALABAMA }
COUNTY OF DALLAS }

I, W. M. Vaughan, Judge of Probate in and for said County in said State,
do hereby certify that the foregoing and attached instrument is a true
and correct and complete copy of the last will and testament of William
R. King, deceased, as admitted to probate and record in this Court on
the 11th day of May, 1853, and of record in my office in Record of
Wills "B", on page 83, et seq.

                                Given under my hand and official seal
                                this the 20th day of September, 1929

                                             W. M. Vaughan,
                                             Probate Judge

[NC Archives, Sampson Co Wills]

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