Wayne County, NC - Will of Mary A. Best, 1881 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ State of North Carolina Wayne County I MARY A BEST of the county and state aforesaid being sound mind and memory and being conscious of the uncertainty of my life, do declare this to be my last will and testament. ITEM 1 I give and bequeath to my two sons COUNCIL J and WILLIAM R BEST my entire tract of land known as the "home place" upon which I now reside, it being the tract inherited by me from my father COUNCIL BEST lying in NEW HOPE township Wayne County on the southeast side of Stoney Creek and the south side of the A and NCRR (railroad) containing about 800 acres more or less in equal shares. My son COUNCIL to have his share on the side of the plantation next to the A and NCRR and RUFUS EDMUNDSON land and WILLIAM T to have his share on that side next to Stoney Creek and JOHN POWELL's land. ITEM 2 I give and bequeath to my afflicted son DEMPSEY A J, four thousand dollars to be received by him instead of land and it is my will and desire that my sons, COUNCIL and WILLIAM, to whom I have willed my entire home place as in Item 1 of this instrument, shall pay to my son DEMPSEY the said amount =Four Thousand Dollars-in equal parts, in $2000 each, together with 8% interest per annum on these respective payments until the whole be paid- the payments being as follows. The interest on said amount to begin the day of my demise, and the entire interest on the $4000 for the 1st year after the date of my decease is to be paid in advance. No part of the principle is to be paid said year, and after the said 1st year, COUNCIL and WILLIAM each are to pay to DEMPSEY $400 together with interest on said $400 each annually for a period of five years, or until the whole of the $4000 is paid, and Item 1 of this instrument shall not be considered operative until all of the legacy herein left to DEMPSEY shall have been paid- the whole amount of this legacy shall be paid by the expiration of six years. ITEM 3 It is my will and desire that my husband NICK W. BEST shall have 200 acres of the land in Item 1 bequeathed to COUNCIL and WILLIAM- running nearly through the center of the plantation, on which the present dwelling house, and other ______ out houses are located, as a loan during his natural life, and after his death the said land together with all appurtenances thereunto belonging, shall go to COUNCIL and WILLIAM as provided in Item 1 of this will. ITEM 4 It is my will and desire that my Bear Creek plantation, containing about 570 acres lying on Bear Creek Wayne County, shall be sold and the proceeds be applied to the payment of any debts resting upon the home place and the said Bear Creek place at the time of my decease, and, if not sold before said decease, I give and bequeath said plantation to my two sons COUNCIL and WILLIAM in equal shares. ITEM 5 I give and bequeath to my husband NICK W. BEST and three sons COUNCIL J, WILLIAM T and DEMPSEY A J all of my personal property of every kind, in equal shares, all share and share alike. ITEM 6 It is my will and desire that the room in my present dwelling house, known as the boys room shall be set apart for the exclusive use of my afflicted son DEMPSEY, and that the same be comfortably furnished for him as long as he shall live, and that a room in his brothers house (COUNCIL J) to be hereafter built be set apart for his use, whenever he shall see proper to stay with said brother. ITEM 7 I hereby appoint my true and much esteemed friend E.A. WRIGHT of Goldsboro N.C., the sole Executor of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof, I, MARY A BEST have hereinto set my hand and seal this the 6th day of May in the year of our Lord 1881. MARY A BEST Seal Signed and declared by the said MARY A BEST as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us, we being present at the same time, who at her request and in her presence and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses: NATHAN BOYET WM. E POWELL PROBATE: 12 Oct, 1881 Record Of Wills Book 1 p. 225-228 Wayne County Courthouse Goldsboro, NC ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Ginn - judy_ginn@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________