Will of William Bryan, Craven County, North Carolina

Date: 12 Dec 1746 to 1747
Location: Craven, North Carolina
Surnames/tags: bryan New_Bern

WILLIAM BRYAN WILL

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, the Twelfth Day of December, 1746. I, William Bryan, of Craven County, & Provance of North Carolina, being Sick and weak In Body but of Parfect mind & Memory, Thanks be given unto God Therefore, Calling unto Mind the Mortality of My Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men Once to Dye, Dow make & Ordain this my Last Will & Testament, That is to Say, principally & first of all, I Give & Recommend My Soul into the hands of God That Gave it, & my Body I Recommend to the Earth to be Buried in a Desent & Christian Like burial at the Discretion of My Executors, Nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I Shall Receive the Same aGain by the mighty Power of God; and as Touching Such Worldly Estate Wherewith it bath pleased God to bless me with in this Life, I Give, Demise & Dispose of The Same in the following maner and form:

• Item. I Give & Bequeath to Anne, My Dearly belovedWife, one third part of my Negrews, and Likewise one third of all ye Rest of my Movable Estate, and the Use of the plantation I now Dwell on Dureing her Natureal Life.
• Item. I Give & Bequeath the Remaining part of my Negrews & movable Estate to be Equally Devided amongst my Six Children, William Bryan, Elizabeth Bryan, Lewis Bryan, John Bryan, Anne Bryan, Jess Bryan, to them & their heirs for Ever.
• Item. I Give & bequeath to my well beloved Son, William Bryan, One hundred & Twenty five acors of Land the plantation I Now Dwell on, to him & his heirs for Ever.
• Item. I Give and bequeath to my well beloved Son, John Bryan, One Hundred & Twenty five acors of Land, the one half of the Tract of Land I now Dwell on, known By the Name of kits Neck, begining at the Gut which the Cart bridge is Over & So Runing up to the head Line, to him and his heirs for Ever.
• Item. I Give & bequeath to my Well beloved Son, Lewis Bryan, One hundred acers of Land Lying upon the head of Smith Creek, which I Bought of Gunston Allen, known by The Name of Holley Neck, to him & his heirs for Ever.
• Item. I Give & bequeath to My well beloved Son, Jesse Bryan, one Tract or persell of Land Lying upon the head of Goose Creek, Joyning upon Cohoons Savanah, Which I had of John Bryan, to him and his heirs for Ever.

I Likewise Constitute Make and Ordain My Loving Wife, Anne Bryan, and my Brother, Joseph Bryan, and my Son, William Bryan, Executores of this my Last will & Testament, & I doe hereby Uterly Disallow of & Revoke & Disanull all former wills by me made, Confirming this & No Other to be My Last Will and Testament.

In witness Whereof, I have here unto Set My hand & Seal, the Day & Year above Writen.

WILLIAM BRYAN. (Seal)

Signed, Sealed, published, pronounced, & Delivered by the Sd. William Bryan, as his Last will & Testament, In the Presents of us the Subscribers: LAZARUS PEARSE. JAMES CARRAWAY. WILLIAM CARRAWAY, JUN.

CRAVEN COUNTY, SS. At a Court of Comon Pleas begun & held at New Bern, the third Tues- day in June, Anno Domini 1747 then the within will was Proved by the Oath of a Concuring Evidence thereto, & Joseph Bryan, Executor & Ann Bryan, Executrix of the said Will Came into Court & took the Oaths by Law Appointed for their Qualification. Ordered that they have Letters Testamentary thereon WILL: HEDGES: S: C. Cur.

Copied from Original Will filed in the Office of the Secretary of State.

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nola Duffy nduffy@patch.net August 31, 2008, 9:50 pm

Source: Nc Wills & Inventories - Grimes Written: 1747

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/craven/wills/bryan775gwl.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/

Sources

• https://web.archive.org/web/20141113084914/http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/craven/wills/bryan775gwl.txt