In the Name of God, Amen, I Joshua FORMAN of the County Hyde in the Province of North Carolina, planter, being in perfect health of body and mind, but mindful of the mortality of my body, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, that is to say principally I recomend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, that gave it me, and my body to be buryed in a decent manner, at the discretion of my Executors & Exctrx. hereafter named and my worldly estate, I give devise and bequeath in manner & form following, Imprimis I lend to my beloved wife Rebecca the use of my house & plantation, and land including one hundred acres of land only whereon I now live during her natural life & no longer, and my will further is that my son Caleb FORMAN may have liberty to build and settle on the said land during my wife's life.
Item: I lend to my said wife Rebecca one negro man Charles & my wench Phillis and my negro wenches Tenney, during her natural life with condition that in the said two wenches, Tenney & Phillis, should have a child or children during the said time my wife, shall bring them up without making any charge against my estate.
Item: I give devise and bequeath at the death of my said wife Rebecah to my son Caleb FORMAN the House Plantation and one hundred acres of land lent to my said wife as afsd. to him his heirs and assigns forever, and also I give devise and bequeath unto my said son Caleb FORMAN the half of my new patentt land, that part of it as join EBORN, and my own upper patent to him his heirs & assigns forever. Item I give devise and bequeath unto my Martin FORMAN twenty five acres of my old patent land lying on the head of a gut called Wolfpit Gut and also the remaining half of my new patent land joining the said land to him his heirs & assigns forever. Item I give devise and bequeath unto my son John Tidings FORMAN, three hundred acres of land on the North side of Pantego Swamp to him his heirs and assigns forever.
Item: I give and devise and bequeath unto my son Benjamin FORMAN two hundred and eighty acres of land on the North side of Pungo Creek, joining Henry EBORN's land known by Lazarus old field to him his heirs and assigns forever.
Item: I give devise and bequeath unto my son Uel, one boy called Prince to him his heirs & assigns, - Item I give and bequeath unto my son Orman FORMAN one negro boy called Moses to him his heirs and assigns.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Arcadah one negro girl calld. Menor, to her and her heirs & assigns.
I give and bequeath unto my daughter Martha one negro girl calld. Patience to her and her heirs & assigns. – Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary EBORNE, one shilling sterling money of Great Britain which is her share of my estate.
I give and bequeath unto my daughter Charity TANKARD, one shilling sterling money of Great Britain which is her share of my estate. – Item I give and bequeath unto my son Caleb FORMAN, one old negro wench calld. Bett, to him his heirs and assigns.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Rebeca one feather bed & furniture and two cows & calves, to be her own property, and my Will further is that my said wife Rebeca shall have the use and benefit of all the remaining part of my personal estate, consisting of horses, cattle, hoggs, sheep and houshold furniture during her natural life, for her suport, and raising and educating of my youngest children so that there be no charges for the same against my estate and at the decease of my said wife Rebeca, my will is that the said negros call'd Charles, Tenney & Phillis and the increase of the said two wenches and all my stock and houshold furniture that shall then be remaining to be equally divided between my eight children, Caleb, Arcadah, Martin, John Tidings, Benjamin, Martha, Uel and Orman FORMAN, and I do hereby nominate and appoint my well beloved wife Rebecah FORMAN Executrix and my beloved friend Geo. BARROW and my son Caleb FORMAN Executors to this my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this day Anno Dom. 1772.
Joshua FORMAN {Seal}
Signed Sealed Published & Pronounced by the said Joshua FORMAN to be his Last Will and Testament in presence of us,
Jos. HANCOCK
Elizabeth FORMAN
Abigail FORMAN
Hyde County Ss June Term 1776 the above Will was exhibited into said Court and proved by the oath of Joseph HANCOCK one of the subscribing witness. – Test. Geo. BARROW, Clk.
SOURCE: Will Book 1-3, Pages 79-80, Clerk of Court, Hyde County Courthouse, Swan Quarter, NC.
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