Sampson County, NC
Joab Lee Senr. Will
In the name of God Amen. I Joab Lee Senr. of the County of Sampson and State of North Carolina being in good health & perfect mind and memory blessed by God calling to mind the mortality of the body that is appointed for all flesh once to die do this 20th day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred fifty eight make published ratify establish ordain this & no other to be my last will & Testament. First of all I recommend my Soul to God who gave it nothing doubting doubting but I shall receive it again in the morning of the general resurrection where soul & body will be united and my Body to the dust to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named as touching my worldly Estate in this life I dispose of in manner of no following (viz).
I leave to my Dear beloved Wife Bethany Lee four hundred & Sixty eight acres of Land more or less including the houses and plantation where now living, on the north side of great [Cossary?] dismal her natural life time on Widowhood.
2d I give & bequeath to my Dear beloved son Josias Lee 125 acres of Land being in the County of Johnston & State aforesaid more or less adjoining the lands of Nathan Dennings, W. K. Givens & Allen Johnsons,
3d I give and bequeath to my Dear beloved son Blackman Lee 189 acres of Land in the County of Sampson & State aforesaid adjoining the lands of Josias Lees, W. C. Lees & Jesse Lees more or less.
4h I give & bequeath to my Dear beloved son David Lee 154 acres of land adjoining the lands of the above B. Lee's, Nathan Denning & Thos. Denning Including the Houses where now living more or less. The three above named parcels of Land given to my Three youngest Sons Josias, Blackman & David Lee is the is the four hundred and sixty eight acres of Land that I have lent to my Wife Bethany Lee and have given to the three above named sons.
5h I give and bequeath to my Dear beloved son Jesse Lee one feather Bed and its necessary furniture belonging to the same.
6h I give & bequeath to my Dear beloved Daughter Nancy Lee one Bed & its necessary furniture belonging to the same together with one trunk and one Table & spread.
7h I give & bequeath to my Dear beloved Daughter Martha Lee one F. Bed and its necessary furniture belonging to the same together with one trunk.
8h I give and bequeath to my Dear beloved Daughter Polly Lee one feather Bed and its [illegible] necessary furniture belonging to the same.
9h I give and bequeath to my Dear beloved Son David Lee my Big Bible.
10h I give & bequeath to my dear beloved Son Westbrook Lee five Dollars cash to be paid after the decease or Widowhood of my Wife Bethany Lee together with my Old Bible.
11h I give & bequeath to my Dear Beloved Daughter Betsey Johnson, wife of Allen Johnson, five Dollars to be paid after the decease or Widowhood of my Wife Bethany Lee.
12h I give & bequeath to my Dear Beloved Daughter Bethany Lee [jur?] Twenty Dollars to be paid after the decease or Widowhood of my Wife Bethany Lee.
13h I give & bequeath to my three youngest sons Josias, Blackman & David Lee all of my wearing apparel to be divided equally among the three.
14h I lend to my dearly beloved Wife Bethany during her natural life time or Widowhood all of my property of every denomination whatever that is not named in the above mentioned write.
15h My Will & desire is after my decease, for all of my just debts and burial expenses to be paid by my Executor herein after appointed.
16h After the decease or Widowhood of my Wife Bethany Lee. Thru all of the property that I have lent to my Wife for my Executor hereafter appointed to sell immediately and for it to be equally divided after all the above named land is paid over to the above named heirs between my Six Daughters Nancy Lee, Susan Tart Wife of John A. Tart, Martha Lee, Polly Lee, Appy Lee and Bethany Lee Junior.
17h I do hereby constitute, appoint, establish, ordain my dear belove Wife Bethany Lee and my two worthy Sons Westbrook Lee and Joseph Lee my Exers. of this my last Will and Testament. In witness which of I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal day and year first above written.
Signed sealed & published
& declared in presence of
Joel Lee
[signed] Joab Lee Senr (seal)
turned over and [note?] on the other side before assigned .
18h I give & bequeath to my dear beloved Son Joseph Lee two Dollars to be paid after the Decease or Widowhood of my Wife Bethany Lee.
19h I give & bequeath to my dear beloved Son Joab Lee Jnr two Dollars to be paid after the decease or Widowhood of my Wife Bethany Lee.
Court Pleas & Quarter Sessions Sampson County Feb. term 1860
This Paper writing purporting to be the last Will & Testament of Joab Lee Senr: die? is exhibited for probate in open court by Bethany Lee, Westbrook Lee & Joseph Lee the Executor & Executrix Therein named and the due execution there of by the said Joab Lee Senr is proved by the oath & examination of Joab Lee & Nathan Denning, the subscribing Witnesses there to it is therefore considered by the Court that the said paper Writing & every part thereof is the last Will & testament of the Said Joab Lee Senr & the [illegible] is ordered to be recorded & filed, and thereupon the Law Bethania Lee, Westbrook Lee & Joseph Lee duly are qualified by taking the oath as required by Law.
From the minutes
J. N. Beaman clk
Scan of original document (page 1)
Wills 1821-1860,Vol. 1, pg 549-551
Nathan Denning
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Scan of original document (page 2)
