In the name of God. Amen.

I, THOMAS WILLIAMS, of Beaufort County, being weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory (thanks be to God for the same), therefore calling to mind the mortality of [the] body and knowing it is appointed once for all men to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say, principally and first of all, I give my soul to God that gave it, and my body I recommend to the earth, to be buried in a Christian-like manner, and as touching of those worldly goods it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life I give, dismiss and dispose of in the following manner and form:

I lend to my loving wife, ANNA WILLIAMS, all my moveable property, both within and without, during her lifetime or widowhood, and at her death or marriage to be as hereafter mentioned.

Item, I give to my grandson JAMES WILLIAMS that piece of land formerly called HOWELL land and one half of the land I now live on, being that part join[ing] the Howell land up to the road, as it now stands, as far as the bottom, where we caught the wolf⁽¹⁾, thence a straight course to the middle of the back line; also one desk, one large chest, two feather beds, cooper's tools, shoemaker's tools, one half of my hand mill, one half of my grindstone, one case of bottles, one pair of firedogs, one pair stillards, plow and [horse?], one teakettle, one table, one gun, one pot, with one half of my other moveable property that I have not given out in legacies, upon his letting of REUBEN BIGGS have so much of the plantation to tend as he shall need, and paying legacies as one half of said legacies mentioned to the other grandchildren hereafter named, and in case said JAMES WILLIAMS dies without lawful heirs of his body, I desire all I have given him be equally divided between SALLEY BIGGS, LUKE WILLIAMS, CANADAY⁽²⁾ WILLIAMS, BERTIMEUS⁽²⁾ WILLIAMS, LENICE WILLIAMS, ELISABETH WILLIAMS, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give to SALLEY and REUBEN BIGGS one half of three hundred acres of land, being the land and plantation whereon I now live, being the upper part of said land, the road as it now stands to be the line as far as to the bottom where we caught the wolf, thence a straight course to the middle of the back line, also the best feather bed and furniture, one great pot, one pair of hand bellows, one lining [linen?] wheel called Ditch Rim, one wooling wheel, one pair smoothing irons, one little table, one gun, one case of bottles, one half of my hand mill, one half of my grindstone, with one half of all my other property, within and without, with all the property they have already in possession, upon his paying one half of sums hereafter mentioned to my other grandchildren hereafter named, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give to my grandson LUKE WILLIAMS forty shillings, to be paid out of my estate by JAMES WILLIAMS and REUBEN BIGGS when he, the [said] LUKE gets married and not before, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give to my grandson BERTEMIAS WILLIAMS forty shillings when he gets married, to him and his heirs forever.

Item, I give to my granddaughter CANSADAY WILLIAMS forty shillings when she gets married, to her and her heirs forever.

Item, I give to my granddaughter LENICE WILLIAMS forty shillings when she marries, to her and her heirs forever.

Item, I give to my granddaughter ELISABETH WILLIAMS forty shillings when she marries, to her and her heirs forever.

Item, I give to my granddaughter WINEFRED WILLIAMS forty shillings when she marries, to her and her heirs forever.

And I desire the few acres of land that lies joining WILSON, Esq., and LENAIR (3) be sold and put to the use of paying off the legacies before mentioned to my grandchildren, and I choose and ordain that REUBEN BIGGS and JAMES WILLIAMS and KEDAR BIGGS be my executors of this, my last will and testament, and I do hereby revoke and disannul all and every other will, legacies, beque(sts) and executors by me willed or bequeathed, ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament, in confirmation of which I have hereunto set my hand and fixed my seal this, the sixth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six.

THOMAS (his mark) WILLIAMS {seal}

Signed, sealed and declared by
Thomas Williams to be his
last will and testament in
presence of us:

WILLIAM SHORT
WINEFRED SHORT ⁽⁴⁾
DIANAH (her mark) DEEL

(1) Original text reads "where we ketchd the woolf".
(2) The various spellings of the names Cansaday and Bertimeus are copied as they appear.
(3) "Lenair" probably should be spelled "Lanier".
(4) Winefred Short was a daughter of William Ward and a sister of Hannah Ward, who, judging from the will of William Ward of Martin County, is thought to have been the wife of Kedar Biggs.

Beaufort Co., NCGenWeb