Will of John Haywood, dated July 23, 1756 IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, the twenty third Day of July, in the Yeare of our Lord, one thousand, Sevin hundred & fifty Six. I, John haywood, of the County of Edgcomb, in the Province of North Carolina, being Sick & weake of Body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be Given to God therefore, Calling unto mind the mortalety of my body & Knowing its appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordaine this my laste will & testement, that is to say, principally & first of all, I give and Recomment my soul into the hand of God that Gave it; & for my body, I recommend it to the earth, to be buried in a Christian manner, and as touching such worldly Estate whare with it hath pleased God to bless with, I Give, devise and dispose of the in following manner & form:
Imprimis, I give & bequeath unto my son, William haywood, ten Shillings, Sterling for his Birth Right, he having already Land, and Chattles.
Item. I give and Bequeath to my Daughter, mary haywood, hur heirs & assigns for ever, a bond of thomas Davis, dated the Sixteenth day of febrary, 1754, by which the Sd. Davis stand bound in the sum of forty pound, Conditionally, for the making a title for two hundred, thirteen acres & half of land.
Item. I give & bequeath one half of the two tracts of land I now live on, witth the new house, milk house & 1 Corn Crib, to my two daughters, Deborah & mary haywood, to be by them possessed as long as they or either of them shall Continue Singal & after that to my son, Egbert haywood, his heirs & assigns for ever.
Item. I give the other half of the two aforesd. tracts of land to my son Egbert haywood, his heirs & assigns for ever, he paying out of the sd. Land when he Comes In possestion of the whole, ten pounds Sterling to his brother, John haywood.
Item. Its my will that all other my Estate, Reile & personal, be Eqully Divided between my Six Children, that is to say, Deborah haywood, mary haywood, William haywood, Herwood haywood, John Haywood, Egbert Haywood; further, that each Render an account of what they have alresdy Received in part of thare potion &c.
And Lastly, I appointe all my aforSaid Six Children, Exers. of this my laste will & testament.
Jno. Haywood. (Seal)
Signed, Sealed, Published, and
pornouneds by the John Haywood
as his last will & testement In
presents of:Edward Crowell,
Wm. Campbell,
Thomas Merrit.
Edgecombe County, SC. December Court, 1758.
The within Will was in open Court Exhibd. on oath by the Excors, & prov'd by the Oath of Edward Crowell & Thomas Merrit, Two of the Subscribing Witnesses; & at the same time William Haywood & Egbert Haywood, two of the Exors. within mentioned were duly Qualifyed for that Office, which is ordered to be Certify'd.Test. Jos. Montford, Cler. Cur.
Copied from Original Will filed in the Office of the Secretary of State