NORTH CAROLINA. SS.
In the Name of God Amen. I, William Benbury, of ye prcinct. of Chowan, in ye Govennt. of No. Carolina, Planter, being Sick & weak in Body, but of Sound and perfect mind & memory (praised be God) Do make, ordaine, Constitute & Declare These presents to be & Containe my last will & Testamt., Hereby revokeing & annulling all former & Other Trills or Testamt. by me heretofore made or Declared.
I will that all my just debts & funeral Expences be paid by my Executrix hereafter named.
I give & bequeith ye plantation whereon I now live, together with my other plantation whereon my Son In Law, James Watch, now liveth, unto my loving wife, Jane, for & During ye term of her Natural life; & after her Decease, I Give & devise ye plantation whereon I now live to my Son, William, & his heirs & Assigns for ever; & my other plantation whereon James Watch now liveth, after ye Decease of my sd. wife, I Give, devise & bequeith unto my Son, Jno., & his heirs & assigns for ever.
I Give & bequeith unto my loving wife, Jane afsd. ye Use, Occupation of all my personal Estate wtsoever, for & dueling ye terme & time She Shall remaine Sole; And I hereby Authorise & Impqwer my Sd wife at any time During her life, or by her last will Testamt., to Give, Devise or bequeith all my personal Estate to Such of my Children now unmarried, & in Such parts & portions as She shall think fitt; but if it so happens that my Sd. wife, Shoud after my Decease marry, Then & In such Case I Give, devise & bequeith ye two thirds of my personal Estate to be Equally Devided att Such time of manage, amonge my Childrennow unmarried, Vizt: William, John, Martha, and Hannah, & ye other third to my wife afsd., Except & always reserved to my Son, William, ye Mill now Standing in my house, & to my son, Jno., As much money as Shall purchas another, & lastly
Doe make, Constitute & appoint my loveing wife, Jane my whole & Sole Executrix of this my last will & Testamt.
In testimony whereof, I, ye Said William Benbury, have hereunto put my hand & Seal, this thirteenth Day of July, Anno Dom., 1709.
.,..................................................................................................Wm. Benbury.
...........................................................................................................W. B
Signed Sealed, published And
declared in presence of:
Henry Bonner.
Ann Mosely.
Edwd Mosely
.
Recorded in Will Book 2, p. 39, Office of Secretary of State.
Source: North Carolina Wills and Inventories, copied from Original and Recorded Wills and Inventories In the Office of the Secretary of State by J. Bryan Grimes, Secretary of State, Published 1912)
