North Carolina. ss.
In the name of God Amen, I, Grace Pilson, of the County of Craven, and province of North Carolina, Widdow, being sick a weak in body but thro' mercy, of Sound mind & perfect memory, & being mindfull of Mortality & desirous to settle my affairs, do make this my Last Will & Testament, as follows: Chief of all, being penitent for my Sins past & in love & Charity with all men, I commend my Soul into the hands of God, my Maker, & Jesus Christ my Redeemer, as every Christian ought to do; and my Body to the Earth to be Interred in Such Decent & Christian like manner as to my Executors shall seem meet, in hopes of the glorious Resurrection of the Last great Day; & as for Such Worldly Goods that providence hath blessed me with, after my just debts, necessary Expences & Acco'ts ballanc'd are contented discharged & paid by my Executors wch I will shall be first honestly done, the Remainder I bequeath as followeth:
First, I will & bequeath unto my well beloved Sister, Mrs. Mary Fox, Living at Perth Amboy, near the Province of New I York, Two Negro Men, Named, Will the cooper, & Phillip; One Negro Woman Named Moll; Two Negro boys named Quastree & Boatswain; Two Negro Girls, named Sabona & Phillis; Two Feather Beds & furniture, four Silver Spoons, three Large Looking Glasses, one Small Do. one Silver Cann, Two , Six Leather Chairs, one Two armed Ditto, Three Dozen of pewter plates, one Doz, of pewter Dishes, Three Oval Tables, Three pr. of brass Candlesticks, One Copper kettle, & all my wearing Apparrell; Also, Three gold Rings. Item, I give & bequeath unto my Kinswoman, Grace Fox, Daughter of my Sister Mary Fox, Three Negro Men, Named Beeliford, Caesar, & Thorns; One Negro Girl Named Jane, alias Jenny; One Feather Bed & furniture, One Two quart Silver Tankerd, Two Silver Spoons, one Looking Glass, one Gold Chain & Two Gold Rings.
Item, I give & bequeath unto my kinswoman, Ellinor Fox, Another Daughter of my said Sister, Mrs. Mary Fox, Two Gold Rings, & one pr. of Gold Ear Rings. (Turn over)
Item, I give & bequeath unto Mr. Richard Scott, one Negro Man Named Scipio.
Item, I give & bequeath unto my Brother, Mr. Thomas Fox, one Silver Watch.
And all the Residue & Remainder of my Estate, both real & personal, as horned Cattle, Horses, Hoggs &c with Goods & Chattles, & all other properties of what kind Soever, to me appertaining, I give, devise and bequeath, to my sd. well beloved Sister, Mrs. Mary Fox.
Item, I Do Constitute & appoint Mr. Richard Bidder, of the province of New York, Marriner, whole and Sole Executor of this my Last Wul & Testament; And I do hereby utterly revoke, disallow, & disanul all former requests, Wills and Legacys, by me heretofore in any wise Left or made, declaring & ratifying, & Confirming this & no other to be my Last WU1 & Testament.
In Witness whereof, I have hereunto Set my Hand & Seal, this seventeenth Day of September, in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand, Seven hundred & forty three.
Grace Pilson. (Seal)
Sign'd, Seal'd, published & De- (Coat of Arms on Seal)
clared, by the within named Tes-
tatrix, Mrs. Grace Pilson, to be
her Last Will & Testament, in
presence of us, who Subscribed our
Names, in presence of the Said
Testatrix.
George pope.
James Whiting.
James Coor.
Craven County. This said 17th. Sept., 1743.
This is to certify, whom it may concern, that wheress. I, Grace Pilson, Testatrix of this Will, have constituted & appointed, Mr. Richard Bidder, whole & Sole Executor of of the Same, It is my further Will & desire, That Thomas Pearson, Esqr., of the County of Craven, and province of North Carolina, Should & do Joyn with the aforementioned Richard Bidder in the Executorship & Due performance of this my Last Will and Testament.
As Witness my hand and Seal, this said 17th. Septemb'r, 1743.
Grace Pilson, (Seal)
(Impression of Coat of Arms on Seal)
Sign'd, Seal’d, publish'd & de-
clared in the presence of Us:
Joshua Ackis,
William Webb,
James Whiting,
James Coor.
Edenton, Decr. 23, 1743.
Then the above will was proved before me, And Richard Bidder took the Oath of Executor appointed by Law.
Gab. Johnston.
Copied from Original Will filed in the Office of the 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)
