In the Name of God Amen This Tenth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eighteen hundred & Twenty. I Elijah Moore of the County of Edgecombe & State of North Carolina being in Common health of body and of Sound disposing mind & memory thanks be to Almighty God for the same. And Calling to mind the Frailty and Uncertainty of this mortal state & considering that all Flesh must Yield unto death when it doth please God to Call, and as for the settleing my Temporal Estate which it hath pleased God to bestow on me do order give & dispose of the same manner and form following.
Improvis I lend unto my Wife Mary Moore during her Natural life time All that part of my tract or percel of Land Layed off and alloted to& for my Son Elijah Moore including the building & improvements wheron I now live, with the appurtences there upon or there unto belonging (bounded as followeth) to witt., Beginning in in my Own & Lamon Ruffins Line then along aline of marked trees and Stakes to the Large Branch between John Ruffin & myself then up with the said branch with the said John Ruffins & Davee Bullucks line's on the Est& by & with the said Davee Bulluck & Lamon Ruffin Lines on the South & west to the said line of marked trees & stakes which line was surveyed & run by Mr. William Wilkins & marked & staked by me as a dividing Line between my sons Etheldred & Elijah Moore, I also Lent unto my said wife Mary the term of time aforesaid all my household & Kitchen furniture, also one cow & calf her choice, also my Mare Called poll, also one sow & pigs & her choice also five head of Sheep.
Item I give & bequeth unto my son Etheldred Moore all the balance of My said tract or percel of Land including the building & improvements whereon the said Etheldred now lives with the appurtences thereupon or thereunto belonging bounded by the aforesaid line of marked trees and stakes by the said Large brange thence by the lines of the land of Moses Moore dec'd & the said Lamon Ruffins Lines to the said Line of marked trees and Stakes, to him his heirs & assign forever (and after my said wife's decease) I also give him my said son Etheldred on small Iron pot and hooks as also one Large three & half gallon jug also on half gallon jug also one jin jug also one gallon pewter bason also half of my Cider barrel &Stand also th half of my still that is planted or settled where I now live, to him his heirs & assigns forever- I also give to my sd son Etheldred Moore my hand saw & half my+ cut saw& Item I give & bequeth unto My aforesaid son Elijah Moore (after the decease of my said wife Mary, all that part of my said tract or percel of land lent to my said wife to him his heirs & assigns forever, also I give my said son Elijah one four gallon jug, also one large glass decanter also two black bottles also my still jug, also one gallon pewter bason also the cow & lent to my said wife with the increase thereof also the five head of sheep & and the increasebefore lent to wife also one chest and one table. Also the half of my cyder barrels and stands also one half of my still that is planted & settled where I now live to him his heirs & assigns forever. I also give to my son Elijah half my+cut saw & all my coppers tools to him and his heirs & assigns forever------Item I give to my daughter Zada Williams wife of Josiah Williams one flax wheele to her heirs &--
Item My will further is that all my just debts and legacys are paid that all the residue & remainder of my estate of what nature or kind soever (after my said wife's right ceases agreeably to this my will) be equally divided among all my children (say) Theophilus Moore, Samuel Moore, Exum Moore, Martha Robbins, wife of Elijah Robbins, Etheldred Moore, Elijah Moore & Zada Williams wife of Josiah Williams I do hereby nominate Constitute & appoint my sons Theophilus Moore & Samuel Moore whole and sole Executors of this my last will. Revoking diannuling & making void all other will or wills Testament or Testaments by me made and declare this and this only to be my last will& Testament. In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand &seal the day & year first above written.
Source: North Carolina State Archives Series: Edgecombe County Wills 1750-1945 Box Cr. 037.801.21 Folder Elijah Moore 1833. Submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer
