In The Name of God Amen, the Twelf day of may, 1740. I, Henry Lawrence Bate, being very sick & weak in Body, but of Perfect mind & memory, Thanks be given Unto God, Therefore Calling Unto mind The mortality of my Body & Knowing That it is appointed for all men once to die, do make & Ordain. This my Last will & Testament: That is to say,
Principally & first of all, I give & recommend my soul Into The hands of God that gave it; and my Body I recommend to The Earth, to be buried In decent Christian Burial at the discretion of my Executors, Nothing doubting but at the generall resruection I shall receive the same again, by the Mighty Powers of God; And as Touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath Pleased God to bless me In this life I Give demise & Dispose of the same In the following manner & form.
Imprimis. I Give & bequeath to my Loving son, Augustine Bate, my Lands & Plantation whereon I now Live To him & his heirs for ever.
2dly. I Give & bequeath to the Child my wife is Big with, One hundred Acres of land joyning to the Land I now Live on (the sd Land I hold By deed from Jonathan. Taylors), to that & its heirs for Ever.
3dly. I Give & bequeath to My son, Augustine Bate, & the Child my wife is Big with, Cme Negro woman Named .fenny & her Encreas, to be Equally Divided between them when they are at ye Age of twenty one years, To them & Their heirs for ever.
4thly. My will is that if Ether of my Above mention children Should Die before they are of Age, the Other Shall have all I have given them.
5thly. I Give & Bequeath to my Loving Brother, Humphry Bate, one sorrold horse with a white blaze In his face, Called Spark, all my wearing apparil Except one hat at the hatters; one hackny saddle & Bridle, And one fifth Part of All my stock of Hogs which was Raised Last Winter, he Taking Care of the Stock till market presents.
6thly. I Give & bequeath to my Loving Sister, Ann Bate, one gold Ring of fifteen shils price Virginia Currency.
7thly. I Give and Bequeath to my Loving wife Martha Bate the Use of my Plantation I now Live on and One Negro woman Named Janney During her Natural Life.
8thly. I Give & bequeath to my Hond. mother, Sarah Sanders, the Use of one hundred Acres of Land I hold By deed from Jonathan Taylor, During her natural Life; & One hundred Pounds in Publick Bills to be raised out of my Personal Estate, to be paid her towards Building a house on ye sd. Land.
9thly. After all my just Debts & funerall Charges & Legacies are paid, I Give & bequeath the remaining Part of my Personal Estate to be Equally divided between my Loving Wife & Children.
Lastly, I Constitute & appoint my Loving wife Martha Bate my Executrix & my Loving Brother, Humphry Bate, & my Loving Brother in Law, Thomas Whitmell, Executors To this my Last Will & Testament & I doe hereby revoke & Disanull all former wills By made and acknowledge this to be my Last will & Testament.
In witness whereof I have hear Unto set my hand and seal the day & Year above written.
Enterlind before sgnd
with the word, Die.
........................................................................................................................Henry Lawrence Bate. (Seal)
Signs, Sealed & Delivered
In Presence of us:
Will Cathcart,
Henry Hunter,
Sarah Hunter.
...................................................................................Eden House, July 9, 1740.
Then proved before me.
.................................................................................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)