Will of Benjamin Morris
Sources:
- pp. 54-55, Along the way with Benjamin Morris, (1757-1808) and his wife, Sarah, of North Carolina by Lewis Ecroyd Morris (1996) (Also available at Internet Archive)
- "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (21 May 2014), Rowan > Wills, 1799-1819, Vol. G > image 17 of 562; county courthouses, North Carolina.
Rowan County, NC. Records. Microfilm labeled Rowan County Records of Wills C.085. 1799-1845, Vols. G,H,T, - 80002
Will Benjamin Morris, b. 10 May, 1757, d. 25 July, 1808
I Benjamin Morris of the County of Rowan & State of North Carolina Calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and being sound in mind and Memory though Low and weak in Body Do make & Ordain This to be my Last Will and Testament and Doth dispose of my Real and Personable Estate in the following manner & Form to With: first of all that my Lawful Debts and funeral Charges must be paid Secondly it is my will & I order it so to be that all my Perishable property shall be sold With all the Moveables and after my Lawful Debts be paid Half that they shall amount to I do Give and Bequeath to my Beloved wife Sarah Morris and it is well that she shall Have the whole use & benefit of the tract of Land I now live on until my son Elijah Morris arrives to the age of Twenty one years afterwards it is my will that she shall Have One Hundred Acres of Land where my Buildings now stands along the County Line her lifetime --
And to my son Reuben Morris I Give & bequeath unto him One Hundred Acres of Land where he now lives Next to John Loflins line and to my son Enoch Morris I do Give the Remainder of said tract and it is my will That he shall have a tract of land belonging to me lying Near Randolph Courthouse Containing One Hundred & Sixty Eight acres and to my son Simeon Morris I Give Seventy five Acres of Land adjoining Thomas Keerns Line And to my son William Morris I Do Give the remainder of said tract and it is my will That my son Elijah Morris shall have One Hundred Acres of land joining Henry Stuarts line
And it is my will that my son Asa Morris shall Have the remainder of the tract
And further it is my will that my two daughters Sarah and Phebe Morris, when they come to age of Eighteen years Old, shall have half of all moveable Property if One Deceases, the other to have the whole part alowed[sic] for both and it is my will that my son William Morris shall be Lawfully bound to a good suitable Master
And my son Enoch, it is my will that he shall be bound to Reubin Morris the other two to be Left in the Care of their Mother Sarah Morris and she to do her Endeavour With them but if they will not be subject to her they To be Bound to Masters as the Discretion of my Executors And to Conclude this to be my last will & Testament I do Revoke and Disanul all wills and Testaments bequeaths or Executors made before this date & do Ordain and appoint my trust friends Henry Stuart of Rowan County and Reubin Morris of Randolph County and State of North Carolina ... To be the whole and soal[sic] Executors of this my last will and Testament And I Benjamin Morris do acknowledge and Pronounce this to be my Last will & that in the Presence of the underneath subscribers this fourteenth Day of the seventh month One Thousand Eight hundred Eight 1808
As witness my hand and sealing according to the date
Joel Brown Test
Benjamin Morris seal
John Marshill sin
John Loflin
From: NC State Dept. of Archives and History of Rowan Co. Court Minutes (microfilm) Book 7, Court, held 3 Aug 1808 - The last Will and Testament of Benjamin Morris proved by Joel Brown, Henry Stewart, & Morris qualified as executors
Will Benjamin Morris, b. 10 May, 1757, d. 25 July, 1808
I Benjamin Morris of the County of Rowan & State of North Carolina Calling to mind the Mortality of my Body and being sound in mind and Memory though Low and weak in Body Do make & Ordain This to be my Last Will and Testament and Doth dispose of my Real and Personable Estate in the following manner & Form to With: first of all that my Lawful Debts and funeral Charges must be paid Secondly it is my will & I order it so to be that all my Perishable property shall be sold With all the Moveables and after my Lawful Debts be paid Half that they shall amount to I do Give and Bequeath to my Beloved wife Sarah Morris and it is well that she shall Have the whole use & benefit of the tract of Land I now live on until my son Elijah Morris arrives to the age of Twenty one years afterwards it is my will that she shall Have One Hundred Acres of Land where my Buildings now stands along the County Line her lifetime --
And to my son Reuben Morris I Give & bequeath unto him One Hundred Acres of Land where he now lives Next to John Loflins line and to my son Enoch Morris I do Give the Remainder of said tract and it is my will That he shall have a tract of land belonging to me lying Near Randolph Courthouse Containing One Hundred & Sixty Eight acres and to my son Simeon Morris I Give Seventy five Acres of Land adjoining Thomas Keerns Line And to my son William Morris I Do Give the remainder of said tract and it is my will That my son Elijah Morris shall have One Hundred Acres of land joining Henry Stuarts line
And it is my will that my son Asa Morris shall Have the remainder of the tract
And further it is my will that my two daughters Sarah and Phebe Morris, when they come to age of Eighteen years Old, shall have half of all moveable Property if One Deceases, the other to have the whole part alowed[sic] for both and it is my will that my son William Morris shall be Lawfully bound to a good suitable Master
And my son Enoch, it is my will that he shall be bound to Reubin Morris the other two to be Left in the Care of their Mother Sarah Morris and she to do her Endeavour With them but if they will not be subject to her they To be Bound to Masters as the Discretion of my Executors And to Conclude this to be my last will & Testament I do Revoke and Disanul all wills and Testaments bequeaths or Executors made before this date & do Ordain and appoint my trust friends Henry Stuart of Rowan County and Reubin Morris of Randolph County and State of North Carolina ... To be the whole and soal[sic] Executors of this my last will and Testament And I Benjamin Morris do acknowledge and Pronounce this to be my Last will & that in the Presence of the underneath subscribers this fourteenth Day of the seventh month One Thousand Eight hundred Eight 1808
As witness my hand and sealing according to the date
Joel Brown Test
Benjamin Morris seal
John Marshill sin
John Loflin
From: NC State Dept. of Archives and History of Rowan Co. Court Minutes (microfilm) Book 7, Court, held 3 Aug 1808 - The last Will and Testament of Benjamin Morris proved by Joel Brown, Henry Stewart, & Morris qualified as executors