Will, NC, Unknown, Edward Bryan 1746 In the name of God, AMEN. This 28th day of January in the year of our lord 1745, I, EDWARD BRYAN, being in perfect mind and memory, blessed be God for his mercy, calling unto mind that it is appointed for all men to die, doth make this, my last will and testament and dispose of my worldly estate wherewith God hath blessed me with as followeth: IMPRIMIS unto my eldest son JOHN BRYAN I give and bequeath to he and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and their bodies forever, two hundred acres and twenty acres of the land which I bought of MARTIN FRANK and EDWARD FRANK called New Germany beginning at the beginning bounds of the deed on Jacks Cabin Branch and running the bounds of the deed for the two hundred and twenty acres which shall be marked out by the executors or some other appointed persons. UNTO my son EDWARD BRYAN I give and bequeath to he and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and their bodies forever, two hundred and fifty acres of land being part of the land which I bought of MARTIN FRANK and EDWARD FRANK called New Germany beginning on the left bounds of his brother JOHN’s and running up towards Cyprus Creek within the deed for the compliment to be marked out by the executors or some other appointed person in any shape or course as they shall see fit & proper. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son WILLIAM BRYAN and his heirs lawfully begotten of his body and their bodies forever, three hundred acres of land, more or less, being the remaining part of the two deeds as I bought of MARTIN FRANK and EDWARD FRANK called New Germany, the four hundred and seventy acres given to his two brothers excepted to them and if any one of my three sons should die without heirs lawfully begotten heirs of their bodies, his portion bequeathed as aforesaid shall be equally divided between the two living brothers and their heirs lawfully begotten of their bodies for ever. ALSO I give and bequeath to my son JOHN BRYAN one lot in Newbern Town to him, his heirs or assigns. ITEM I give and bequeath to my son EDWARD BRYAN one lot in Newbern Town to him, his heirs or assigns. AND I give and bequeath to my son WILLIAM BRYAN one lot in Newbern Town to him, his heirs or assigns. These three lots shall be divided by my executors, or other appointed persons, when my son JOHN BRYAN shall be of age. ALSO I give and bequeath to my daughter PENELIPY BRYAN one lot in Newbern Town, the lot and the storehouse. The same lot whereon the storehouse now stands. ALSO I give and bequeath to my daughter PENELIPY five hundred pounds in bills instead of a portion of land, to be paid out of my money which lies in stock of trade at age or at the day of marriage. Also I give and bequeath one hundred pounds in bills out of my stock of money in trade to buy her a bed and furniture to be paid out at the executors discretion before she comes of age if need be for it. ITEM I give and bequeath to my loving wife ANN BRYAN one plantation and all the survey of land belonging to it lying on the west side of Swift Creek, surveyed for me in one thousand seven hundred and forty four / five, called Paradise, to her, her heirs and assigns. Page 1 of 5 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Unknown, Edward Bryan 1746 And all the rest of my lands as is not given by will or deed I give and bequeath to be sold at the executors discretion and the dale and title shall be good to whomever shall buy it. Also I give and bequeath to my loving wife one negro woman called AGEY, and one negro man call WILL, one negro man called LONDON, one negro man called SIMON, two plow horses, also two riding horses, also all my stock of cattle, sheep & hogs, except twenty four cows and calves, seven steers only. Also I give all my household goods as bedding, kitchen ware and all vessels of iron, brass, copper, pewter or wood and all other vessels of any kind as are generally used in the house. And I give and bequeath to my three sons and daughter, JOHN [BRYAN], EDWARD [BRYAN] & WILLIAM [BRYAN] and PENELIPY [PENELOPY] [BRYAN] twelve Negroes named as follows: MELATTO, TENER, SARY, NANCY and LITTLE EGEY, TOM, CESAR, GEORGE, JOSEPH (called JOE), JACK, FRANK and ROBINS & PRIMAS. And also I give and bequeath to them twenty four cows and calves and four mares, the said Negroes, cattle and mares to be at their own proper resque & not to be divided nor any division made between my four children of neither Negroes nor cattle nor horse kind until my eldest son JOHN shall be of age, that is to say of twenty one years, and then, there shall be a division made by the executors and three other men chosen by the court. The Negroes and their increase, the cattle and horse kind and their increase, the cattle and horse kind and their increase shall be equally divided between my four children and shall be at each one’s proper resque. Also I give unto my three sons, each, one hundred pounds in bills to buy each of them a bed and furniture and this hundred pounds shall be paid out of my stock of money that lies in trade. And my desire is that my four children should have seven years schooling and between the age of seven years old and seventeen years old to be given in such sciences as the executors shall think proper and the cost of their clothing, washing, lodging and schooling and vittling shall be paid out of their Negroes labor put to use as the executors shall agree and think proper. Also I give my loving wife the use of my children’s Negroes the first two years after my decease, she paying the children’s expenses and when the two years is out the children to have the value of their hire for the time to come. Also I give the money that lies in trade, the remaining part that is not given already, to be divided, my loving wife to have one third part and the two thirds part to my children to be equally divided. Likewise I leave four steers and wagons, one at Grimes, two at Goose Creek and one of my riding horses to be sold to pay JANE HAND the money due to her upon the books. Page 2 of 5 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Unknown, Edward Bryan 1746 I likewise constitute and ordain my loving wife ANN BRYAN and my loving brother HARDY BRYAN and my loving brother LEWIS BRYAN to be my true and lawful executrix and executors of this my last will and testament. As witness my hand the day and date above mentioned. EDWARD BRYAN {seal} Signed, sealed & published before us. WILLIAM WHITFORD JANE HAND RICHARD HART Page 3 of 5 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Unknown, Edward Bryan 1746 May 9th 1746 These are to certify that RICHARD HART and JANE HAND came before me, ENOCH HALL Esquire, Chief justice of North Carolina, and made oath that they saw the within named EDWARD BRYAN in his lifetime sign, seal, publish this within will & testament and that he, the said EDWARD BRYAN was of sound mind and disposing memory at the time thereof. As also that WILLIAM WHITFORD was a confirming evidence with them. Test E. HALL, CJ And the said ENOCH HALL do further certify that HARDY BRYAN & ANN BRYAN Executor and Executrix to the within Will qualified them according to law by taking the oath appointed aforesaid that letters issued accordingly. E. HALL, CJ Page 4 of 5 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Unknown, Edward Bryan 1746 ###### # # ##### ####### # # ##### ####### # # # # ## ## # # # ## # # # # # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ###### # # # # #### ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## ### # # # # # # ###### # # ##### ####### # # ### ##### ####### # # Transcribed from original documents by Brent R. Brian & Martha M. Brian. This document and others can be found on our website: BMGEN We claim COPYLEFT on the documents that we publish that are our original work. COPYLEFT “rules” can be reviewed on the web site: GNU Free Documentation License In short, use what you like. But if you use our stuff, mention us as the source. Brent R. Brian Martha M. Brian BrianMitchellGenealogy@gmail.com Page 5 of 5 ** PAGE BREAK **