Will, NC, Johnston, William Bryan Sr, 1821 In the name of God Amen. I WILLIAM BRYANT Senior of Swift Creek in the county of Johnston state of North Carolina being sick and weak body but of sound and disposing mind and memory, for which I am truly thankful to the great and wise disposer of all events, do make and ordained this my last will and testament as follows, to wit: FIRST I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughter BETSY VINSON HINTON wife of WILLIAM HINTON one negro man named REDERICK and one negro woman named HANNAH, now in their possession, one feather bed, bedstead and furniture, also in their possession, together with other small property formerly my own, but now in their possession, also fifty dollars in cash, to her, her heirs and assigns forever. ITEM I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter ULRICA STALLINGS, wife of JAMES STALLINGS, one negro man HAMPTON, one negro woman named AMY, and her child named SIMON, one bed, bedstead and furniture, together with other other such articles of property now in their possession, and also fifty dollars in cash which I advanced I paid unto the said JAMES STALLINGS sometime past, to her her heirs and assigns forever. ITEM I give and bequeath unto my beloved Son NEEDHAM BRYAN all the land I own on the east side and below HOLDIN’s Branch, one negro man named PETER, one negro woman named BETTY, one bay horse called Buck, three cows & calves, two young stears, six ewes & lambs, all my hog stock which he feeds on his lands, except those of two years old, one feather bed, bed stead & furniture, about one fourth part of my working plantation tools, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. ITEM I give and bequeath unto my beloved son SAMUEL WASHINGTON BRYAN all my lands in the west side and above HOLDIN’s Branch on the north side of Swift Creek, together with about fifty or sixty acres of my land in the south side of said Creek adjoining the lands of BENJAMIN CANELL, to him, his heirs and assigns forever. ITEM I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughter EMILY JANE BRYAN, my beloved son SAMUEL WASHINGTON BRYAN & to my beloved daughter MARY TURNER BRYAN the following Negroes, to wit, one woman named DOLL & her child DORCAS; one woman named JUDY & her child YORK; one woman named LYDIA, one boy named LANDY, one boy named GEORGE, in common & xxx xxx to be by them or either of them possessed when they or either of them may marry or arrive at full age and should either or any of them die before they marry or arrive at full age, it is my desire that the survivors or survivor of them enjoy & hold the whole of the aforesaid last mentioned Negroes, and also give and bequeath as last aforesaid, one negro boy named RUFFEN, and to each of them one feather bed, bed stead & furniture, to them, their heirs and assigns forever. And also & further one negro boy named “GUILFORD”. Page 1 of 6 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Johnston, William Bryan Sr, 1821 ITEM I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife EDITH BRYAN for and during of her natural life the use of my land and plantation which I heretofore in this will gave and bequeathed to my son SAMUEL WASHINGTON BRYAN, and also during her natural life the use of the aforesaid Negroes given as aforesaid to my said three children in common unless they, or either of them should marry or arrive at full age, then, in either case, to have their equal part as aforesaid, and also for and during her natural life, one negro man named BRITAIN, one named DICK, one named MOSES, and it is commanded & is my desire that these gifts be for the benefit of my said wife and the youngest children, for supporting her and the said three children and also educating them; also all my household & kitchen furniture, my working tools, except such part thereof given to my son NEEDHAM BRYAN, as aforesaid, three head of “xxx, xxx, xxx, jack & one mule” and also all my stock of cattle, hogs & sheep, except such part thereof which are herein after directed to be sold, also my [cyder] cider casks & still urn & cap, and a sufficient support for my wife & family for one year to be allotted to her by my executors, hereinafter named, and also my work “stran & cart ...ding chan & harness”. ITEM It is my will & desire that after the death of my wife Edith, the aforesaid three Negroes, BRITAIN, DICK & MOSES, shall belong to my three eldest children, BETSY VINSON HINTON, ULRICA STALLINGS, NEEDHAM BRYAN which I give to them and their heirs and assigns forever, and it is further my will & desire that the residue of my property willed to my wife edith (except the three last mentioned Negroes) so & I hereby give the same to my three youngest children, to them & their heirs and assigns forever. ITEM It is my will & desire that … out by me executors for the space of seven years and the monies arising therefrom together with the said Negroes MINGO and TIM I give & bequeath to my grand-daughter PATSY VINSON, to her, her heirs and assigns forever, except one hundred dollars of said hire which I give to my grand-son JOHN WILLIAM WATSON, but should the said Patsy Vinson die before she marry or be of lawful age, the said hire of Negroes & the said Negroes to revert to my lawful heirs in common. ITEM It is my will & desire that my executors hereafter named sell at their discretion & at probate sale (xxx there be no public sale) my residue of the stock & crop except for the support of my wife & family as aforesaid, they first fatten the hogs & keeping the residue of the corn until next summer. ITEM I give and bequeath to my grand-son JOHN WILLIAM WATSON, one negro woman name HAGAR and one hundred dollars as aforesaid to him, his heirs and assigns forever. ITEM it is my will and desire that my executors, sell at twelve months credit, one small tract of my land containing about forty or fifty acres, lying on the south side of Swift Creek, adjoining the lands of JAMES WOOD Jr. and the monies arising therefrom to be equally divided, together with my note standing debts, amongst my six children. Page 2 of 6 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Johnston, William Bryan Sr, 1821 ALSO I hereby constitute and appoint my sons-in-law JAMES STALLINGS and WILLIAM HINTON executors to this last will and testament revoking & making void all wills & testaments by me heretofore made, ratifying & confirming this and only this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I the said WILLIAM BRYAN SR. to this my last will and testament set my hand and affixed my seal the 7th day of October A. D. 1821. WILLIAM BRYAN {seal} Signed, sealed, published & declared by the testator in presence of R. SANDERS GEORGE PARISH ESTHER PARISH Page 3 of 6 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Johnston, William Bryan Sr, 1821 WILLIAM BRYAN Will Proven November Term 1821 Page 4 of 6 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Johnston, William Bryan Sr, 1821 State of North Carolina ] Johnston County ] November Term 1821 There was this will exhibited in open court for probate which was duly proven in open court by the oaths of REUBEN SANDERS and GEORGE PARISH and ordered to be recorded. R. M. SANDERS, Clk Recorded in the clerks office of said county in Book No 10 page 74. R. M. SANDERS, Clk JAMES STALLINGS only Qualified Page 5 of 6 ** PAGE BREAK ** Will, NC, Johnston, William Bryan Sr, 1821 ###### # # ##### ####### # # ##### ####### # # # # ## ## # # # ## # # # # # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ###### # # # # #### ##### # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## ### # # # # # # ###### # # ##### ####### # # ### ##### ####### # # 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 6 of 6 ** PAGE BREAK **