Will, NC, Bertie, JOHN COTTEN Sr. 1728

In the name of God Amen.

I JOHN COTTEN of Bertie Precinct in North Carolina Gent. being sick and body
but of perfect sense and sound memory blessed be God do make and ordained this
to be my last will and testament in manner and form following viz.

FIRST ITEM I give to my son JOHN COTTEN three hundred and twenty acres of land
be it more or less where he now lives on the water of Ahorskey Marsh [Ahorsky]
to him and his heirs for ever.

ITEM I give to my son WILLIAM COTTEN one hundred and fifty acres be it more or
less lying in XXX Meadows where he now lives beginning at a marked hickory at
my upper most line so running down a line of marked trees to the lower most
line to him and his heirs for ever.

ITEM I give to my son SAMUEL COTTEN tract of land where he now lives be the
same more or less and part of a survey that I bought of CHARLES STEVENSON
being and Hundred Acres more or less to him and his heirs forever.

ITEM I give to my son THOMAS COTTEN all the remainder aforesaid land bought of
CHARLES STEVENSON [STEPHENS, STEVENS, STEPHONSON] it is northerly of WILLIAM
COTTEN and that contains three hundred and forty acres being neck called the
pond neck to him and his heirs for ever.

ITEM I give to my sons ARTHUR COTTEN and JAMES COTTEN my lower most survey
land on Fishing Creek to equally be divided betwixt you to them and their
heirs forever.

ITEM I give to my son JOSEPH COTTEN two hundred acres land to be taken out of
my upper survey on Fishing Creek to him and his heirs forever.

ITEM I give to my son ALEXANDER COTTEN one hundred acres land out of my upper
survey on Fishing Creek, to him and his heirs for ever, and the other three
hundred acres to be equally divided between my son's JOHN COTTEN, WILLIAM
COTTEN, and SAMUEL COTTEN to them and their heirs forever.

ITEM I give to my son ARTHUR COTTEN one negro man named MEINGO but except the
labor and services of the said negro to be performed and done for my loving
wife MARTHA COTTEN during her widowhood and my said son ARTHUR COTTEN to be
and and go for himself when he shall arrive at the age of eighteen years.

ITEM I give to my son JAMES COTTEN one negro boy named PETER to him and his
heirs for ever and that my son JAMES COTTEN may go and for himself when he
shall arrive at the age of eighteen years.

ITEM I give to my son THOMAS COTTEN one negro girl named ROSE to him and his
heirs for ever but accept the labor and service of the Negro girl to be for
and with my loving wife MARTHA COTTEN during her widowhood and that my son
THOMAS COTTEN be free and go for himself when the said THOMAS arrives at the
age of eighteen years.

ITEM I give to my son JOSEPH COTTEN one negro boy named TONEY to him and his


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                    Will, NC, Bertie, JOHN COTTEN Sr. 1728

heirs for ever.

ITEM I give unto my daughter PRISCILLA COTTEN one negro woman named MOOLL to
her and her heirs forever, but except use and labor of the said negro’s to be
for my loving wife MARTHA COTTEN during her widowhood.

ITEM I give to my son ALEXANDER COTTEN one negro man named GUY but accept the
said negro’s labor and service to be for my loving wife MARTHA COTTEN during
her widowhood.

ITEM I give to my son WILLIAM COTTEN one feather bed and worsted set rug, and
one large fine blanket, and a sheet, two pewter basins, two pewter dishes, two
cows and calves, two yearlings, one three year old heifer, eight sows with
their increase, and one bay gelding horse, and one large barrow or spayed sow
and a pattern of fine “druged” for a suit of clothes, coat, breeches and
jacket and trimming answerable, and fifty bushels of oyster shells and all
that parcel of plank that was sawed for the “meill” work to equally divided
between my said son WILLIAM COTTEN and my son SAMUEL COTTEN.

ITEM I give to my son SAMUEL COTTEN a pattern of fine “druged” to make him a
suit of clothes and trimming answerable which cloth and trimming is to be
“anseore” and equally divided between my son's WILLIAM and SAMUEL COTTEN.

ITEM to my son SAMUEL COTTEN I give one feather bed known by the name of the
trundle bed, and a blue worsted set rug, and one blanket and sheet, and one
square framed Walnut table, and three cows and Calves, and a broke horse of
two years old, two pewter basins, and two pewter dishes, and fifty bushels of
oyster shells, and to each of my sons SAMUEL and WILLIAM COTTEN a large steer,
two punches & nails to build them a house each.

ITEM I give to my son ALEXANDER eight sows with their increase, and three
cows, one heifer yearling, and one two year old steer, and one three year old
steer.

ITEM I give to my son JOHN COTTEN all the stock of both hogs and cattle that
is now in his possession of my mark and fifty bushels of oyster shells.

ITEM I give to my daughter SUSANNAH COTTEN one feather bed whereon she lies
with all its furniture.

ITEM I give to my son THOMAS COTTEN one suit of new curtains of blue color,
one large fine bed tick, one worsted set rug, and one large fine blanket.




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                    Will, NC, Bertie, JOHN COTTEN Sr. 1728

ITEM I give and bequeath to my loving wife MARTHA COTTEN my bed whereon I lie
with all its furniture, curtains, rugs, blankets, sheets, pillows, and one
large new fine blanket and quilt besides, and bedstead cord and mat.

ITEM I give to my son ALEXANDER COTTEN as much “dewroyes” which I now by me as
will make him a suit of clothes.

ITEM I give to my sons ALEXANDER and SAMUEL COTTEN as much striped Holan as
will make each of you a jacket and breeches and trimming to it.

ITEM I give and bequeath to my loving wife my riding horse calling his name
Blaise and a side saddle.

ITEM I give to my son-in-law JOHN THOMAS one pewter dish.

ITEM I give to my son-in-law Captain JOHN SPEARS one pewter dish.

ITEM I give to my daughter MARY HOLLAND one pewter dish and the use of the
above negroes left to my said wife for her own and my said four youngest
children’s maintenance during her widowhood.

ITEM I give to my son JOSEPH COTTEN the three wethers and a ram, two ewes and
a lamb.

ITEM I give to my daughter MARTHA BENTON late Widow of FRANCIS BENTON deceased
three ewes with their increase.

ITEM I give to my son WILLIAM and SAMUEL COTTEN twenty pounds of feathers to
be equally divided to enlarge their beds. My will is further that my mill
stones, spindle, jacks and peaks to be sold for silver money and that to be
equally divided between my four small children ARTHUR, PRISCILLA, JAMES,
THOMAS COTTEN and all the remainder of my estate both within and without doors
I leave to my wife and four small children above named to be equally divided.

ITEM I give to my daughter SUSANNAH as much fine silk sheet as will make her a
suit of clothes and my will is that my mare that runs in “tormentery rack”
the first colt she brings may be for my son ARTHUR COTTEN and if they said
mare lives to bring any more colts may be for my son JAMES and THOMAS COTTEN.

And lastly I appoint my loving wife to be executrix of this my last will and
testament but nominate and appoint my loving friend THOMAS BRYANT and WILLIAM
BENNETT to be overseers and have power in case my wife should again marry and
her covetor prove unhappy to her and my four small children to remove and
secure them and their estate at their discretion.




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                     Will, NC, Bertie, JOHN COTTEN Sr. 1728

In Witness whereof assign this to be my last will and testament.

JOHN COTTEN {seal}

Test

THOMAS BRYANT, jurat
THOMAS STRANGE
MARY PARKER, jurat {her M mark}




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                    Will, NC, Bertie, JOHN COTTEN Sr. 1728

Bertie

May Court 1728

The above will was exhibited by MARTHA COTTEN Widow and sole executrix of JOHN
COTTEN deceased and was proved by the oath of CAPTAIN THOMAS BRYANT and MARY
PARKER in open court in due form of law who were evidences there too and then
the said MARTHA COTTEN the executive oath in open court

Test
R. T. FORSTER, Clerk of Court




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                         Will, NC, Bertie, JOHN COTTEN Sr. 1728




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Transcribed from original documents by Brent R. Brian & Martha M. Brian.

This document and others can be found on our website:

BMGEN

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Brent R. Brian
Martha M. Brian
BrianMitchellGenealogy@gmail.com




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