Will of John Kelly - 20 Mar 1837 Original Will, on file in Raleigh, NC Archives CR 073.801 I John Kelly of the County of Orange and State of North Carolina being of sound mind and memory, but considering the uncertainty of my earthly existence, do make and declare this my last Will and Testament, in manner and form following, that is to say: First, that my Executor or Administrator shall provide for my body a decent burial and pay all expenses together with my Just debts howsoever and to whomsoever owing out of the money that may first come into his hands as a part or parcel of my estate Item I give to my wife Ann Kelly the following Negroe slaves that (is to say) Anthony, Juda, Adkin, Washington, Nelly, Franey, Easther, caroline, Eliza, Bob, Louisa, July, Aann, Jane, Silla, Joe Henry Norphtet, Alse, Haywood, Alfred, Susan, Ben, Dick, Peggy, Mingo, Tom, John. Sophia, Sina, Moses, Abram, and Edmund, with all the future increase that may come from the above named Negroes I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Kelly to her and her Heirs fore ever now in case I should live to sell any of the above named Negroes it is my will that my Executor pay over the amount that I sell them for to my wife Ann in place of the Negroes, Item I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Kelly the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars current money to her and her Heirs forever, Item, I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Kelly my carriage and Harness and every thing belonging to it to her and her Heirs forever, Item, it is my Will that my Executor buy a match of large well Broke young Horses out of the balance of my estate that is not disposed of for my wife them I give and bequeath to my wife Ann to her and her Heirs for ever, Item, I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Kelly my silver watch to her and her heirs for ever, Item, I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Kelly All my House Hold furniture except one feather bed to her and her Heirs fore ever it is my will that if my wife Ann should conclude to remove to the county of Franklin or Nash in the event that my [page 2] Executor pay all the expenses out of the balance of my estate that is not disposed of Item, I give and bequeath to the Deaf and Dumb Institution if it can be secured so that the principel will be secure and nothing but the Interest used on these condition I give Six Thousand Dollars for the purpose of Educating Poor Mutes, first of this county where their parents is not able to Educate them if these conditions is complied with I give and bequeath to the Institution and there successors in office forever Item I give and bequeath to the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church Three Thousand Dollars on half for Missionary purposes the other half to the relief fund for the support of worn out preachers to them and their successors forever Item I give and bequeath to my wife Ann Kelly two Thousand five hundred Dollars in addition to what I have given her above to her and her heirs forever. Item I have four Negroes not yet disposed of it is my will if they will consent to go to Liberia and have their freedom that my Executor send them there if they will not consent to go there then I wish them to chuse their masters and my Executor to sell them for what he can get for them, that is to say, Gilbert, Martha, his wife Gilford their son and Jarrott ---- Item I give and bequeath to Sarah Clark all that part of the Home Tract of Land lying South of the road adjoining Stephen Clark Wilkerson and others and on the North by the road also 27 1/2 acres on the south of the road and adjoining the other piec[sic] Jordan and Smith which land I bought of Patterson to her and her heirs forever Item I give and bequeath to the heirs of David Lockhart Decd the balance of the land that I bought from Patterson also a small Entry that I made in the North end of the same also the McMund Tract adjoining Honner[?] Tanner and Wilkerson and others to them and their Heirs for ever Item I give and bequeath to John Lockhart the balance of the Home [page 3] Tract of land and also the Tract that I bought from John Patterson adjoining Wilkerson McDade and others to Him and his Heirs fore ever. Item I give and bequeath Elenor Bain that Tract of land that I bought from her mother Keziah Bain adjoinen Douglass St Mary Chapel and others to her and her heirs for ever --- Item I wish my Executor to sell the Tract of land that I bought from Wm Cain 100 acres more or less when it will suit the convenience of my Sisters if they should live longer that I do Item I direct my executor to sell all my Stock of every description Waggon carts plantation tools grain and every thing that is not disposed of Item I give and bequeath to my two sisters Ann and Elizabeth Kelly the Feather bed that was excepted I also give to them all my Interest in my Fathers estate I also give to them all that they owe me or the longest liver of them Item I give to my Executor one Thousand Dollars to execute this my last Will and Testament truly and faithfully to own use Item If any part of my Debt due me should prove insolvent and there should not be enough money to pay of all the bequeth that I have made then in that case it is my Will that all that is made should be scaled except the bequeath that I made to my wife it is my will that hers should stand and the amount that I have given her should be paid over to her out of the first moneys that is collected Item I give and bequeath to my sisters Ann and Elizabeth Kelly or the longest liver of them all the surplus that my remain in the hands of my executor after paying of all the legacy I have given and retaining his own fee to them and their Heirs It is my wish that my friend John W. Norwood act as my executor in witness whereof I have set to my hand seal this 20th day of March AD 1837 Jno Kelly (seal) Transcription by Ben Franklin of Durham, NC 2 Dec 2009. Please credit me if you use this. This information is in the public domain. Note: There is a large cross drawn at the bottom of the page that contains the signature. The signature looks a lot like the handwriting of the rest of the document, so the large cross might be his mark, although it is not identified as such.