Hertford County, NC - Will of Thomas Cotton, 1787
Will of Thomas Cotton 1722-1787 Hertford Co., NC
Handwritten original in Private Manuscript Collection of John Vann.
Transcribed by Elaine Powell, May, 2009.

Will proved Aug Term 1787 of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of
Hertford Co NC.
This is the last Will & Testament of one Thomas Cotten of Hertford County in the State of North Carolina bearing date this eighteenth day of April One Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty Seven. I hereby revoke all Wills by me at any time heretofore made and desire that this my last Will shall distribute all my estate after my just debts are paid in manner and form as I have hereafter directed which is as follows. This I give unto my son James Cotten one tract or parcel of land lying in the Horse Pocosen containing one hundred & twenty two acres granted to Lamuel Cotten by patent and deed to me bearing date the seventh day of February One thousand Seven Hundred Sixty four. Also twenty acres of land lying in the Oriscer? Meadows joining the tract of land where on he now lives which I did before give to him. Also one Copper Still Works which he hath now in his possession. Also one Negro woman named Judy and her child now with her named Huldy and her increase for ever on provision that my son James Cotton pay unto his sister Charity Cotten immediate after my decease the sum of thirty pounds Virginia currency on the value thereof according to the depreciation of the currency of this state. Then I give and bequeath unto my son Lamuel Cotten the Manner House whereon I now live and part of the Manner Land or plantation which I purchased of Abner Cotten and his Wife Winifred by deed bearing date the twenty sixth day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Seven as far as to the first corner of three white oaks in a branch that runs through Richard Aiekens field thence a course running nearly north east on the side of a Slash(?) to one white oak hence partly a south east course to three marked trees a hickory, red oak and Spanish Oak corner trees from thence to the three red oaks on Charles John Meins line thence to the creek and up the various courses of the creek to the mouth of Cataie Branch thence along the old line to the first station to him & his heirs for ever and also the one half of the precors on Land above Winton Road in Gates County in the aforesaid state of North Carolina to hers and his heirs forever. Also a Negro man named Ceazer and one Negro boy named Guy. Also give to my said son Lamuel and his heirs forever also my still & room with two beds & furniture and one dozen of chairs and a case of bottles and a church bible and a bookcase also one bay horse called Harod also a young bay mare and four breeding sows & half a dozen two year old hogs. Then I give & bequeath until my son Noah Cotton one tract on parcel of land beginning at the corner of his brother Lamuels land three white oaks & running along his line as far as to three white oaks by the side of a slash, thence thee along his line to three white oak trees a red oak a hickory and a Spanish oak thence near the same course to my back line in the ? to a forked willow oak thence along my back line joining James Cotton from thence to the first station also one half the pocoson ? land above Winton Road in Gates County and State of aforesaid with one negro wench named Lucy and one negro man named Harry to him and his heirs forever, also one Bauld fowl horse, one bed & furniture, four chairs four plates and one dish, one pot and two breading sows & four two year old hogs. Then I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Cotton one tract of land joining his brother Lamuel Cotton beginning at the corner on Charles Jenkins line and running along the old line to Winton Road thence up the road to my back line thence along that line to the forked Willow Oak thence along the line that divides them & his brother Noah Cotton to the first station also one parcel of land lying in Gates County in the State aforesaid joining on Chowan River on the lower side of the Causeway being my part of a tract of land purchased by deed from Sander Cotten Bearing date the Sixteenth day of April One Thousand Severn Hundred and Sixty Four also one negro Wench named Milley & her increase to him & his heirs forever also one year old colt called Blaze. Also a bed & furniture. Thence I leave unto my daughter Lowena Read one Negro girl named Nancy during her natural life to wait on her and after her decease I give & bequeath the same to her daughter Temperance with all her increase forever. Also I give unto my said daughter Lowena two ewes & lambs to her & her heirs forever. Then I leave unto my daughter Lytha Hobday one Negro boy named Abraham during her natural life to wait on her and after her decease. I give & bequeath the said Negro boy Abraham to her son Thomas Hobdy and his heirs forever. also I give unto my daughter Lytha Hobday two ewes & lambs to her & her heirs forever. Then I give unto my daughter Martha Cotten a Negro girl named Hulday and her increase to her & her heirs forever. Then I give unto my daughter Elizabeth one Negro girl named Pegg & her increase to her & her heirs forever. Then I give unto my daughter Lidia Cotton one Negro girl named Violet & her increase to her & her heirs forever. Then I give unto Samuel Cotton Overton? One tract or parcel of land containing one hundred acres or here about lying & bounding as follows beginning at Winton Road near Jordans House and running to a corner white oak or Deep Creek whence along my back line to Winton Road and thence along Winton Road to the first Station to them and their heirs of his body lawfully begotten but proved he should have no such heirs then my wish & desire is that after his decease that the land aforesaid shall return to my son Joseph Cotton and his heirs for ever. Then my Will and desire is that after my decease that all my personal estate which I have not already given consisting of cattle & sheep be equally divided between my children here after mentioned Samuel Cotten, Noah Cotten, Joseph Cotten, Tempy Copeland, Mary Spires and Sally Cotten & her heirs. Thence it is my Will and desire also that all the rest of my estate that is not already mentioned and disposed off in this my last will & testament accepting my hogs which may be applied to the use of the House be equally divided between Samuel Cotten, Noah Cotten, Joseph Cotten Tempy Copeland, and Mary Spires, Sally Cotten, Martha Cotten, Elizabeth Cotton, and Lidia Cotton to them & their heirs for ever and lastly I do appoint my son James Cotten & my Son Samuel Cotten who are sole executors to this my last Will and Testament. In Witness where of I have here unto let my hand & seal the day of year first above written.
Thomas Cotton [Seal]

Signed Sealed & Delivered in the presence of William Evans, Samuel Cotton,
Charity E. Cotton, Hertford County Aug. Tern verify the above Will was brought in to Court by James Cotton and Samuel Cotton executors thereon appointed and was proved by the oath of William Evans One of the witness here to & then the said Will was Ordered to be Recorded at the Same time the said executors was duty qualified for that office and prayed and attained an order for Letters Testamentary we
Test(ator) Sam Harrell Clk