Genealogical Records: North Carolina Wills, 1665 - 1900
North Carolina Wills and Inventories, Surnames, C - D, Page 132-133

JOHN COTTON'S WILL.
Northampton County.
The Deposition of ye under Subscribers first Sworn on The Holy Eveng * * * * 1741. JOHN COTTEN who Deceast this Life ye 2nd of Feb., 1741; as aforsd Did make, * * * under his hand and Seal, & the Subscriber were Wittness Thereto, which * * * was by ye sd. COTTEN Delivered Into ye Care of JOHN DAWSON, one of the Subscribeing Wittnesses, who by misfortune hath Lost ye sd will with Sundrey of his own papers, but ye sd subscribers being well assured in their Consciences that they Can Remembr The whole Substance of the sd will Declared it was as followeth, Viz: After funeral Expences Discharged and Debts paid, I give & bequeath my Estate as followeth:
Itim. I give & bequeath To my son, JOHN COTTEN, my plantation whereon I now Dwell, to him & his heires forever, only my wife to Live thereon and to Injoy the Use thereof During her natural Life; also one gun, one feather Bed and furniture, Two Cows & Calves, Two Ews and Lambs. My will and Desire is that my Crosscut Saw & whipsaw be Equalley between my Two Sons. also, I give my Son JOHN one Iron pot.
Itim. I give & bequeath to my Son BENJAMIN COTTEN, my plantation whereon PHILLIP EDENS now Dwells, to him & his heires forever, only the sd EDENS to Live thereon and Injoy the Use thereof During his Natural Life. My will & Desire is that my Land belonging to my sd plantations be Divided as Equal as Possible, one half to ye one plantation and ye Other half to ye other; also I give my sd. son my black horse, bridle and Saddle and Cane, one feather Bed and Firniture, one Iron pot, Two Cows and Calves, Two (?) Ews and Lambs.
Itim. I give and bequeath to my Daughter, ANNE COTTEN, one bey Mare & her Increase, Two Cows and Calves, Two Ews and Lambs, and one feather Beed and firniture, and one Iron pot.
Itim. I give and bequeath to my Loving wife, ANNE COTTEN, my Negroe fellow MINGO, to Maintain and School my small Children; also, give my sd wife, my working oxen for the plantation use; also, I give my sd wife, my Grey Horse and Side Saddle, and all my working Tools not alreadey given.
Also, I do nominate and appoint my Loving wife, Executrix and my Loving brother, WILLIAM COTTEN, Executor of this my last will & Testament, Revoking and Disalowing of all other wills by me heretofore Made.
In will: hereof I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal 17th of Jan: 1741
& Further we Say not
JNO. DAWSON.
RICHD.BERFIELD, his R mark.
THOS.COWMAN. W his mark
* * * * within Depositon * * * RICHD BERFIELD
* * Justs of the County within Mentioned as witness my * * & Date * * written. ISAAC HUNTER.
Northampton County, May Court, 1742.
The within written Noncupative Will of JOHN COTTEN, Deceased, was proved in open Court by the Oaths of JOHN DAWSON, RICHARD BAREFIELD, & THOMAS COWMAN, ye subscribing evidences thereto, & on Motion of WILLIAM COTTEN, praying Administration on ye sd Deceased's Estate with ye Will Annexed, which was granted, he having given Secuity as ye Law directs
Test. J. EDWARDS, Clk. C.
Copied from Original Will filed in the Office of the Secretary of State
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Early North Carolina Settlers, 1700s-1900s, Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. I, Page 191
Cotten, John, Northampton. January 17, 1741; May Court, 1742. Sons JOHN and BENJAMIN, daughters MARY BRUELE, ANNE, and SARAH COTTEN; wife ANNE and brother WILLIAM executors. Test, Richard Barefield, Thos. Cowman, John Dawson

DEEDS:
WILLIAM HOWELL of Tyrell Precinct to JOSEPH COTTON Jan 9, 1729 40 pds for 640 A on Elm Swamp & Meherrin Creek By Patent taken out by JOHN MOORE & BENTON MOORE, wit GEORGE OTWAY, ALEXANDER COTTON, THOMAS JONES, jurat. JOSEPH COTTON wit 1728.
D-213 JOSEPH COTTON & BENTON MOORE to ROBERT FORSTER Aug Ct 1735.

a-117 JOHN COTTON & wife JUDITH to BARRABE MILTON May 13 1723 adj WILLIAM GREEN, Island Creek
a-402 JOHN COTTON & wife JUDITH to JAMES BROCKDON May 10, 1725 wit JOHN GREEN, WILLIAM GREEN.
b-194 Nov 1729 JOHN COTTON & wife JUDITH to BARABEE MILTON
BK B PG. 197
Elizabeth Melton Barabee Milton 12 Nov 1726 10 pds for 150 A on NS Morattock River adj Phillip Jones. Witnesses: John Cotton, Judith Cotton Nov Court 1726.


( It appears that John Cotton, Jr. was married to a Judith at this time and married Ann Jones second.)

Richard Cotten
Jun 12, 2018

Thanks for the kind words, but I had a lot of help. Somehow all the old family documents landed in my lap. I think old Cotten/Cotton spirits were helping.