GRAVES Family Wills
Will of JOSEPH GRAVES
Written 12 July 1774, Surry county, NC; proved Aug 1774
In the Name of God Amen - I Joseph Graves of the County of Surry in the province of North Carrolina being very sick and weak in (or in perfect helth of; body, but; or and)* of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God; calling unto mind the moitallity of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and Testament; That is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hands of almighty God that gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be burried in desient Christian burial at the descretion of my Executors nothing doubting but at the general resurestion I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life I give demise & despose of the same in the following manner and form -
First, I give and bequeath to Sarah my dearly beloved wife the third part of my worldly Estate together with all my household goods debts & movable affects, together with all my lands & tennements.
And the remainder to be eaquelly divid between Absalon Cleaveland and John Cleveland the sons of Mary Cleaveland my beloved daughter. This my Estate to be valued & eaquelly divided my wife to receive at my death her equal part and the other two parts to be securely kept in the hands of my Executors and Administrators untill the above mentioned Absalom Cleaveland & John Cleveland arive to the age of twenty one years of age. And hereby I require and desire that Benjamin Cleaveland the husband of my beloved daughter and Jesse Walton should be my Executors and Administrators of my Estate and all my worldly conserns. And I do hereby utterly disalow revoke and disanull all and every other former testaments wills legaices bequists and Executors by me in any wise before named willed and bequeathed: Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will & Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy four.
Josep Graves {seal}
Signed seal'd publish'd pronounced and declard by the said Joseph Graves as his last will & testament in the presence of us and in the presents of each other who in his presence have hereunto subscribed our names.
James Bunyard
Hanah Bunyard her X
Reuben Stringer
North Carolina Surry County August Court 1774
James Bunyard and Reuben Stringer two of the subscribing witnesses to the within last will & Testament of Josep Graves made oath that they saw the said Joseph Graves publish and declare the same to be his last will & Testament that he was of sound and desposing mind and memory and that at the same time they saw Hannah Bunyard sign the same as witness. And on motion ordered to be recorded:
Recorded Accordingly Jo.Js. Benton CC
Memorandom of Mr. Jos Graves Estate. Deceas'd.
To 3 negroes To 4 head of horses To 15 head of cattle To 19 head of hogs To 2 feather beds & 4 sheets bed quilt & rugg To 11 pounds of feathers To 1 riffle gun To 1 mans saddle and briddle To 1 linnen wheel & 2 pair of old cards To 1 wooling D.o To 6 plates 1 dish & 2 beasons To 7 water vessels To 27 yds of bareskin To 2 iron potts To 3 jugs & 1 skillet To 2 old caskes, To 1 peck measure To 1 chest To 1 improvement & crop growing To 3 axes and pair of iron wedges & one fluke plow To 3 old hoes 1 hand saw 1 drawing knife 1 froe & 1 adds To 2 augers 1 chissel To 1 betts To 2 sides of tan'd leather & To 1 piece of sole leather To 4 bushels of corn To 21 ducks To 1 meal bagg To 21 yds of new linnen cloth To 2 pound of pick't cotten To 1 loom & 3 slaes & 2 pair harneses To 1 flat iron To 1 old lease of knives & forks To 4 Books of Divinity To 1 search & one meal sive To 1 tommehawk -
We Richard Stringer, William Nall, James Bunyard Have aprais'd the above Estate to £ 229:0:0.
North Carolina Surry Cou'ty Feb'y Court 1775. The within inventory was returnd to Court and ordered to be recorded and Recorded Accordingly. JoJs Benton CC
*The odd text options are not mine, but are in the will, as if it were prepared from a standard form. I don't know anything on this family.