Will of Dr. Francis Stringer, 1753
North Carolina Archives and History
Secretary of State Microfilm
Roll S.108.202
1663-1790
North Carolina }
Craven County }
In the name of God Amen I Francis Stringer of the Province and County first
mentioned Surgeon being of sound mind and memory do this eighth day of January
in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty nine make and
publish this my last will and testament in manner following Viz:
Imprimis I will and desire that my wife Hannah Stringer and my daughter
Elizabeth Stringer, shall out of what I hereafter in this will and testament
give and bequeath them equally pay my just debts and funeral charges (that is)
that my said wife Hannah Stringer shall out of what by this will is left her pay
the full one half of my funeral charges and that my said daughter Elizabeth
Stringer out of what is left her by this will pay the other half of my debts and
funeral charges which I desire my herein after mention'd executors may duly see
executed
Secondly I give and bequeath unto my dear mother Mary Stringer if living and
claiming by her self or any other person for her within the term and space of
ten years ensuing the date hereof one of my feather beds, one good buggy, one
good pair of blankets, one good midslin sheets, one good feather bolster and
pillow, one good pillowcase and one bedstead, two middle siz'd iron potts,
twelve new pewter plates, two new pewter dishes, one good case of knives &
forks, to be bought by my executors out of my personal estate and deliver'd by
them to her likewise I give and bequeath unto my said mother Mary Stringer if
living and shall come into this said Province or claim as abovesaid my stock of
hoggs that are upon a plantation or belonging thereto which I formerly bought of
Henry Summerlin, ten cows & calves, I further will and devise that my said
mother when in this Province shall live upon said plantation on Cotentnoe which
I bought of said Henry Summerlin and have the whole profits of said plantation
and the use and labour of two Negres (to wit) of one Negro man call'd Bigg
Caesar and of one Negro woman said Caesars wife call'd Rose during my said
mothers natural life and after her my said mother decease I devise and bequeath
said plantation and land containing three hundred acres unto my half brother
Ralph Stringer his heirs and assigns for ever provided he or his representative
claims the said land within ten years after my said mothers decease, and the
above said two Negroes after my said mothers decease I give my daughter
Elizabeth Stringer and in case my said mother should not come into this Province
and claim by her self or others any part or parcell of any bequest or legacy
left her before in this my will it is then my will and desire that my executors
herein after mention'd shall make sale of my land in Adam's Creek and out of the
money arising from such sale pay unto my said mother if living and claiming by
her self or others one hundred pistoles
Thirdly I give and bequeath to Anne Coffe widow four pounds sterling
Fourthly I give and bequeath to my brother in law John Shine the one half of a
tract of land I bought of Durham Handcock lieing on the east side of Stoney Town
Creek in Craven County and to his heirs and assigns for ever, I further order
and direct after said land shall be divided he shall take his choice of which
part he will except, I give and bequeath unto my said brother in law John Shine
sums of money he is indebted to me at the date hereof my silver mounted cuttor
and all my books except the Family Books
Fifthly I give devise and bequeath unto my brother William Stringer to him his
heirs and assigns forever all my lotts in New Bern Town provided he or any
person for him claims in ten years and untill such claim is made I give the
rents and profits of said lotts in New Bern unto my daughter Elizabeth Stringer
Sixthly I give and bequeath brother in law Daniel Shine my land upon falling
creek in Johnston County in this Province to him his heirs and assigns for ever
Seventhly I give and bequeath unto John Stringer a crippled boy son of George
Stringer of Core Creek in this town county one hundred and forty three pounds
eleven shillings old bill money which his father George Stringer is indebted to
me which said sum of one hundred and forty three pounds eleven shillings I
desire my executors to buy cows and calves with and take up a piece of land for
said John in good place for cattle and put the cattle out on said land for the
use of said John Stringer
Eightly I give to my executors hereafter mentioned one mourning ring to each
executor each ring to be in vallue one guinea
Ninthly I give to William Bond whatsoever sum or sums of money that at this date
he is indebted to me
Tenthly I give and bequeath unto my nephew Thomas Stringer Jun'r son of my said
brother Ralph Stringer and unto my illegitimate brother Thomas Stringer equally
to them their heirs & assigns for ever provided they or any person for them
claim in ten years my land commonly call'd Dover containing more or less two
hundred & fifty acres and if any one of them or any person impowered by them
should claim before the other then it is my desire that my executor should lay
off to him so claiming the full one half of my said land call'd Dover
Eleventhly I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Hannah Stringer eight Negroes
(to wit) one Negro man call'd Joe Prince, one Negro man call'd Adam, one Negro
man call'd Dublin, one Negro man call'd Old Jimmy, one mullato boy call'd
Zekeil, one mulatto woman call'd Patt or Peggy, one Negro woman call'd Phillis,
and one Negro girl Cloe, the one half part of my household goods and stocks of
cattle horses & hogs except what so ever given also the half of all my
outstanding debts, goods wares and merchandize of any denomination whatsoever
Twelvethly I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Stringer eight slaves
(to wit) one mulatto man call'd young Jimmy, one Negro man call'd London, one
Negro man call'd Briston, one mulatto woman call'd Mary, one Negro boy call'd
Little Caesar, one Negro boy call'd Will, one Negro girl call'd Lucy, one Negro
girl call'd Salina and in case my said mother Mary Stringer does not come into
this Province I likewise give unto my said daughter Elizabeth Stringer two
slaves more, to wit, one Negro man call'd Big Caesar and one Negro woman call'd
Rose, I likewise give and bequeath unto my said daughter Elizabeth Stringer the
full one half of all my household goods stocks of cattle horses and hogs, except
what is before givin to my mother Mary Stringer, also the one half of all my
outstanding debts, goods wares and merchandise of any denomination whatsoever
Item I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Elizabeth Stringer all my real
estate that I am now possessed with except such part as this will or otherwise
given and bequeathed to her and her heirs lawful begotten of her body for ever
and in case my said daughter should die before she comes of age or has lawful
issue of her body, I then give devise and bequeath the above ten Negroes that
are given as above to my said daughter and all my real estate that is likewise
as above devis'd unto my said daughter Elizabeth unto the before mention'd
William Stringer my brother and to his heirs lawfully begotten of his body
forever and for want of such heirs I then devise and bequeath the whole that
I have given to my said daughter to be equally divided between my before
mentioned nephew Thomas Stringer and half brother Ralph Stringer and my
illegitimate brother Thomas Stringer and their heirs lawfully begotten for ever
and for want of such heirs I then desire my executors may deliver up my said
daughters estate unto Church Wardens of Christ Church Parish in this county
aforesaid for the time being and do hereby give my said daughters estate unto
the poor of said Christ Church Parish and do order it to be employ'd in manner
following (to wit)
I do hereby impower said Church wardens to sell said estate left to my daughter
both real and personal and to put the money arising from such sale out to
intrest and the intrest to be apply'd yearly in putting our poor peoples
children to school in said Parish in perpetuum the principle being untouch'd
Thirteenthly It is my desire that my wife Hannah Stringer shall have the all and
profits of my plantation on Stoney Town Creek whereon I now live during the
course of her natural life provided she claims nor takes any dower out of my
lands, but if she claims or takes any dower of my said lands then my will is she
shall have no part of my personal estate except forty pounds sterling which I
desire my executors may pay her, and in case my said wife Hannah remains
unmarried after my decease I desire she may keep my said daughter with her and
educate and maintain her handsomly untill my said daughter shall arive to the
age of twenty one years or day of marriage which shall first happen and that my
said wife for and towards such educating and maintaining my said daughter shall
have and keep to her her own use the profits of the lands and negroes by this
will given to my said daughter but in case my said wife marries before my said
daughter arrives to age or is married as aforesaid then and in such case I
hereby order and direct that my executors hereafter named shall take into their
hands all the estate hereby given to my said daughter and apply in the best
manner for the use of my said daughter so that they nor any of them make sale
thereof and in case my wife marries before my daughter arrives to age or is
married then I appoint my executors guardian to my said daughter
Item In case my mother should choose in full for all legacies left her in this
will to be paid said hundred pistoles then and in such case, I impower hereby
any executor to sell and convey my land that I bought of Humphrey Smith and John
Smith which lies in Adams Creek down Nuse River and out of the proceeds of sale
should be left after my said mother is paid of said one hundred pistoles I
desire my executors may divide it equally between my said wife and my said
daughter but in case my mother or her other persons shall not choose to take
the said hundred pistoles I then desire my executors in no manner or way
whatsoever to sell or convey any part of my real estate
Lastly I nominate and appoint my friends Daniel Shine, James Greene and Thomas
Graves executors of this my last will and testament revoking disallowing and
making hereby of none effect any former will or wills by me made in any manner
of ways whatever hereafter made and I desire my above mention'd executors in the
name of God to see this my last will and testament executed to the best of their
power and in testimony that this is my last will and testament I have hereunto
set my hand and affix'd my seal this eighth day of January 1749
Fr's Stringer {Seal}
Sign'd Sealed Acknowledged and declared
By the said Francis Stringer to be
his last will and testament forever
Abner Nealy
Jno Kennedy
John (his x mark) Jones
Jos Atherly
A Codicil to my last will and testament now lodged in the hands of Daniel Shine
Esqr
North Carolina }
Craven County }
Whereas by my last will and testament I have given unto my well beloved wife
Hannah Stringer one Negro fellow call’d Dublin and since the date of said will
and testament I have sold the abovesaid Negro fellow unto John Marshall it is my
will and desire that my said wife Hannah Stringer shall have one Negro fellow
called Big Caesar in room of sd fellow call’d Dublin, which sd fellow called Big
Caesar I hereby give and bequeath unto my sd wife Hannah Stringer and to her
heirs and assigns for ever, not with standing the bequest made of sd Caesar to
my daughter Elizabeth Stringer, but this bequest not to take place until my
mother Mary Stringer is dead or not come into this Province, for if my sd mother
comes into this province she is to have, if she chooses, the work of sd fellow
Caesar her life time I confirm this bequest to my sd wife in this my codicil by
signing my name this 20th day of January Anno Domini 1749
Fr’s Stringer
I publish and declare this to be the Codicil of my last will and testament as
within mention’d which by setting my hand and seal I confirm this 20th day of
January 1749
Fr’s Stringer
John Oliver
Jno Kennedy
Febry the 3 1753
I give to my brother Ralph fifty pound sterling
I give unto John Shine two hundred acres land now the upper side of the tract
that I now live on to him and his heirs for ever
Fr’s Stringer
Witnesses present
John Shine
Lem’l Harvey
The within codicil was proved in due form of law by the oath of John Oliver one
of the subscribing evidences thereto this thirtyth day of March 1753 before me
Matt: Rowan
Letters issued 20 March 1753
Fran’c Stringer Will
North Carolina
The within will was proved in due form of law by the oath of Joseph Atherly one
of the subscribing evidences thereto and ye acknowledged codicil witnesseth the
same was also proved in due form of law by the oath of Lemuel Harvey one of the
subscribing evidences to the same before me this thirtyth day of March one
thousand seven hundred and fifty three and at the same time Daniel Shine, James
Greene, Thomas Graves the executors therein named took the oath of an executor
Matt: Rowan
Francis Stringers will recorded in Book RS Page 297, 298, 299, 300,
301, 302, 303, 304, 305 & 306
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