LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JAMES GRAY
February term, 1847 Book 4, page 330
In the name of God, amen.
I, James Gray of the County of Wilkes and State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and
memory thanks be to God for the same, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in the manner and
form following
to wit:
1st. I recommend my soul to God who gave it and my body to be buried in a decent Christian Burial
by my Executors to be herein after mentioned and appointed.
2nd. I will that all my just debts should be paid, if there be any, by my
executors.
3rd. I give and bequeath to my beloved Son, William Gray, one Negro boy named Perry, which I put
in his possession some years past and my son William sold him to my Son, Constant Gray.
I also give to my Son, William and his heirs, a Negro woman Elvira and her boy child Ansel
and Perry and all her increase. I also give him my boys Dempsey and Tom.
4th. I give and bequeath to my son Constant Gray, one Negro named Benjamin, one Negro girl named
Betsey and all her increase and one Negro boy named Edmund and one Negro man named David.
5th. I give to my daughter, Elizabeth Curry, one Negro woman named Sarah and her two boys, one named
Benjamin and the other Fayette to her and her bodily heirs and not to be at the disposal of her husband George Curry in any
manner whatever nor to be liable for his debts and at the death of my Daughter Elizabeth the above Negros and their increase
to be equally divided among her bodily heirs.
6th. I give and bequeath to my son, Thomas Gray, five hundred dollars to be paid to him by my executors
in money.
7th. I give and bequeath to my daughter, Amelia Sale, one negro boy named William and one Negro
woman named Ba? and her two boy children Benjamin and Vinson and her girl Sarah and their increase to her and her bodily heirs,and
not to be at the disposal of her husband James Sale in any matter whatever nor liable for his debt and at the death of my
daughter Amelia Sale, the above negroes and their increase to be equally divided between her bodily heirs.
8th. I give and bequeath to my daughter Edney Johnson one Negro named Peter, one woman named Judy
and one girl named ? and their future increase to her and her bodily heirs and not to be at the disposal of her husband
John Johnson in any manner whatever nor to be liable for his debts, and at the death of my daughter Edney the above negroes
and increase to be equally divided between her bodily heirs.
9th. My daughter Nancy Cargile having deceased I give her husband John Cargil and her son James
one dollar and no more of my estate.
10th. It is my Will and desire that if my Negro Woman, Hannah should be
living at my death for
my Executor to put her up at the lowest bidder for
her maintenance during her life, that all my six children be named as
legatees
be the only bidders and the lowest bidder to take her and all pay
their equal part of the expenses for her maintenance
and the one bidding her off, to indemnify the other against future expenses on her account.
11th. It is my will and device that all my money at hand and any notes for
money and all other
notes and accounts be equally divided between my five children viz William Gray, Constant Gray, Elizabeth Gray, Amelia Sale
and Edney Johnson, and also all of my stock of every description household and kitchen furniture, tools of every description
and all other property of every kind be sold by my executors on a credit of 12 months and the proceeds to be equally divided
between my five above named Children (my son Thomas to have no part of the proceeds, the shares that my daughter Elizabeth
Curry, Amelia Sale and Edney Johnson may receive to be under the same restrictions as the negroes and that I have given them
as respect it being at the disposal of their husbands or paying their debts.
12th. And I do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved sons William and Constant Gray my Executors
to this my last Will and Testament and I do hereby revoke and disavow all former Wills and Testaments by me made and strictly
enjoining it on my Executors to carry this my last Will and Testament in Effect. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set
my hand and seal this the 7th day of April in the year of our Lord 1845.
Jas. Gray
Witnesses
J. J. Bryan
William Sail
North Carolina
Wilkes County
