WILL OF JEANE KNOX.
Nov.r Cod 1772.
In the name of God, Amen, the thirteenth of Subtember, one thousand seven hundred & seventy-twoo, I, Jeane Knox, in the parish of St. Luck, in the County of Rowan, in North Carolina, being through the aboundant mercy & goodness of God, though weak in body, yet of sound understanding & memory, blessed be God for the same, Do ordann & appoint this my last Will & Testament, and order and desire that it may be resaved by all whom it may concern as such.
Imprimis, I most humbly bequeath my soul to God my maker and Redeemer, and satitier beseeching his most gracious acceptence of it, through the merits of my compassinat Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself an atonement for my sins & is abel to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them, in whom I trust he will not reject me a returning penitent when I come to him for mercy. In this hope and confidence I render up my soul with comfort, humbly beseaching the most glorious Trinity, one eternal God, to prepare me for the time of my dissolution, & that he take me to himself into that peace & rest which he hath prepared for all those that love & fear his holy name. Amen.
Witnesseth. Imprimis, I give my body to the earth from when it was taken, in full assurance of its Resurrection from thence at the laste Day; & for my burial I desire it may be desent, without form, at the discretion of my executors, herein-after mentioned, who I do not doubt will manage it with prudence & gravity.
And as to my worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to blis me, I will positively order the same in the following maner & Form : after payment of all my Detets & funeral Expence,
Item, I absolutely give & bequeth, devis & demis unto my well beloved youngest son, Benjamin Knox, one negro man child named Jacob, & the yong black Hors, sadil & Bridel, as also my own Bed that I now ly on, with all the sheets, bolsters, & blankits that belongs to it, & two cows and calfes, to wit, Brindel & Twin. Also one plow, with the Irons and all Tackling belonging to it, & the big pot & littel pot, & the chist & dogh chest, cheeck Real & Gridel, & ax. and I alow my negro wench to be his for four years after my Deseas, & then to be sold by my executors, to the purpose hereinafter directed. I alow the Quit Rent of this place to be paid to this present Deat, all the alx)ve as it stands started to him & his heirs forever.
Item, I give, devise, and demis unto my well beloved son Joseph one pot & puter bason to him & his heirs forever.
Item, I give, devis, & demis & bequeth unto my well beloved daughter, Mary Rosbrough, all my own clothing, of every kind, to her and her heirs forever.
As for my corn & foder & wheat, and beef stear and hogs, I alow for the use of my four sons whet they keep in this hous to be for the use of them all; & I do alow, after all my debts & funeral charges is paid, the money arising from the diferent sales of goods & the sale of the wench above mentioned, when she is to be sold, to be equally divided between my sons Samuel, James, Joseph and Benjamin and to them and their heirs forever;
& I do heareby constute & apoint my well beloved sons, Samuel Knox & Benjamin Knox, Executors of this my last Will and Testament; and I do utterly revock, disanull and every way forbid, gainsay & disalow, all former & other Wills or Codicils to wills by me heretofore maid ; and I do now ratify, declare & confirm, this my last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & affixed my seal the day, month and yeare first within writen.
Signed, sealed, published and declared, by the sd Jean Knox, to be her last Will & Testament, in the presence of us the subscribers.
Jean her[X]mark Knox (Seal).
Henry Chambers.
John Graham.
John Kerr.
[By comparing dates, the above will must have been made only a few days previous to the death of the testator. This may account for "her mark." She died September 18, 1772, we learn from the inscription on her tombstone.]
