Person:Mary Hamilton (94)

Will Transcript

In the name of God Amen! I Mary Kerr of the County of Rowan & State of N. Carolina, being advanced in years & knowing that all flesh must die & being desirous to settle my worldly affairs in as equatable a manner as possible, do make this my last will & test, in manner following ~

First I recommend my soul to God, who gave it, & my body to the earth, to be buried in a christian manner, & as touching such things as it had pleased God to bless me with in this life I give, & desire in the following manner:

Viz, I give & bequeath to my son Joseph Kerr ten shillings to be paid out of a legacy, bequeathed me by my brother Archibald Hamilton of South Carolina, & to my son Samuel I give a note & account signed to me by Samuel Kerr, on John Brandon.

I give & bequeath unto my daughters Jane Sauers, Ann Gardner, Margaret Lambeth, all the residue of my estate, to be equally divided between them, except my cloathes. And Mary Carman to have an equal divide of them (my cloaths) and as I have notes & accounts against some of said Legacies I will & desire that Robert Gardners note, be deducted out of his part of my estate my intention is that Mary Carman have an equeal division of my cloaths only.

Lastly I nominate, constitute & appoint my son Joseph Kerr & my friend David Gardner, executors of this my last will & test:

In witness whereof I have set my hand & seal hereunto this 28th day of July 1801.

[Signed] Mary Kerr [Seal]

Signed, sealed, & declared in presence of

Jno. Brandon, Esther Brandon

[Note: the sons and daughters listed in Mary's will were actually "step-children" from her husband Andrew Kerr's first marriage. It does not appear that Andrew Kerr and Mary had any children together]

Notes

Mary left a will dated 28 July 1801, probated 1805. She named sons Joseph and Samuel and mentioned brother Arcibald Hamilton in South Carolina. An Archibald Hamilton was administrator of the estate of James Kerr in Augusta County, Va in 1770. John Kerr's land is mentioned.