SPRUILL FAMILY WILLS
SAMUEL SPRUILL
August 19, 1760
In the name of God amen the nineteenth day of August in the year of
our lord one thousand and seven hundred and sixty I SAMUEL SPRUILL SENIOR
of Tyrrell county of North Carolina being very sick and weak but in perfect
mine and memory thanks be unto God for the same and calling to mind the
mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once
to die doe make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say
Principally and first of all I give and recommend by soul into the hands
of God and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in decent Christian
burial at the discretion of my executors nothing doubting by the general
resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of almighty
God and as touching such worldly estate where with it hath pleased God
to bless me in this life I give dismiss and dispose of the same in following
manner of form.
ITEM. I give and bequeath unto the heirs of my beloved daughter
MARY WHITE deceased one shilling sterling money.
ITEM. I give and bequeath unto my son SAMUEL SPRUILL one
planation with one hundred and twenty acres of land known by the name of
Francis Johnsons to him his heirs and assigns for ever.
ITEM. I give until my beloved son JOSEPH SPRUILL one hundred
acres of land more or less bound thus beginning at a Poplar a corner fence
at the head of the Cypress Swamp thence a line of marked trees ??? south
east and by south to Poplar thence by a line of marked trees to a gum in
Normons line and on said line to the Cypress Swamp thence up the Swamp
and its various windings to the first station unto him his heirs and assigns
for ever. Also one Negro boy ??? by name and one third part of the orchard
at the Manner Plantation for seven years provided he shall assist equally
in keeping it in good repair.
ITEM. I leave my beloved daughter JOANNA BLOUNT the use and
??? of three Negroes during her natural life named Ruth Venus and London
and after her decease to be equally divided among the heirs of her body
but if her present husband JACOB BLOUNT doth commence any lawsuit
or doing ??? in law in relation of the above Negroes thence I give the
above said Negroes Ruth Venus and London to my son JOSEPH SPRUILL
and his heirs for ever.
ITEM. I give unto my beloved daughter JOANNA BLOUNT one shilling
sterling.
ITEM. I give unto my beloved grandson JOHN SPRUILL one hundred
and fifteen acres of land more or less it being part of the land his father
lived on and all that part on the west or south side of the Boxen? Swamp
to him his heirs and assigns for ever.
ITEM. I give unto my grandson EVAN SPRUILL one hundred and
fifteen acres of land more or less it being the other part of the land
whence his father lived all that part on the north east side of the Boxen
Swamp to him his heirs and assigns for ever. Likewise one hundred acres
of land at the south fork binding on my son JOSEPH line to him his
heirs and assigns for ever.
ITEM. I give unto my son JOSEPH SPRUILL one hundred acres
of land know by the name of Jacob Hand? in the south fork to him his heirs
and assigns for ever. Also one Negro Mullato man named Sam.
ITEM. I leave my beloved wife MARY SPRUILL the use and occupation
of the house and plantation whereon I now live and timber for the use of
the same and after her decease or widowhood then I give the Manner Plantation
with one hundred and twenty five acres of land there unto belonging to
the same more or less unto my son JEREMIAH SPRUILL to him and the
heirs of his body lawfully begotten for ever also I give unto JEREMIAH
SPRUILL one
Mulatto or Negro boy named Mosse also one Negro boy named Sampson.
ITEM. I give unto my beloved son NEHEMIAH SPRUILL one hundred
acres of land on the sound known by the name of the Sand Banks and one
Plantation with two hundred and thirty acres of land know by the name of
??? to him his heirs and assigns for ever also all the cattle belonging
to the South Land Plantation and also one Negro woman named Abigale to
him and his heirs for ever also one bed and furniture there unto belonging
also one small chest with a lock and key to it known by mother's chest.
I give unto the heirs of my daughter ELIZABETH CASWELL deceased
shilling sterling money.
ITEM. I give unto my daughter JEMIMA GARRETT one Negro man
named ??? in her possession and one cow and calf or twenty five shilling
in money to her and her heirs for ever.
ITEM. I give unto the heirs of my daughter ZILPAH HOOKER
deceased one shilling sterling money also I give unto my granddaughter
ELIZABETH HOOKER one gold ring with a stone in it.
ITEM. I give unto my beloved wife MARY SPRUILL during her
widowhood one Mulatto man named Able and one Negro girl named Jenny and
a bill for money due from MARY SPRUILL widow of twenty pounds bearing
date seventeen hundred and sixty and one mair
named Bonney and one horse named Jack and my riding ??? saddle, and bridle
together with six cows and calves and four of the largest steers and ten
sows and pigs and ten hogs of a year old
and the bed where on I now lie and the furniture thereunto belonging and
the bed where on the girls doth lie and the furniture belong to it and
three dishes three basons and six plates and four bowls and all the peuter
that was hers in her widowhood and one large chest know the name of father's
chest and a small chest that was bought of Springs one box jam and heaters
and the ??? wheel that ??? hath made and the two linning wheels and six
chairs and the cards belonging to the wheel and five curs and all the cotton
wool and flax for my wife MARY SPRUILL to use
and five hogsheads her choice and one third part of the orchard and I give
to JEREMIAH SPRUILL one third part of the orchard if he helps to
keep it in repair. Also I give to my wife MARY SPRUILL all the cattle
over the Bay and if my wife MARY SPRUILL deceases or marries then
the above items to be taken in the hands of my executors for the use of
my two small children JAMES and ZILPAH SPRUILL.
ITEM. I give unto my son NEHEMIAH SPRUILL one bill for money
of twenty pounds due from MARY SPRUILL widow bearing date seventeen
hundred sixty three also I give unto my son JOSEPH SPRUILL one bill
for money due from MARY SPRUILL widow bearing date seventeen hundred
six one and one brass kettle. and if any lawsuite should be comminst against
my estate after my decease these four which is above mentioned that is
to say my wife MARY SPRUILL my son JEREMIAH SPRUILL my son
NEHEMIAH SPRUILL and my son JOSEPH SPRUILL which hath a bill
left them of twenty pounds a piece shall equally bare the cost of the said
lawsuite and if either of them refuse to pay an equal cost of such lawsuite
then the bill of twenty pounds which is left them shall refund back to
my executors to bare the cost of such lawsuite.
ITEM. I give unto my son JOSEPH SPRUILL one Negro boy named
Ben during his natural life and after his decease then I give the boy named
Ben unto my grandson THOMAS SPRUILL to his heirs and assigns for
ever and also I give to THOMAS SPRUILL one cow calf.
ITEM. I give to my son JEREMIAH SPRUILL one mair named Flower
and one young horse named Lightfoot and one horse named Jack and all the
remainder part of the cattle belonging to the Manner Plantation.
And all the remaining part of my estate I leave to be divided between my
two sons JEREMIAH and NEHEMIAH equally and I do constitute
make and ordain my two sons SAMUEL SPRUILL and JOSEPH SPRUILL
executors of this my last will and testament and I do hereby disanul revoke
and disallow all other testaments wills legacys bequeaths and executors
by me in any ??? named willed and bequeathed ratifying and confirming this
and no other to be my last will and testament in witness where of the I
said SAMUEL SPRUILL SENIOR have hereunto let my hand and seal the
day and year fixed above written
Signed sealed published pronounced and declared by the said SAMUEL SPRUILL
SENIOR as his last will and testament in the presence of the subscribers
Tabitha (her mark) Edwards
SAMUEL SPRUILL
Nathan Mieavs?
William Edwards
NOTE: A fellow Spruill researcher has informed me that this will, which is housed at the NC State Archives in Raleigh, NC, has been encapsulated. The second page of the will is on the back of the first page. The will was sealed with pages 1 and 3 back to back. The archives will not break the seal to see if page 2 is really there. If Samuel was your ancestor, and you are looking for a copy of the middle portion of this will, please contact me and I will gladly send you a copy. The copy I have was made in August 1995.