Will of Col. Edward Ward Dated 9 Nov 1765 This will is in very bad shape. The folds of the paper have deteriorated to such an extent that very little of it can be read. When comparing this will to that of his wife, you can see that some of his children's names could not be read. The handwriting was not that hard to read, and I have transcribed it as written, spelling and all. Most of the blanks are where the paper is gone. This will is in the loose papers of the NC Archives, of which I have a copy. Names include: He names his wife, but her name cannot be read son Benjamin Ward son Enoch Ward son Seth Ward dau. Martha Simmons son-in-law Richard Ward dau. Carrity wife of Richard Ward dau. Elizabeth Hadnot dau. Ruth Strange dau. Obedience Hadnot dau. Mary Williams grandson Solomon Ward grandaughter Elizabeth Ward, dau. of Enoch Ward grandaughter Zelphy Ward grandson Benjamin Ward grandson Edward Ward witnesses ___?erson Gillett ____________? ______? Dulany, Sr. Negroes: Old Charles Juday Cuff Tom Rose Sambo Pero Mull Charles Fell Yourk Chrey Nell March In the name of God Amen Ninth day of November one thousan seven hundred and sixty five. I Edwd. Ward of the County of Onslow and province of North Carolina planter - being in perfect mind and memory thank God for it thare fore calling to mind the mortaltey of _____? [be]ing appointed to all men once to dey do make and ____________? last will and testament that is to principaly and ___________? it shall plese God to take out of this world by deth ___? the hands of God that gave it (one fourth of this page is gone in the first fold of the paper) all my household goods and my female deto? which negros goods and her disposal to any of my children or grandchildren as shall think proper at her decese and likewise I lend and leve in hur possession during her natural life six of my other negros named old Charles and Juday, Sall, Cuff, Tom and Rose and at hur deces assend to those I have given and bequeath them to or suner if shee but those negros is not to be transported out of the Countey to be barberosly yusd by any person that may chance to take in any shap what so ever after my deces which will be of my executors to prevent. I likewise give to my all my hogs and all my horses hur life and to be desposed of by hur at hur deces as above have possession and for her _____? use during her life manner house and plantation and then to assend to him it is give and bequeth to my well beloved son BENJAMIN WARD my negro man named Sambo and half my right to the banke which negro and boy give to him and hars (heirs?) and assigns for ever which negro is to be delivered at my deces. and bequeth to my beloved son ENOCH WARD my negro man named _________? which negro I give to him and his hares (heirs?) for ever and he is to have [end of first page] give and bequeth to my beloved son SETH WARD my man named Pero which negro I give to him and his heirs forever with half my lambs the negro and land he is to have at my [deces]___? likewise I give to him my manner plantation and all belonging to it and two of my negroes namely Old Charles and Juday which land and negros he is to have at his mothers death but not befor without her consent he paying to his b[rothers] __? BENJAMIN and ENOCH twenty pounds lawfull money to each of them which land and negros I give to him and his hares (heirs?) forever. I give and bequeth to my daughter MARTHA SIMMONS the _____? named Fell which she has now in her possession with [with any or with hur]? encrees and licwise I give to my said daughter MARTHA my ___? boy named Yourk which is to be delivered to her at my de[ces]? which negro I give to her and her lawfull hars for ever I give to my son in law RICHARD WARD my silver belted sord and to my daughter D (C)arrity his wife my own riding horse named Pence at my deces which is all I caan do for her knowing I have done for her before. Likewise I give to ________? daughters RUTH and CARRITY each of them one cow and calf at my deces. I give and bequeth to my daughter ANNA (the next three sentences are gone in the fold of the will) which negros I give to her ________? lawfull ___________? I give and bequeth to my daughter ELIZABETH Hadnot________________? ______________________? that shee has now in her possession and like________? to her my negro man named Cuff which negro man shee___? at her mothers deces which negros I give to her and her lawfull haers forever. I give and bequeth to my daughter RUTH STRANGE my negro gurl named Chrey that she has now in her possession and likewise I give to my said daughter Ruth two hundred akers of _____? nn shee has formerly lived with all things staning? _____________? there own and belonging to said land which land and __________________? to her and her full hairs for ever. _______? daughter Obedience Hadnot_____________________? _? named Charles that shee has now in hur possession I likewisegive to hur and hur lasfull hairs for ever. I give and bequeth to my daughter Mary Williams the negro woman named mull which shee has now in her possession with all hur encres and at hur mothers deces I give to her my said daughter Mary my negro boy named tom which shee is to have at hur mothers deces ___? but not before without hur mothers conscent which negro I give hur and hur lawfull hairs for ever. [end of second page] I give to my grandson SOLOMON WARD that part of [land where]? on my cowpens now is {it}? contains 250 akers which com________? be present (perfect?) with at his grandmothers deces but not before for {it}?______? must be for hur yuse during hur life I give to my grandaughter ELIZABETH WARD daughter to ENOCH WARD my negro garl named Nell which she is to have at the day of hur marrige or at her grandmothers deces that must be as hur grandmother pleses. I likewise leve one hundred ackers of land to be sold and the money to be {given}? to my grandaughter ZELPHY WARD the land being part of that ___________? ___________?given to my daughter RUTH? STRANGE but it lise on the other SIDE _______________? _______? _____________? most line and so to the west ward one __________? _________? SIDE of the creek and out ________________? over the _________? _________? {LI}kwise leve my negro boy named March to be sold at my wifes {deces}? {and}? the money to be equily devided between ZELPHE WARD and SOLOMON WARD my grandchildren. I like wise leve all the female cattle the _____? is not in this will given a way to be equly devided between my three daughters namely MARTHA, ELIZABETH and OBEDANCE and my grand son BENJAMIN WARD. Likewise I leve all my wareing close to my three sons BENJAMIN, ENOCH & SETH excepting my shue and knee buckles my best hat and ________? _____? ____________? which I leve to my grandson EDWARD WARD.___________________________? that my son SETH is to pay to his brothers is not to be payed till after ________? and he has _____________________? and land in possession. ______________________________? and ordain my well beloved son ___________________________TH? WARDS ___________________________? to this my ______________________________? To all ____________________? revock annall and make _____________? other wills and testaments at anytime heartofor by me made and _________? good and _________? this and no other to be my last will and testament in testamoney whare of I the sd. Ed. WARD have hearunto set my hand, fixt my seal this ninth day of November one thousan sevon hunderd and sixty five _________________? sealed and published pronounced and declared by me the said ED WD. WARD ___________? my last will and testament in presane of us the subscribers. ______erson? GILLETT ED W. WARD __________________? _______? DULANY, SR.