In the name of
God Amen, I Lemuel Hatch, of the county of Craven in the Province
of North Carolina being now is perfect health of body and of sound
mind and memory; thanks be to Almighty God for the same; but calling
to mind the Mortality of my Body, knowing that it is Appointed
unto all men once to Die, I do make and ordain this last Will
and Testament. And first of all, I commit and commend my soul
to the Hands of God who gave it and my Body to be Buried in a
Christian like and decent manner, at the discretion of my Executors
nothing doubting but that I shall receive the Same at the great
Risen Day And as for what Worldly Estate of Lands and Tenements,
Goods and Chattels it hath pleased Almighty God to bless me with
in this life, I lend, Leave, Give and bequeath in manner and for
following.
IMPRIMIS. I lend
unto Mary my beloved wife the use of the Lands and Plantation
whereon I now dwell, lying between Steel's and Reasnover's Runs,
for and during her Widowhood, or until my son Lemuel comes of
Age, or Marrieth, (then it is my desire that my son Lemuel should
have two thirds of said Lands and Plantation) also I lend her
child's part of my moveable Estate and use of all my Moveable
Estate during her widowhood or until my Children shall come of
Age or marry, to bring up, School and Educate my Children; to
keep all my Lands clear of Quitrents and the overplus (of my)
Money to give Bond and Sufficient Security to my Executors hereafter
Named for the use and Benefit of all my Children.
ITEM. I give unto
my Son Lemuel, part of a Tract of Land patent bearing date April
29th 1760 being the residue of 540 Acres out of
which I sold 200 Acres; the said land lying on Allum Branch on
the __Side of Trent River, also a piece of Land Joining the Land
I now live on, (description). The Patent bearing date 6th
May 1760. Also the land I now live on (except a small Part thereof,
given hereafter to my Sons John & Edmund) I also give the
Land I bought of David Ventress (Deed bearing date 16th
March, 1764.) I give him also 50 Acres of my Pocoson Land Patent
being 200 Acres dated May 6th 1760. I give the said
five Pieces of Land to my Son Lemuel his Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. I give to
my son John One Piece of Land Called the Beaver Dam Land containing
300 Acres & Patent bearing date 10th October
1755. Also a piece being part of the Land I now live on. (description)
also 50 Acres Land in the Pocoson Patent__I give the said three
to my son John his Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. I give to
my Son Edmund One piece of Land I bought of James Frazer, I also
give him my Saw Mill & Grist Mill, also 50 Acres of my Pocoson
Land, I give the said five pieces Land & Mills to my son Edmund
his Heirs.
ITEM. I give to
my sons John and Edmund equally to be divided between them, all
my Lands in the great Neck, the Patent bearing date 23rd
May 1757. Edmund to have that half that Joins the Lands I bought
of Jas. Frazer, also that part of the Land I now live on in the
Great Neck Joining the Aforesaid Lands given them, to them their
Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. I give to
my Son Edmund the Liberty of getting Timber for the Mills Use
off of my Land that the Patent bears date 3rd October
1751.
ITEM. I give to
my Son Durnat, a Tract of Land Containing 640 Acres Patent bearing
date 3rd October 1751, also 50 Acres of my Pocoson
Land, also the remainder of the piece of Land given my Son Lemuel
bearing Patent date 6th May 1760. Also a Piece Land
I bought of David Ventriss Patent bearing date 29th
September 1735. Also 60 Acres Land where Joshua Collins Dwelt,
once transferred from Peter Steel and Stephen Glear, I give the
said five pieces Land to my Son Durant His Heirs & Assigns
forever.
ITEM. I give to
my Son Asa one piece of Land in Onslow County on the __Side of
New River which I bought of Eleas Edens, also one lot on Newbern
Conveyed to me from my father-in-law Mr. John Fonville. I give
the said Land and Lott to my Son Asa his Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. I give to
my son Ivy, One Piece of Land Containing 100 Acres granted me
by Patent bearing date 26th Octo. 1767 on Follards
Creek in Onslow, also my other Lott of Land in Newbern Joining
my son Asa's I give the said Tract & Lott to my Son Ivy his
Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. I give to
my son Anthony One Piece Land Containing __Acres which I bought
of Thomas Foy I give the same to my son Anthony his Heirs &
Assigns forever.
ITEM. I give my
two Sons Asa & Ivy to be equally divided between them, 3 Tracts
or Pieces of Land (to wit) the Land I bought of Wm. Reed, Seven
Messick & a Ps. I Patented bearing the date 29th
April 1767, (Containing 200 Acres) Asa to have the upper half
on the River and Ivy the lower half on the Sound. Also a ps.
of Land I bought of David Bass__ to be equally divided between
them. I give the said pieces of Land to my Sons Asa & Ivy
to them their Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. My Will
& Desire is that all the remainder of my Estate be equally
divided between my Seven Sons and Two Daughters Elizabeth &
Mary at their Arrival to Age or day of Marriage to them their
Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. My Will
& Desire further is that if any of my Sons should die before
they Arrive to the Age of 21 years, or have a Lawful Male Heir,
then his or their Lands be equally divided between their Surviving
Brothers, except it be one that hath Land left to be divided between
him and another then I desire his Land may fall to his Coheir
with him in it to be his, his Heirs & Assigns forever.
ITEM. My Will
& desire further is that if any of my Children should die
before they Come of Age or have a Lawful Heir, that then his her
or their part of Negroes or Moveable Estate be Equally divided
between the Surviving Brothers & Sisters to be theirs their
Heirs & Assigns forever & Lastly I do hereby Nominate,
Constitute, Ordain & Appoint My Sons Lemuel & John Executors
of this my last Will & Testament, and do hereby utterly disallow
& make void all other Wills & Testaments, Vouching &
declaring this only to be my last Will & Testament. In Testimony
whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & fixed my Seal this Second
day of April 1774.
Lemuel
Hatch (Seal)
Signed Sealed published
pronounced & declared the said Leml Hatch to be his last Will
& Testament in presence of:
Edm. Hatch
James Watson
Chas. Markland
N.B. I allso Do
apoint Francis Fonvielle an Executor With my two Sons Lemuel and
John as witness my Hand this Seventeenth Day of November 1776
Lemuel
Hatch (Seal)
Witness:
Stokes Norment
Elizabeth Norment
Elizabeth Andress
Edmd. Hatch
James Watson
The annexed Last
Will and Testament of Lemuel Hatch late of Craven County Esquire
Deceased was proved, Before me, by the Oath of Edmund Hatch one
of the Subscribing Witnesses thereto who swore that He saw the
said Deceased sign Seal publish & declare the same to be his
Last Will and Testament, that the Testator to the best of the
Knowledge and belief of the Witness was at the Time of Sound and
Disposing mind & memory And that he also saw James Watson
& Charles Markland sign as concurring witnesses with him.
At the same time Stokes Norment a Witnes to the Codicil to the
said Will also Swore Before me that he saw the aforesaid Lemuel
Hatch sign seal & acknowledge the said Codicil that he was
then of sound mind and that he also saw Elizabeth Fonvielle, Lemuel
Hatch & John Hatch Executors in the said Codicil named Also
appeared, before me, and Qualified as such, of which the Secretary
is to take Notice & issue Letters Accordingly.
Newbern
3rd February 1777
Rd Caswell
Lemuel Hatch,
1720-1777, son of Anthony Hatch and Elizabeth Durant, granddaughter
of early NC Settler George Durant. Member of Provencial Congress
1774-1796. Lt. Colonel, NC Militia. Descendants are eligible
for membership in both Sons of American Revolution and Daughters
of American Revolution. Married Mary Fonvielle. Justice of the
Peace, Farmer and large landowner in Craven County. Information
submitted by Edward L. Davis