LENOIR COUNTY, NC – Will – William Croom, 1828.
From original at the NC Archives, Raleigh, NC.
Will of William Croom – June 2, 1828
Lenior County, North Carolina
In the name of God, Amen, I, William Croom of Newington, Lenoir County,
North Carolina, at the home of George Whitfield on my way to Florida, do
on this 2nd day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and twenty eight, make and declare this instrument of writing,
written on one sheet of paper, to be my last Will and Testament, in
manner and form following, viz.
1st. I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth Croom for and during the term
of her natural life my Newington plantation and lands adjoining called
the Red Hill plantation, containing in the whole about twelve hundred
acres, with all the stock of horses, hogs, sheep and cattle on the
plantation, also all the household and kitchen furniture, plantation
tools &c. with a request that she will give to each of the children,
that is Richard, Nancy, Eliza and Alexander, on their coming of age or
being married, two beds and furniture, and one bed and furniture to
Bryan. I also give her all the negroes I received from her fathers
estate and from him in consequence of my marriage with her. I also give
her Cinda and Daphne in lieu of John that I sent to Florida, to her, her
heirs & assigns forever.
2nd. I give to my son Hardy B. Croom my Falling Creek plantation and
all my lands adjoining, called Friendship Hall. Also all the negroes,
and stock of every description, which I put in his possession, also
negro man Sambo, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
3rd. I give to my son Bryan Croom in Florida, all the negroes I have
then in his possession, also Jacob and John, in the possession of Joshua
St. Byrd, and all my right of lands in Florida. Also two thousand
dollars to be paid him out of the sales of my estate to aid him in
purchasing more lands in Florida, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
4th. I give to my son Richard Croom all my lands below the Atkin
branch, beginning at the mouth of the said branch where it enters the
river, thence up the run of said branch to the main road leading from
Kinston to Coxes Ferry, to John Washingtons line, thence up the branch
with his line to his corner, thence with his line to Coles branch,
thence with another of said Washingtons to his corner in Shade Loftins
line, then with Loftins line east to the Flat branch back of the
Pleasant Potts place, then up that branch to the main road at the turn
where negro Fife lived, and from thence a direct line to the first
corner of a fifty acre patent granted to John Hartsfield, now John
William’s, and with the line of said patent to the river at the upper
end of Jess Jacksons sein beach, thence up the river to the beginning at
the mouth of the Atkin, which boundary is intended to include the
William White land, the Frank Shine, Shine Caswell, Joe Williams and
Pleasant Potts lands, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
5th. I give to my son William Croom my Tower Hill plantation, beginning
at Neuse River, at a gum at Jackson’s sein beach where his brother
Richards line ends, and running out with said line to the main road at
the tower, thence with Richards line again down the Flat branch to Shade
Loftins corner, then down the said branch to Dunns line, then with Dunns
line to his corner a lightwood knot near Griffins corner, a red oak, and
from thence to the main road at a place where the pasture fence now
stands, then with the fence easterly so as to strike the river at
Smith’s point, then up the river to the beginning, to him, his heirs
and assigns forever.
6th. I give to my two daughters Anne and Eliza Croom all my lands below
Tower Hill lands, given to William, including the Collier, McIlwean
place where Wingate now lives and the Stonington lands where David Evans
lives to be equally divided by three competent commissioners chosen by
my Executors for that purpose, to them, their heirs and assigns forever.
7th. I give to my son George Alexander Croom all the lands loaned to
his mother called the Newington lands, and Red Hill, with a request to
his mother that she will give him her right in that part of the said
land given her by her father in order to make his share equal with the
other children. I also give him two negroes Spencer and his wife Amy as
a consideration to him for his mothers dower on his lands, they being a
gift independent of the division of negroes among my children mentioned
below, to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
8th. All my negroes not given away in this will I leave to be equally
divided among my five younger children, viz. Richard, Anne, William,
Eliza and George Alexander, by families as near as can be, Sam Atkins
and his wife and children to be included in Richard’s lot, Jack Smith,
wife and children in Williams, Quayle, wife and children in Alexanders,
to them, their heirs and assigns forever.
9th. I leave all my lands between Atkins branch, the River, Kinston,
and the main road to be sold on a credit of one, two, or three years, at
public or private sale at the discretion of my Executors. I leave also
the residue of my estate to be sold on a credit of twelve months, lands
rented and negroes hired, except, Richards lot of land and negroes, the
possession of which, together with the Atkin mill, I wish him to have at
my death, and the money arising from the sale of the lands, stock,
produce, rent, and hire of negroes to be applied to the settlement of my
estate, paying my son Bryan Croom two thousand or twenty five hundred or
three thousand dollars if there be sufficient surplus.
10th. and lastly, I hereby nominate and appoint my friend Charles
Westbrook, my wifes brother Nathan B. Whitfield and my son Hardy B.
Croom Executors to this my last Will and Testament, and I hereby
nominate and appoint Charles Westbrook as guardian to my son William or
at least to take care of his property until he comes of age.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the
date as above, being the second day of June in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and twenty eight. Signed, sealed, and declared by
the Testator to be and contain his last Will and Testament in presence
of us witnesses…
Wm. Croom (Seal)
Abraham E. Hardee
George Whitfield
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, LENOIR COUNTY
COURT OF PLEAS AND QUARTER SESSIONS. JULY TERM 1829
Then was the foregoing last Will and Testament of General William Croom
deceased duly exhibited in to court, and proved by the oath of Abram E.
Hardy and George Whitfield the two subscribing witnesses thereunto and
ordered to be registered. At the same time Hardy B. Croom and Charles
Westbrook, two of the Executors therein named appeared in open Court and
was duly qualified as such. Therefore ordered that letters testamentary
issue accordingly.
D. C. Caswell C. C. C.
Registered in the Clerks Office of Lenoir Cou8nty the 10th day of August
1829.
D. C. Caswell C. C. C.
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
I, Lewis C. Desmond, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
for the County of Lenoir, do certify the foregoing to be a true copy of
the last Will and Testament of Gen. William Croom decd. as the same is
of record.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand &c at Kinston is said
county the 20th day of March 1833.
Lewis C. Desmond, Clk.
Last Will & Testament of Genl. Wm. Croom decd.
Copy for Richd. Croom Esqr.
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