“In the name of God, Amen:
I John Barker, Senr. of the
State of North Carolina Iredell County, being weak of Body but of sound &
perfect mind & Memory, thanks be to God for the same, calling to mind the
mortality of body know that is appointed for all men once to die hoping that
the Great General resurrection to be raised to life Eternal, through the [?}
& mediation o four blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ & do hereby
make & ordain this my last will & Testament. First of all I do
recommend my Soul into the hands of ^Almighty God that gave it me
and my Body to Earth, to be decently buried after a Christian manner at the
discretion of my Executors herein after mentioned, and as touching my worldly
Estate it hath been pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give &
dismiss and dispose of the same in the folloowing manner & form.
First I give & bequeath to my Son
Burale Barker, all that I have procest him with & five Shillings beside[?]
extraordinary. Second I give to my Daughter Susannah Cheetham one Negro Woman ^named
Jude with all her increase to her & her heirs forever. To my Daughter Mary
white all that I have procest her with & 5/. besides. 3d to my
Daughter Elizabeth Foot I give two Negroes, a Negro Woman by the name of
Fortune & Phib, to her & her heirs forever. Fourth, to my Son Howell
Barker I give three by name of Jack, Easther & Ben, to him & his his
[sic] forever. Fifth, one Negro woman by the name of Hannah, I set her, at
liberty, only ^left in the care of my Son Henchea.
Sixth, I give to my son Henchea, whom I
appoint & constitute to my Sole Executor, Administrator, of this my last
Will & Testatment or Estate. Seventh, four Negroes by the name of George,
Rodger, Tobe & Raciel, & the two Wommens increase. These I give to my
Son Henchea Barker, to him & his heirs forever, & I also give my son
Henchea Barker all my goods & chattles & household furniture as also my
Stock of all kinds as Horses, Cattle, Hoggs & Sheep & to him & his
heirs forever, & I hereby disallow & revoke all other form or forms,
Will or Wills, Testament or Testaments by me made, declared this & no other
to be my last Will and Testament or Testamentory. Whereof I have hereunto set
my hand this 2d day of April 1808.
Signed, sealed & delivered
in the presence of us
Attest
Daniel Parham } Jno
Barker {seal}
Thos Millsaps, jurat }
John Griffith, jurat }”
[Source: Iredell County, North
Carolina, Wills, 1:42, John Barker, Sr.; digital image, FamilySearch.org,
"North Carolina, Probate Records, 1735-1970, Iredell, Wills, 1790-1819,
Vol. 01," (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1867501 : accessed 30 June 2013).]
