Friend of Friends Friday - Will of John Barker, Sr., Iredell Co., NC, 1808

When John Barker, Sr., wrote his will in 1808, he bequeathed a number of slaves to his children; however, he set one woman, Hannah, free. A transcription of his will and a digital image of the document is given below. The references to slaves are shown in red text.

“In the name of God, Amen:

I John Barker, Sen^r. 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. 3^d 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 2^d day of April 1808.

Signed, sealed & delivered

in the presence of us

Attest

Daniel Parham          }                                   Jn^o Barker {seal}

Tho^s 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).]

© 2013 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research