WILL OF ZEBULUN ALEXANDER Mecklenburg County, NC 1784 Will Book A, page 4 ******************************************************************** File contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: J-S Matthews <jelms@tarheel.net> USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Return to the NCGenWeb Archives Table of Contents http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm#NC ******************************************************************* WILL OF ZEBULUN ALEXANDER Mecklenburg County, NC 1784 Will Book A, page 4 In the name of God Amen I Zebulun Alexander of the County of Mecklenburg and State of North Carolina being weak in body but of sound mind and memory thanks be to God therefor calling to mind that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and bequeath my soul to the hands of Almighty God that gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of my Executors and as touching such worldly State wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me in this life I give and dispose of the same in the following manner and form viz... Item I give and bequeath unto Jean Alexander my beloved wife one Negroe wench named Bet over and above the one third part of all my personal state appointed by law. I likewise bequeath unto her the one third part of all my real estate for and during her widowhood it is farther my will and pleasure that she should enjoy the whole of the yearly value of a certain plantation lying in South Carolina called the Gum Swamp for and during her Natural Life. I also give and Bequeath unto her one Brown Mare called Blackbird and her saddle and one bed and bedding. Item: I give and Bequeath unto Phineas Alexander my beloved son one Cross cut saw and also the sum of ten shillings Item I give and Bequeath unto Abel Alexander my Beloved Son one plantation situate lying and being on Sugar Creek commonly called the Indian Land for which I obtained a patten many years ago and also one Brass Kettle. Item I give and bequeath unto Zebulun Alexander my Beloved son the one half of that Plantation on which I now live, one Rifle Gun and mystock Buckle-- Item I give and Bequeath unto Zenos Alexander my beloved son the other half of the said plantation one horse and my saddle Item I give and Bequeath unto Mary Irwin my Beloved Daughter the sum of five shillings Item I give and Bequeath unto Ruth McCree my beloved Daughter the sum of ten shillings Item I give and Bequeath unto Hannah Greere my Beloved Daughter the sum of five shillings Item I give and Bequeath unto Tirzah Alexander my Beloved Daughter one horse and saddle and one bed and bedding Item I give and Bequeath unto Martha Alexander my Beloved Daughter all that plantation called the Gum Swamp lying in South Carolina at and after her mother's death and also one Negro girl child called Hannah but in case that the said Martha should die before she should be capable in law to dispose of her estate or unmarried then my will and pleasure is that the land should belong to her mother in fee simple and that the value of the Negro girl should be equally divided between my two younger Daughters to wit Deborah and Tirzah Alexander. It is farther my will and pleasure that in case either of my two younger sons Zebulun or Zenos should die before the age of twenty one years that the survivor should enjoy his share in fee.It is farther my will that in case either of my two young daughters my first wife to wit Deborah and Tirzah should die before the age of eighteen year or before Marriage that the survivor of them should enjoy her share it is farther my will and pleasure that after my just debts are paid and the above mentioned Legacies discharged that all the remainder of my Estate be equally divided between the said Deborah and TirzahAnd I do hereby constitute and appoint Jane Alexander my beloved wife John McCree my son in law and Hez. Alexander to be my sole Executors of this my last Will and testament and do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disanul all and every other former Wills testaments Legacies and Executors by me named willed or Bequeathed before Ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I the said Zezulun Alexander have hereunto set my hand and seal this third day of March 1784 N. B. the word one unto my first wife to wit Deborah and Tirzah were all interviewed before signing.Signed sealed pronounced and Declared by the said Zebulon Alexander as his last will and testament in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names Abel Alexander Mathew Bryan, Jr. Zebulon Alexander Hez. Alexander ------------------------------------------------ Note: Mrs. McCubbins, whose collection of genealogical materials housed in the headquarters of the Rowan County Library in Salisbury, NC, wrote on page 404 of J.B. Alexander's History of Mecklenburg County 1740 - 1902 (copy in Rowan County, NC Library Edith Clark History Room)"Zebulon Alexander's will made March 3, 1784 (in Mecklenburg Co., NC Book A page 4) wife Jane Sons = Phineas, Abel (land on Sugar Creek called Indian Land which he patented many years ago) Zenos, and Zebulon; daughters = Mary Irwin; Ruth McCree; Hannah Greere, Deborah, Tirza, and Martha Alexander who like their brothers Zebulon and Zenos were under age of 21. Says that Deborah and Tirza = children of his 1st wife Execs. wife Jane, son in law John McCree and Hez. Alexander witnesses Abraham and Hezekiah Alexander and Matthew Bryan. (See front of this book for Zebulon Alexander's daughter Deborah who married Jesse Clark.) J. B. Alexander (see above) wrote that Zebulon was an early immigrant from Pennsylvania. His daughter Mary married Robert Irwin who was a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Zebulon obtained deed for land in Mecklenburg Co. NC 7 Jan, 1767 (300 acres) and 24 Feb. 1767 (unknown quantity)