NC Archives, Onslow Co. Wills
Will of Rigdon Pitts, executed 08 Sep 1825, proved November Term 1825
In the name of God Amen. I Rigdon Pitts of the County of Onslow and State of North Carolina considering the uncertainty of human life do therefore while in a firm state of mind & sound recollection make and order this instrument to be my will and testamint ---
Imprimus It is my wish and desire that my Just debts be paid and satisfied by my Executors.
Item I give and bequeath to my oldest Son [Andy / Hardy?] Pitts Negros Lot & Bobson or purchased from the estate of John [Hoy / Hogan?] heirs & assigns
Item I devise to my grandson [Ruben?] Pitts son of [Hardy?] my goose pond lands upon the following terms to his entire use and behoof during his natural life & after to such lawful issue as he may have living & if none and at his demise [a number of illegible words] Hardy Pitts heirs & assigns. [Balance impossible to read.]
Item I devise to my youngest Son [Richard?] Pitts the following lands in the County and State aforesaid upon the following terms that is to say to his intire use & behoof only during the term of his natural life & after to such issue as he may have living and [______] part of my land and tenements on Pitts Creek within these lines or boundaries from near the mouth of Pitts creek on to a ditch I cut in front of my dwelling [onwards?] the whole course of said ditch to the River [word crossed out] including the marsh lands thereto adjoining thence to the begining including the building thereon but in default of any such issue at the time specified at his demise to [decend?] to my four daughters Rhoda, Phebe, [Bonita?] & Elizabeth as Joint tenants heirs & assigns forever
Item The residue of my lands on [Pitts?] Creek [also?] Ash Creek I devise upon the following terms to my grandson Rigdon Pitts Hewit [Say?] unto him during life and to such legal issue as he may have at his demise, but in default of any such living at his demise to [decend?] to the surviving children of my daughter Nancy Hewit heirs & assigns ---
Item I give and devise to my daughter Nancy Hewit negroes Hannah and Rosa and their increase her heirs & assigns ---
Item The residue of my Negro [slaves?] I devise to my four Daughters to be set from equal divisions so that they share exactly alike said Daughters names are Rhoda Phebe Bonita & Elizabeth and their heirs & assigns And further to said daughters that they or my Executors four of my beds & furniture & that they fairly ballot for the same as that they [_____] heirs & assigns.
Item Residue of my Estate real & personal not already devised to be sold by my representative on a credit of Six months - procedes of sale cash-in-hand book debts after the liquidation of such Just claims as may stand against me [compard?] to desend & be equally divided between my four daughters Rhoda, Phebe, Benita and Elizabeth heirs & assigns.
Finally I constitute my friends William P. Ferrand, Hardy Pitts & Abram Mitchell executors of this will revoking and renouncing all others --- In testimony I the said Rigdon Pitts have in this instrument set my hand and affixed this to my seal the eighth day of September One thousand eight hundred twenty five.
Rigdon [+] Pitts
Teste: [Elen Burnap?]
Rhoda Newbold
Ro DicksonProved November Term 1825. Abram Mitchell and Hardy Pitts qualified.