Documenting the American South

I Henry R Dusenbery of the County of Davidson and state of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, but considering the uncertainty of life do make and declare this my last will and Testament in manner and form following

1st My will is that all my property remain as it is until the year AD 1855 until my Rail Road contract is finished except such as I shall hereafter name

2d I will and beqeath to my beloved wife Lydia my Mansion House& all its furniture, and all the lands adjoining it in and about the Town of Lexington, also my Burkhart plantation and fifty acres of wood land on the tracts of land adjoining the lands of Charles Yarbrough & others I also give her the following negroes, to wit: Austin & his wife Mary, Jacob & Hagar, Mary Lee, and Pleasant, also four horses her choice of my stock, four cows her choice, two-two horse plows, four shovel plows, my best wagon and hind gear, all my crop & provisions on hand, all my hogs, four pr. of plow gears, & my fore gears [1] to the wagon, during her natural life.

3d I will and beqeath to my daughter Cornelia L Dusenbery the following negroes, to wit: Maria & her child (now an infant) Elvira, George & Robert & Alfred.

4th I will and bequeath to my son William B Dusenbery the following negroes, to wit: Giles, John & Fanny & Robert

5th I will and beqeath to my daughter Mary E Dusenbery the following negroes, to wit: Jane & her child Jenny Lind, Samuel & Robert, and I further will that my said daughter Mary E. be sent to

the Edgeworth School in Greensborough [2] for two years and the expense to be paid out of my estate

6th My will is that all my just debts shall be paid and for that purpose I desire that my Tan Yard & lot containing about four acres with all the buildings & with all its stock of leather and bark, also my House and lot on the Factory row, also fifty acres of land bought from Lookabill estate, my half of the Younts & Byerly mill, a small tract of land adjoining Andrew Darr & Valentine Leonard containing four or five acres, also my small place adjoining Col Owen bot of Saml Shoaf containing five acres be publicly sold by my Executor hereinafter named, & at the termination of the year 1855 I wish all the bal. of my property undevised to be sold by my executor, and the negroes devised to my beloved wife Lydia & my daughters Cornelia & Mary E & my son William to be handed over to them.

7th My will & desire is that after the decease of my beloved wife Lydia the balance of my estate of every description both real & personal shall be equally divided among my seven children share & share alike to wit James L Dusenbery Edwin L Dusenbery Laura A Norcum Henry M. Dusenbery Cornelia L Dusenbery William B Dusenbery & Mary E Dusenbery.

Lastly I constitute & appoint my beloved son James L Dusenbery and James P Stimpson my lawful Executors to all intents and purposes to execute this my last will & testament according to the true intent & meaning of the same & every clause thereof hereby revoking & declaring null & void all the wills by me heretofore made. In wittness whereof I the said Henry R Dusenbery do herewith

set my hand and seal this the thirty first day of July A.D. 1852

Signed and sealed by the
said HR Dusenbery in the pres
ence of us who at his request
do subscribe our names to the
same as his last will and testament H R Dusenbery {seal}
W. R. Holt
Alfred Hargrave

Whereas I Henry R Dusenbery have made my last will and testament bearing date the 31st day of July 1852 as above in which sundry devises and bequests are made I do by this writing, which I do hereby declare to be a codecil to my said will to be taken and construed as a part thereof Will and direct that that part of the said will under the second head which refers to "all my crop stock and provisions on hand" shall be so construed as to include all my present growing crop of corn, potatoes and other vegetables, and in addition to what is bequeathed to my daughter Cornelia L under the third head of the said will, I do will and beqeath to her the said Cornelia L my negro boy Pleasant to be put into her possession at the death of my beloved wife Lydia Dusenbery—

In Testemony whereof I the said Henry R. Dusenbery to herewith set my hand and seal this the 6th day of August A.D. 1852 [3]

Signed and sealed by the
said HR Dusenbery in the presence of
us who at his request do subscribe our
names to the same as a codecil to his last will & testament
H R Dusenbery {seal}
W. R. Holt
Alfred Hargrave