John COTTEN

                   JOHN COTTON'S WILL. In the name of God Amen. I, John Cotten, of Bartie Precinct, in North Carolina, Gent., being sick in body but of perfect Sence & Sound memory, blessed by God, doe mak and ordaine this to be my last will and Testament, in manner and forme folowing, Viz: first,Item. I gaive to my son John Cotten, three hundred and twenty acors of land, be it more or less, whar he now lives, on the west sid of Ahorskey Marsh, to him and his heairs for ever.Item. I give to my son William Cotten one hundred and fifty acors land be it more or less, lying in the oserow (?) Meadows whar he now lives, beginning at a marked hickory at my uppermost line, so runing down a line of marked trees to the lower most line, to him and his heairs for ever.Item. I give to my son Samell Cotten, a Neack of land whar he now lives, be the saime mor or less, and parte of a survay that I bought of Charles Stevenson, being a hund. acors mor or less to him and his heairs for ever.Item. I give to my son Thos. Cotten, all the remainder of my land bought of Charles Stevenson, it is northerdly of William Cotten and containes three hund and forty acors beinga neck called the Green pond neck to him and his heairs for ever.Item. I give to my sons Arthur Cotten and James Cotten my lowermost survay land on fishing creek to eaqualey devided betwixt ym, to them and their heairs for ever.Item. I give to my son Joseph Cotten, to hundred acors land and to be taken oute of my uper survay on fishing creek, to him and his heairs for ever.Item. I give to my son Alexandr Cotten, one hundred acors land out of my uper survay of fishing creek to him and his heairs for ever and the other three hundred acors to be equaley devided be twen my sons John Cotten, William Cotten, and Samll. Cotten, to them and their heirs for ever.Item. I give to my son Arthur Cotten, one Neagerow man naimed Meingo, butt except the labour and sarvice of the sd. Neagerow to be preformed and don for my loveing wife Martha Cotten deuring her widowhood, and my sd son Arthur Cotten to be and goe for himself when he shall arrive at the age of 18 years.Item. I give to my son James Cotten, one Neagerow boye naimed Peter to him and his heairs for ever and that my son James Cotten may goe and for himself when he shall arrive att the age of eighteen years.Item. I give to my son Thos. Cotten one Neagroe gerlle naimed Rose to him and his heairs for ever but except the labour and sarverce of the sd Neagrow geirll to be for and with my loving wife Martha Cotten deuring her widowhood, and that my son Thos. Cotten be free and goe for him self when the sd Thos. arrive at the age of eighteen years.Item. I give to my son Joseph Cotten one Neagerow boy naimed Toney to him and his heairs for ever.Item. I give unto my daughter Presseler Cotten on Neagerow woman named Mooll to her and her heairs for ever, butt except the youse and labour of the sd Neagrerow to be for my loving wife Martha Cotten dewering her widowhood. Item. I give to my son Alexander Cotten one Neagerow man named Guge, butt except the sd Neagerows labour and survice to be for my loveing wife Martha Cotten during hur widowhood.Item. I give to my son William Cotten one new feather bead and a woosted sett ruge and one large fine blanket and a sheate, to pewter bassons, and to pewter dishes, three cows and calves, to yearlings, and one three year ould heifer, and eight soues with their in creese, and one baye Gelding horse, and one large barow or spayed sow, and a pateran of fine druged for a sute of close, coate, bretches and jacket and triming answreable and fifty bushalls of oyster shells. And all that parsell of plank that wase sawed for the meill work to euqualie devided betwene my sd son William Cotten and my son Samll. Cotten.Item. I give to my son Samll. Cotten, a p'terne of fine druged to make him a sute of close and trimings answrable which cloth and triming is to be answare and euqualey devided betwix my sons William and Samll. Cotten.Item. To my son Samll. Cotten, I give one feather bead known by the naime of the Trundle bead and a blew wos
tde sett rugg and one blanket and sheate and one square fraimed warnut table, and three cows and calves, and an in broke hors of to years ould, to puter bassons, and to puter dishes, and fifty bushells of oyster shells and to each of my sons Samll. and Wm Cotten, a large steare, to purches ym nails to buld them a howse, each &.Item. I give to my son Alexander Cotten, eight sowes with their increase and three cows, one heifer yearling, and one to year ould steare and one three year ould steare.Item. I give to my son John Cotten all the stock of both hoggs and catte that is now in his persession of my marke and fifty bushalls of oyster shells.Item. I give to my daughter Susannah Cotten, the feather bead whar on she lyes with all its furniture.Item. I give to my son Thos. Cotten, one sute of new courteins of a blew couller, one large fine bead tick, one wosted sett rugg, and one large fine blankett.I give and bequeath to my loveing wife Martha Cotten, my bead whar on I lye with all its furniture, courtens, rugg, blankets, sheates, pelowes, and one large new fine blanket and quelt, besides and bead stead corde and matt. and,Item I give to my son Alexander Cotten as much dewroys which is now by me as will make him a suite of clothes.Item. I give to my sons Alexander and Samll. Cotten as much striped holan, as will make each of ym a jeacket and bretches and trimeing to it.And I give and bequeath to my loveing wife my riding horse, calling his name Blaise, and a sid sadle.Item. I give to my son in law, John Tomas, one puter dish.Item. I give to my son in law, Capt. John Spears, one puter dish.Item. I give to my daughter Mary Holand, one puter dish,and the use of the above neagreroes is left to my sd wife for hur own and my sd fower youngest childrens maintaneance during her widowhood.Item. I give to my son Joseph Cotten, three wethers and a ramm, to yewes and a lam.Item. I give to my daughter, Martha Benton, late widow of Frances Benton, decesed, three ewes with their increase.Item. I give to my sons Wm and Samll. Cotten, 20 pounds of feathers to be equaly devided inlargen their beads.My will is furder that my mill stones, spindle, jaks, and peecks to be sold for silver money and that to be equaley devided betweixt my fower small children, Arthur, Pesseller, James, and Thos. Cotten and all the remd of my estate both within and with oute dores I leave to my and fower small children above named to be equaley devided.Item. I give to my daughter, Susanah, as much fine silk stufe as will mak hur a sute of clothesand my will is that my mair that runes in Tormenteing nack, the first coult she brings may be for my son, Arthur Cotten, and if the sd mair lives to bring aney more coultes may be for my son, James and Thos. Cotten and,Lastly, I doe apoint my loveing wife to be exetrs. of this my last will and testment,butt nomonate and appoint my loveing friend, Thos. Bryant, and Wm Benet to be over Sears, and have power, in case my wife should again marey and hur covetor prove unhappy to hur and my fower small children, to remove and secure them and their estate att their desc.In witness war of asigne this to be my Last will and testement. John Cotten. (Seal)Test. Thos. Bryant, Jurat; Thomas Strange; hur marke, Marey M Parkers. Jurat. Bertie Sc May Court 1728, The above will was exhibited by Martha Cotten, Widow and sole executrix of John Cotten, deced. and was proved by the Oaths of Capt. Thomas Bryant, and Mary Parker, in open court in due form of law, who were evidences thereto. And then the sd. Martha took the Exrs: oath in Open Court. Test. Rt. Forster, Cler, Cur. Office of the sec. of state.--Grimes. also S.S. archives of NC


Note: I see no mention of JOHN, the eldest son, Patience's widower John Speir, Anne Thomas, Mary Holland or JOSEPH in the following divisions in the Bertie Court records. Had they received their shares previously?
May 12, 1728 JOHN COTTEN Division of estate among (1) William Cotten, (2) Samuel Cotten, (3) Elexander Cotten, (4) John Cotten as gdn. of Susanah Cotten, (5) the widow Martha Benton with the residue undivided for the four small children. Record signed by Simon Jeffreys, John Dew, James Moor and R. Brasswell.Nov. 25, 1731 JOHN COTTEN Division of estate at the home of Martha Green by James Moor, Titus Moor, John Jones, Senr. and Samuel Williams (1) A Negro was put in the hands of Thomas Bryant and William Bennet for the use of Priscilla Cotten. (2) Clothing was allotted to Thomas Cotten. (3) A Negro was allotted to Martha Cotten. (4) A Negro was allotted to James Cotten. (5) A Negro was allotted to Thomas Cotten. Millstones, etc. were divided among the four small children (6) Arthur Cotten, Priscilla Cotten, James Cotten, and Thomas Cotten. Of the residue of the estate, one-fifth was allotted to Martha Green and the other four-fifths divided among the four children.
Tuesday 9th of May 1732 At a court held at the Court House on Timber Branch . . . And Thomas Jones Attny for Wm. Green that intermarryed with Marth Cotten Relict Widow of the sd. John Cotten Prays an appeal from the above Judgement. [follows]June 5, 1732 JOHN COTTEN Completion of division of estate at the home of Mrs Martha Green,. The farm animals were put into the hands of Capt Thos Bryant and William Bennet for the use of the four small children. Signed by James Moor, Saml. Williams and Jno. Jones. Gammon, Records of Estates Bertie Co, NC Vol11728-1744

Va Historical Mag 35-273: 1 Nov, 1729-On reading at this Board the petition of Samll. Pugh Gent & late Sherrif of Seventeen Shillings Current Money and four Hundred fourty five pounds of Tobacco or the current price thereof out of his Majesties Revenue of two Shillings p Hogshead it being for one half of the costs and Charges expended by the petitioner in Defending a Suit brought against him for Seizing Six Hogsheads of Tobacco on one John Cotton deceased pursuant to an Act of Assembly the one halfe of the said Seizure having long since paid by the petitioner to his Majestys use. Ex'd p Wil Roberson Cls Con.