After reading through the brilliant genealogy work of Pam F. Bennett at Ancestry.com on our shared Mills line, I am very interested in the Wallace family, who she suspects is the family of which Keziah, wife of Nasby MILLS of Pitt County, belongs.
She suspects that William Wallace, who died in Martin County circa 1775, might have been Keziah’s father.
I know there are abstracts out there for William Wallace’s will, but I like transcribing full wills because sometimes things get left out of abstracts and sometimes the items bequeathed reveal a lot about the relationships of the devisees named.
That said, below is William Wallace’s will, for anyone who is interested.
North Carolina Martin County
In the name of God, Amen.
I William Wallace of the County afsd Being aged and sickly and calling to mind the Mortality of Human Nature knowing that It Is appointed for all Men Once to Die have Made and Ordained this My Last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former Wills By Me and first of all I Commit My Soul Into the hands of Almighty God .. Who Gave it and My Body at my Decease to be Entered in a Decent Christian Burial at the Discretion of my Executors and Touching Touch Worldly Goods as it hath please God to ___ me with I Give and Dispose of In form and Manner following being in perfect mind and memory thanks be to God therefore
Item I give and Bequeath unto my Loving Wife Martha Wallace the sum of Ten pounds proclamation Moneyto her and her use in life(?) I also Lend to her my said Wife one Negroe woman Called June During her Life or Widowhood And after her Dearth or Marriage to be the property of My Son William, his and his Increase also I lend to my Wife My Dwelling house and plantation during her Natural Life or Widowhood Yet so that she have no power to Turn off my son William, during his Life or Widowhood I also Lend to my Wife Wife the One half of all My Stock to wit, Horses, cattle and hogs During her Natural Life or Widowhood Yet so that to Not barter or sell the same, More than her ___ Need Require…
Item I give and bequeath to my son William Wallace my Dwelling plantation with all my Lands so that he controul? Not My Wife on My Dwelling plantation During her Life Widowhood, I also give to my Son William a Negro Man called Jacob and One Negroe Girl called Chain? and one Negroe Boy called Sharpes and one Negroe Girl Called Anne and One Negroe Garl called Exc? and one Negroe Garl called Batillo I also give to my Son William after the Dearth of my Wife, all and singular those articles Lent to my Wife above mentioned also I give to my son William one bed and furniture and all my Working Tools and two Guns
Item I give to my Daughter Keziah One Negroe Boy called Jerry
Item I give to my Daughter Dinah one Negroe Boy called James and one Negroe Garl called Sarah
Item I give to my Daughter Quotina One Negroe Boy called Harvey
Item I give to my Daughter Agness One Negroe Boy called Boston
Item I give to my Daughter Abba one Negroe Girl called Betty
Now My Will and Desire So that if my Son William Wallace should Die Without Lawful Heirs that then the full Estate I have given him be and remain the right and property of William Wallace Manning Son of Quotina Manning….
And I do herby Nominate and appoint my son William and my wife Martha Executors of this my Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have set my hand and effixed my seal the Day and Date above written.
William Wallas
Signed sealed and delivered }
In the presence of Us — }James Rawlin
William Lewelling
David Taylor
William Bowers
Just one more piece of evidence that offers validity in the theory that Keziah Wallace Mills was William Wallace of Martin Co’s daughter. Her sister, Anges Naomi Wallace married Edmund Andrews who served in the Am Rev and in 1775, he was appointed to the Committee of Safety for Pitt County which puts her sister and family in close proximity to the family of Nasby Mills Sr and wife Keziah. Another interesting fact, the family of Edmund Andrews has published in their application for Sons of American Revolution that Anges was born in 1737, which adds validity to the fact that I have Keziah as being born sometime around 1735ish, earlier than some other estimates of her birth date.
That’s all very helpful, Pam! Thank you for sharing that. 🙂 BTW… I am starting to think some of the Nasby Mills descendants currently listed for Nasby & Keziah are actually children of Nasby Mills, son of Anthony Mills, who married Sarah Wilson. They had a bunch of children and yet no one ever lists any of their Mills as children of that couple. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/3354391/person/290053193679/facts Do you know anything about this? For instance, I used to think that the father of Ann Marina (or Ann Marie) Mills was one of Nasby and Keziah’s children, but now I’m thinking that’s not the case. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/3354391/person/7011963134/facts