Fourth Generation Inclusive

I, Nathan Lamb of the County of Randolph & State of North Carolina being of sound mind & memory but considering the uncertainty of my earthly existence do make & declare these my last Will & Testament in manner and form following. That is to say first that my executor shall provide for my body a decent burial suitable to the wishes of my relations & friends & pay all funeral expenses together with my just debts howsoever & to whomsoever owing out of the money that may first come into his hands as part or parcel of my estate.

Item, I give & devise to my beloved wife Mary Lamb all the tract of land & plantation whereon I now live including my mansion house & all outhouses & other improvements whatsoever to her the said Mary Lamb to have & to hold for & during her natural life or widowhood in lieu of her dower & thirds of my real estate.

Item, I give and devise to my grandson Nathan Wall all this tract of land whereon I now live except the life estate of my wife derived in a former item on this my will & except the maintenance of my old Servant mentioned in another item to have & to hold to him & his heirs in fee simple forever.

Item, I give & devise to my daughter Mary Morgan, wife of William Morgan, all that tract of land whereon Elizabeth Stanton now lives known by the name of the Morgan Place to have & to hold to her & her heirs in fee Simple forever.

Item, I give & bequeath to my Said beloved wife Mary Lamb all the household & kitchen furniture all the horses & cattle & hogs & all the farming tools & all my other property on this plantation, all the crops of every discription that may be on the plantation whereon I now live & all the provisions on hand at my death for & during her natural life or widowhood except what may be necessary to pay all funeral expenses together with my just debts to be Selected & Sold by my executor for that purpose provided there Should not be money Sufficient on hand.

Item, My will & desire is that all the Crop Stock & provisions on hand at the death of my wife all the improvements of husbandry & all other personal property belonging to the estate Should be Sold & the money arriving from such Sale Should be equally divided among my children, except Mary Morgan, Share & Share alike to them & their personal representatives forever.

Item, My will is also that Luce, a free woman of Colour formerly in my Service Shall have a comfortable maintenance from my home plantation during her natural life or whenever She may chose to live thereon.

And lastly, I do hereby constitute & appoint my Son in Law William Chamness my lawful executor to all intents & purposes to execute the my last will & testament according to the true intent and meaning thereof, hereby revoking & declaring utterly void all other wills & testaments by me hereuntofore made. In witness whereof the Said Nathan Lamb do hereunto set my hand & seal this 4^th day of May AD 1839.  Nathan X Lamb. Witnesses Daniel Swain, Anna Swain.     

Probated February term, 1845.  Randolph County Courthouse.