The following text is transcribed from the 1777 probate of lawyer Richard Blackledge's will. Blackledge lived in Craven County, and his will helps illustrate what types of property he may have owned. His will also describes different members of his family.
INVENTORY of the Real & Personal Estate of Richard Blackledge Esqr. Deceased taken October 20th 1777 Vizt: 15530 Acres of Land or there About 49 Negroes 320 Head of Cattle or there Abouts ½ Lott No 108 Lott No. 46 Do 36 Do 404 Do 405 Do 406 & Do 236 with Half a Front Lott held with Mr Neale where the Slaughter House Stands Salt Works as they now Stand at the Mouth of Cour Creek being 50 Acres of Land with a Salt Pann Abt 2-3 done 14 by 18 feet Squair about 1700 wt Barr Iron & a Sufficiency of Plates to finish the Pann About 700 wt Lead 8 Kittles fixed for Boyling 3 Yoke of Oxen 2 Carts 1 Set of Smiths Tools 3 Boats 2 Cows & Calves & Sundry Tools Consisting of Axes, Hoes, Spades, Saws &c &C for the use of the Works with some Little furniture for use of the Works People Beds &c abt 20M Bricks to put the Pann up with & Abt. 4 M of Lumber to make Resurvoys &c Half the Brigg Ann with Capt. Stephen Williams now Abt Cadiz or up the Straits & Half her Cargo out of which Stephen Williams has Remitted three Hundred Pounds Sterling ¼ of 5-16 of a Schooner called the Beaufort on a Voyage to the Commanded by Capt. Annible 1-6 of a Brigg now Building at Beaufort by Peter Nowe & Robert Walpoole 3-16 of a Schooner Called the Ellinor now Building at Otter Creek by Mr. Adam Tooley 60 Head of Sheep 250 Head of Hogs or there Abouts Crop on the Grounds 10 Horses 1 Riding Chair & 1 Sulkey One Womens Saddle 1 Silver Mounted Gun 1 P Pistols & a Small Sword 3 Pr Timber Wheels & 2 Screws, 2 Scows belonging to the Mills & 1 Canow, 2 Canows belonging to the Plantation &1 Old Bay Boat 1 Set of Smiths Tooles 1 Set of Gun Mounting a Parcell of Old Iron belonging to Batchelors Creek Mill abt 200 wt 4 Spare Saws & 1 Dozen Files, 3 Pistil Locks 3 Barrs of Run Steele 6 Scythes 2 Cane Knives 2 Old Pistol Barrells, 15 Old Gunns & Gun Ball. 22 Bayonetts, 3 Old Mill saws 2 Sets of Steele Jinn RowlersProbably gin rollers for a cotton gin, a machine that removed the seeds from cotton after it had been picked. Some cotton gins made use of revolving rollers that drew the cotton fibers through and left the seeds behind. 8 Sets of Wooden Ginn Rowlers 1 Ginn 50 wt Nails 1 Pr Hayforks 53 wt Iron Hoops 80 pains of Glass 1 Crucible 4 Jamaca Mill Cranks 41 Iron Mill Rounds abt 250 wt Iron 200 wt Nail Rods abt 550 Sides of Leather in the Tan Yards 1 Copper Distill abt 50 wt Old Brass 1 Small Old Still 1 Old Tea Kittle 3 Pair of Hinges 8 Narrow Axes Pr Wedges 2 Broad Axes 1 Iron Tooth Harrow 5 Grubing Hoes 15 Weeding & Hillin Hoes 1 Dutch Fann 1 Brass Swivill 3 Bitts 2 Pr Styrup Irons 2 Mens Saddles 1 Bryer Hook 7 Cart Boxes 7 Flecke Plows 5 Barr Plows 3 Grind Stones 4 Setts of Plow Geers & 2 Snaffle Bridles 1 New Coopers Axe & 1 Set of Coopers Tools & Some Spair Truss Hoops 2 Brass Cocks 2 Trucks 2 Carts some Old Blocks a Parcel of Brick Moulds abt 400 wt Old Iron Consisting of Axes, Hoes Plows &c the Sweeping of the Smiths Shop Abt 500 wt Old Iron that came out of Mill that was Burnt belonging to Wm Blackledge Pr Worsted Combs 3 Stone Oil Jarrs & Abt 30 Gallons of Oil 7 Pr Cards 6 Woolen Wheeles 2 Linnen Ditto 2 Lumes 3 Pair of Harness 5 Stays 2 Pair of Stulyards & P Scales & Weights 3 Hackels 1 Wire rim Sive 1 Pr Sheep Shears 1 Ginn Case & Abt 6 Doz Qt Bottles 2 Dozen Flat 2 Gallon Ditto & 2 Dozen Round 2 Gallon Do 1 Gallon Pott 1 Qt Pott Funnell & Libra of Books Abt 70 Barrells of Pork 1 Set of Tools for use of the Tan Yards & for Currying
Household Furniture &c Vizt
6 Silver Table Spoons 1 Soop Ditto 12 Tea Do 1 Punch Ladle 1 Set of Caster with four Stands 1 Tea Chest 1 Glass Stand 7 Syllabub Glasses 2 Decanters 10 Wine Glasses 1 Large Tumbler 3 Small ditto 3 Looking Glasses 3 Hash Dishes 1½ Dozen Chinae Plates 3 Chinea Bowls 2 ditto Tea Potts 1 Do Milk Pott 1 Stone Tea Pot 1 Coffee Pott Queens Ware Six Chiney Coffee Cups & Saucers 6 Do Tea Cups & Saucers 1 Queens China Sallet Dish
2½ Dozen Queens Chinea Flatt Plates 2¼ Dozen Do Soop Ditto 4 Large Queens Ware Dishes 4 Small Ditto 1 Stone Dish 1 Queens China Chocolate Pott 10 Large Case Knives & forks 6 Breakfast Knives & forks
1 Queens China Boat 2 Delf Bowls 11 Butter Potts 1 Japaned Sugar Dish 3 Earthen Pans & 14 Tart Molds 2 Chests 2 Trunks 1 Port Mantau Trunk 1 Dining Table 2 Tea Tables 12 Winsor Chairs 1 Couch 1 Candle Stand 1 Pr Hand Bellows 4 Pr Hand Irons 2 Shovels & 1 Pr Tongs 4 Large Pewter Dishes 6 small Ditto 5 Pewter Basons 25 Pewter Plates & Iron Potts 1 Small Iron Kittle 1 Large Brass Kittle 1 Small Ditto 3 Frying Pans 1 Bell Mettle Skillit 1 Iron Do 1 Pr Waffle Irons 5 Pr Pott Hooks 3 Trammells 1 Pr flatt Irons 3 Candle Sticks 2 Pr Snuffers 1 Wire Sive 2 Milk Pans 3 Salts 1 Pewter Tureen & 1 Cullender 1 Close Brush 3 Suits of Curtains & 5 Feather Beds & Furniture 6 Beadsteads & Chords. RICHD BLACKLEDGE, EXR.
Primary Source Citation:
Grimes, J. Bryan. North Carolina Wills and Inventories Copied From Original and Recorded Wills and Inventories in the Office of the Secretary of State. Raleigh: Edwards & Broughton, 1912. Reprinted Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994.