Last Will and Testament of John Sheffield

In the name of god, Amen. I John Sheffield of the County of Duplin and State of North Carolina, Planter, being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect mind and memory and calling into mind the mortality of the Body the shortness of life and certainty of death, do make and ordain this to be my last Will and Testament, in manner and form follwing, viz Imprimius.

First of all, I recommend my sou into the hands of God who gave it me and my body to the dust to be buried at disrection of my Executors hereafter named. And as for th worldly goods as it hah pleased God to bless me with I dispose of them as followeth.

Item.I give and bequeath to my son Ephriam Sheffield 80 acres of land including the plantation helives on and being part of a tract of 250 acres I bought of Thomas Gray and lying on the third and fourth lines of the patent ot him and his heirs and assigns forever.

Item.I give and bequeath to my son William Sheffield 80 acres of land joining the piece I give Ephriam including part of the North Carolina Pecoson and lying on the fourth and fifth lines of the patent both pieces, that is to say Ephriams and Williams to be laid out with the advice and assistance of my Executors to him and his heirs and assigns forever.

Item.The residue and remainder of my lands together with the plantation I live on I leave to my beloved wife Elizabeth Shuffield during her natural life or widowhood and after her decease or future marriage my will is that the same that is the whole remainder of my lands to be sold and the money arrising from such sale to be equally divided between my sons Wright Sheffield, Isham Sheffield, Bryan Sheffield, West Sheffield, Arthur Sheffield and my wife's son William Graddy, share and share alike.

Item.My future will and desire is that my young sorrell mare be sold at 6 months credit and the money arrising from such sale to be divided equally between my daughters, Nancy Screws, Louisa, Polly, Catherine Sheffield and Tabith Sheffield share and share alike, the shares of the younger ones to be kept at interest at the descretion of my Executors until they come of age or marry.

The residue and remainder of my personal estate consisting of stock of every kind, household kitchen and plantation tools of every kind I leave to my said beloved wife Elizabeth during her natural life or widowhood and she raising and schooling my younger children on the sam eand after her decease the same to be sold and the money divided between my sons Wright, Isham, Bryan, West, Arthur, my wife's son, William Graddy and my daughters Nancy, Louisa, Polly, Catherine and Tabitha, but in case of my wife's marriage, my will is that the sale and division immediately commence she having a child part and in that case my executors to take care of the younger children part in this minority.

Lastly, I hereby constitute and appoint my trusty friend Francis Oliver and Levin Wilkins to execute this last Will and Testmanet hereby revoking and disannulling all former wills declaring this to be my last Will and Testament.

In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

John. X Shuffield

Signed, sealed and witnessed, published and declared by the said John Shuffield as his last Will and Testament this 22nd day of November 1790 in presence of Francis Oliver, Levin Watkins and William Harris.

WEST SHEFFIELD is first found in Northampton County , NC ,

Duplin County NC (This is the document that is supposed to give the descendants of John Sheffield of Duplin the right to be DAR as a Patriot.)

3 Feb 1779

Petition of sundry of the FreeHolders & Freemen, Inhabitants of the County of Duplin , (wording indicates this is petition for formation of a new county). Among the signers of this document are included: West Shuffield , John Sheffield (by mark X), Isa Sheffield. [NC Legislative Papers, 1729-1935, Box 23 , " To be put in the House of Commons Feb 1779, Unidentified documents & undated documents. " abstracted in Journal of NC Genealogy, vol. 12, (1966), p. 1781.]

Showing the transfer of his father's land:

This Indenture made the 8th day of February 1777 Between West Shuffield of Northampton County ..... and William Mann of the same....know ye that I West Shuffield .... for sixty-Five pounds Virginia ,....paid by William Mann, Junr. have ...granted....unto the said William Mann Junr....one certain plantation and Tract of Land....on the East Side of Potacasey Creek beginning at the Live Oak Standing in the creek John Finney's Corner Tree thence along his line N. 10 E. 180 pole to a Stump... to....Patty's Delight Swamp... Contain 130 Acres.

Signed:

West Shuffield

Susanna Shuffield

Witness: Joseph Lassiter, Richd. (X) Mann, Jas. Odum.

West Sheffield served as a private from Wayne County Georgia , for which service he was granted bounty land -- he was born in North Carolina and died in Wayne County, GA.

West is then found in S. C. 1790 Cenus of Beaufort SC under the name of West Shefell . He is listed in the 1820 and 1830 Federal census of Wayne Co. GA.

After the death of Susannah, West married Elizabeth Randall and had two children by her. West and Susannah were the parents of at least eight children.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF WEST SHEFFIELD

STATE OF GEORGIA

COUNTY OF WAYNE

In the name of Almighty God, Amen. Know all men by these presents that I West Sheffield, of the County and State aforesaid, planter being in full and perfect enjoyment of all my natural facilities and of good divising memory and knowing that it is appointed by Him in whose holy name and presents this instrument is made that all me should die and confidence in the redeeming merits of our Saviour in Heaven for a happier and immortal oxistence thereafter, have thought it proper to make, ordain and declare this as my last Will and Testament, in the name and form following, to-wit:

First i submit my body to the earth whence it came to be decently interred by my Executors or survivors and my soul to God who gave it in the certain hope of a happy resurrection on the last day when the secrets ofall hearts shall be disclosed. Secondly and as it has pleased God to bless me with a portion of worldly Estate both real and personal, it is my will that it be distributed in manner following, namely to my beloved wife, Martha Sheffied I give and bequeath forever the following negro slaves now in my possession, viz., Dorcar, Mila, Lewis, Summerset and Julian, together with all the future increase of issue of the females be at her entire disposal and it is my will that she shall have my Riding Chair during her natural life and to be at her own disposal. It is also my will that my beloved wife if it is her wish and desire to remain and live and have the use of the House and houses that I now live in and the use of somuch of the Plantation as my Executors may deem sufficient for her support during her natural life and after her death to be equally divided the land and improvements among my Children, but if my beloved wife after my death does not wish to remain on or live in the house or on the land where I now live, then as soon as she leaves it is my will that the land and improvements shall revert to my Estate to be equally divided amaong my heirs but it is also my will and I do hereby expressly ordain that the bequests of the above named negroes and land the uses of my house and plantation shall be totally null and void if my said beloved wife shall propose and choose her dower in my real estate, its not being my intention that she shall take the property above named and her dower also and should she select her dower, her selection to be made within a reasonable time after my deceased. Then the property herein before named, bequeathed to her shall return into the bulk of my estate and subject to distribution as herein after directed all of my estate real and personal property, goods, lands, negros, stock, furniture or be of whatsoever kind, species or name, I give, devise and bequeath forever to the following persons, viz, to Sidney Beck to Sherrod Sheffield, Bryant Sheffield, Pliney Sheffield, John Sheffield, Floey Aikins, Catherine Grantham, and to the daughter of Aaron Sheffield equally share and share alike.

In the following manner to-wit: The whole to be distributed into 6 qual parts whereof each of my above named sons shall take one part cash, my daughters Sidney Beck, Glocy Aikins, Catherine Grantham, and the daughter of my son Aaron Sheffield, one part each. I do hereby appoint my sons Sherrod Sheffield, Ploney Sheffied and John Sheffield my Executors of this my Last Will amd Testament and I do hereby empower upon them solomnly to execute and fulfill this my Last Will and Testament according to the true intent and meaning thereof without any equivocation, reserving or evasion in them whatsoever and lastly I do hereby revoke and make void any of no effect all and evey will and parts of Wills or codicils by me heretofore made or done and I do now hereby declare it to be my last Will and Testament.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the 3rd day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty.

WEST SHEFFIELD (seal)

Signed, sealed and acknowledged in the presence of Benjamin Ratcliff, Charles F. Fitchett, I. A. McClelland, James M. Ratcliff

Recorded this first day of November 1830 Robert Howe Clerk