The Will of Henry Ledbetter

WILL OF HENRY LEDBETTER 1769 - 1852

& Inscription on Henry Ledbetter's box tomb in East View Cemetery in Wadesboro (Anson County, NC)

Transcribed by Alice Andes, Randy Duncan, Ruth Duncan

Transcribed from a photocopy of the original by Ruth Duncan of Tujunga, CA 

Posted September 5, 2010 by Myrtle Bridges 

Note: On 5 Feb 1846, Henry Ledbetter deeded the slaves Cornelius, Mint, and Caroline and her children to Edmund DeBerry 

to hold in trust for his daughter Frances McRae, wife of Duncan McRae.  This was for the "purpose of providing to some 

extent for the maintenance of said Frances McRae during her life and securing some estate to her children."  Any monies 

earned by hiring out these slaves were to be given to Frances. On the same day he did the same for his daughter Ann Robinson, 

wife of Charles M. Robinson, and deeded the slaves Mack, Goodwin, Nuty, Aggy and child, Frances, and Peter to Wm. J. Ledbetter 

and Stephen W. Cole to hold in trust for her.  

(Henry Ledbetter, Estate Records, NC Archives)  Ruth Duncan

(see the remainder from this website, below)

WILL OF HENRY LEDBETTER 1769 - 1852

This will was written and amended 1846Proved April 1852

I Henry Ledbetter of the County of Anson and State of North Carolina being of sound mind and memory, but considering the 

uncertainty of my earthly existence, do make and declare, this my last Will and Testament in the manner and form following, 

that is to say:

Item 1st  I give and devise unto the Heirs of my son James Ledbetter dec'd [deceased] in addition to advancements heretofore 

made the following negro slaves, to wit Ransom & Jim.  I also give them One Hundred & Thirty Dollars & fifty cents, which is 

to be paid by Stephen W. Cole and loaned out at interest until the youngest child becomes of age, and is then to be equally 

divided between all of said James Ledbetter's children, then living share and share alike.

Item 2nd  I give and devise unto my daughter Martha Tillman wife of David Tillman in addition to advancements heretofore made 

the following negro slaves to wit Laura, Granville and Elisha, upon the payment by them of Eleven Dollars and Twenty Eight Cents 

to Wm J Ledbetter with interest from the 16th Jany 1846.

Item 3rd  I give and devise unto my daughter Frances McRae wife of Duncan McRae Fifty Cents in addition to advancements heretofore made, besides having secured by a Deed of Gift to Edmund Deberry the negroes now in her possession for her separate use & benefit free from the contracts or disposition of her Husband, as will more fully appear by reference to said deed bearing date the 5th Feby 1846.

Item 4th  I give and devise unto my son Wm J. Ledbetter in addition to advancements heretofore made, the following negro slaves 

to wit, Fred, Louis, Clary and her children Walter, & Hannah, Hubbard, Gaston, Derrick & Willis.

Item 5th  I give and devise unto my son Henry W. Ledbetter in addition to advancements heretofore made, the following negro slaves to wit Claiborne Terry George Elvey & Susan.

Item  6th  I give and devise unto my son Charles W Ledbetter in addition to the advancements heretofore made him the tract of Land on which he now resides containing 207 Acres adjoining W. J. Ledbetter Thos J Lockhart & Louis Parker and the following negro slaves to wit Ely Wiley & Primus, upon the payment by him to Stephen W Cole of Eighty Nine Dollars & fifty cents with interest from the 16th January 1846.

Item 7th  I give and devise unto my daughter Mary Smith wife of Thos J Smith, in addition to advancements heretofore made, the 

following negro slaves to wit Cameron, Henderson, Martha, Jane, Patience, Henry & Mary.

Item 8th  I give and devise unto my daughter Ann A Robinson wife of Chas M Robinson Fifty cents in addition to advancements heretofore 

made besides having secured by a deed of gift to W. J. Ledbetter & S. W. Cole the negroes now in her possession for her separate use 

& benefit free from the control of her Husband, as will more fully appear by reference to said deed dated 5th July 1846.

Item 9th  I give and devise unto my Daughter Tabitha R Cole wife of Stephen W Cole in addition to advancements heretofore made, the 

following negro slaves, Jordan, Martha, Adeline, Cyrus, Patience, Harriet Eliza Caroline William & Sarah upon the payment by him of 

Nineteen Dollars & fifty cents to W. J. Ledbetter and to the children of Jas Ledbetter of One Hundred & Thirty Dollars & fifty cents 

with interest from the [5?] May 1846

Item 10th  I give and devise unto my daughter Sarah Little wife of Wm. Little Jr in addition to advancements heretofore made the 

following negro slaves to wit Jim, Dick, Dascas, Julia, Sealy, Ely, Jerry & Jim upon the payment of one Hundred Dollars & fifty cents 

to Wm J. Ledbetter & S W Cole trustees of Ann A Robinson and the further payment of Four Dollars to R S, J F & T B Ledbetter

Item 11th  I give and devise unto my son Robt S Ledbetter in addition to advancements heretofore made the following negro slaves 

to wit Calvin, Ben, Hercules, [Nincy?], & child-Sandy, Patience & Betty.

Item 12th  I give and devise unto my son John F Ledbetter in addition to advancements heretofore made, the following negro slaves to wit Washington, Jacob, Hannah, Grace, Mary, Louis & Nicey.

Item 13th  I give and devise unto my son Thomas B Ledbetter in addition to advancements heretofore made the following negro slaves to wit, Wesley, Wincey, Frances, Jim, Emeline & child, Dilcey, Mathew, Sarah & her child Ann, upon the payment by the said T B Ledbetter of Fifteen Dollars to Henry W Ledbetter with interest from the 16th Jany 1846.

tem 14th  I do hereby constitute and appoint my sons W J Ledbetter & Robt S Ledbetter my lawful Executors to all intents & purposes to execute this my last will and testament, according to the true intent & meaning of the same, and every part & clause thereof-hereby revoking & declaring utterly void all other wills & testaments by me heretofore made.  In witness whereof I the said Henry Ledbetter, do hereunto set my hand & seal this the 20th Apl 1846

WitnessesHenry Ledbetter  (Seal)

A B Smith

W. Smith

Whereas I H. Ledbetter have made my last Will and Testament in Writing bearing date the 20th April 1846 and have thereby made Sundry devises and bequests according to the then existing circumstances of my estate, but which circumstances now render necessary to alter, I do by this writing which I do hereby declare to be a codicil to my said Will, to be taken and construed as a part thereof will and direct, That my Executors (W J Ledbetter & Robt S Ledbetter) may sell either at public Sale or by private contract on such terms as may seem best in their wisdom all the lands or real estate of which I may own or possess at my death, lying in the County of Richmond & Montgomery known as the Green Place and the plantation I bought of W J Ledbetter & a small entry on Cheek's Creek

In the 7th Item of my will, I therein gave among other negroes, to my daughter Mary Smith wife of Thos J Smith a certain negro boy named Henderson.  Since that time I have thought it best to change the disposition of said boy and have accordingly deeded him away to Henry W Ledbetter.

In the 5th Item of my will I gave by that instrument with other negroes to Henry W Ledbetter a certain negro woman named Elvey & her child Susan Since that time I have at the request of H W Ledbetter deeded her & her child to Wm Little Jr.

In the 9th Item of my will I gave to Tabitha R Cole in addition to other negroes which I had before given to her & her husband Stephen W Cole a certain negro woman named Sarah & that he should pay to W J Ledbetter & the Heirs of Jas Ledbetter dec'd the sum of One Hundred & Fifty Dollars for said negro, according to the proportion in said Item with Interest from the 1st May 1846.  But inasmuch as Said Cole will not get said negro in possession until the 1st January next, He is therefore released from the payments of any interest until that time.

In Testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal This the 26th day of Decr 1846

WitnessesHenry Ledbetter(Seal)

W R Leak

M. W. Wilkings

(G rave Inscription)

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF 

REV. HENRY LEDBETTER,

a native of the State of Virginia,

but from early childhood a resident

of the State which gives him a grave.

He was born in the month of Jan. 1769

Departed this Life April 1852.

He sought and obtained converting

grace at the age of 13, and attached

himself to the M. E. Church.  In his 19th

year he became a Minister of said Church

and employed 8 years of his useful life as

a traveling Preacher in the South Carolina

Conference.  When local he was not inactive

but on all proper occasions, when health would

permit, he gladly published the Gospel of Peace

and urged the necessity of reconciliation with God

through Christ.  Years of acute bodily suffering

were endured by this devoted and eminent

servant of God, before he was released from his toil,

and tho' his mind often suffered great anguish

by reason of its sympathy with the body, yet

he was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

The much desired hour at length arrived

and after a life of usefulness, having

preached the gospel in power and in 

demonstration of the Spirit for more

than 64 years, he fell sweetly asleep

on the bosom of his Redeemer.

Blessed are the dead who

die in the Lord.