(Thomas1, John Coon Sr.2,John Coon Jr.3)

*****

WILL OF JOHN JOYCE, JR.

In the name of God,Amen. I John Joyce of the County of Rockingham and state

of North Carolina,do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament as

follows

First- It is my will that my body be decently buried and my funeral expenses

and burial be paid out of the first monies that shall come the hands of my

Executor

Item #2. I give unto my beloved wife (illegible) the land including the

dwelling house; and in that part that I intend for my son, Alexander, the

boundary of which will be described when I come to speak of that I give to

him; also three negroes to wit , Rena, (illegible), and Ed. Also as much of

the household and kitchen furniture as she may wish to keep; also as many

farming tools as she wishes to keep ; also all the (illegible)of (illegible),

that I have and as many of the cows and horses as she may think proper to

keep;the negroes I give to her during her natural life;then to be sold and

the money divided equally amongst my (illegible).

Item #3. I give unto my son, Alexander, one negro boy, George, also all the

land included in the following boundary; Beginning at a small branch in the

Peter Scales line, turn a north course or nearly that course by a gate to

when that line will intersect with the Ward's Gap Road then turn up said road

as it meanders to where a west line will turn to a double white oak, turn

north (illegible) (illegible) to a black oak; then east with Samuel Joyce's

line to Mayo River, then down said river as it meanders to the mouth of

Shepherd's Creek, then up said creek to Peter Scales line then with Peter

Scale's to the first station.

Item #4. I give to my son Ree one Negro girl, (illegible), also all land

included in the following boundary. Beginning at a branch in the Peter

Scales line turn a north course or nearly that course by a gate on the same

corner to where that line intersects the Ward's Gap Road, then turn west to a

(illegible) white oak then with Nancy Vernon's line to Peter Scale's line and

with Peter Scale's line to the first station.

Item #5. I give to my daughter, Letty, two hundred and fifty four acres of

land lying in Stokes county, North Carolina, and deeded to me by Samuel Joyce

and Hamilton Joyce.

Item #6. I give unto my son, Owen, one negro boy, York.

Item #7. I give unto my son, Reuben, one negro boy, (illegible).

Item #8. I give unto my daughter, Jugurtha Elizabeth, one negro girl, Polly.

Item #9. I give to my daughter, Martha, one negro girl, Amando(?).

Item #10. I give unto my son John,one negro girl, June.

Item #11. I give unto my son, Dillon, one negro boy, Hamilton.

Item #12. I give unto my daughter, Eliza, one negro girl, Amendo(?).

Item #13. I give my wife and my son, Alexander, my blacksmith tools, also

to my wife and my sons, Ree and Alexander, my still and fixtures belonging to

the still, also I give my wife one year's provisions out of my estate.

Item #14. It is my will that all the (illegible) of my estate that I have

not willed, be sold and the proceeds (illegible) be divided equally amongst

all my children, and further, I ordain and appoint my wife and my sons. Ree

and Alexander executors of this my last will, (illegible) this the 10th day

of December 1859.

John Joyce - seal

W R Smith

A (illegible)

Peter Scales

State of North Carolina

Rockingham County 3 February 1866

A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of John

Joyce, desceased, is executed for probate in an open court by Ree Joyce, one

of the executors therein named, and the (illegible) executor thereof by the

said John Joyce is (illegible) by the oath & examination of Peter Scales &

Walter R. Smith, two of the witnesses thereto. It is therefore (illegible)

by the court that the said paper writing & every part thereof is the last

will and testament of said John Joyce & the same is ordered to be (illegible)

and filed & thereupon the said Ree , executor as of (illegible) said duly

qualified as such, by taking the oath required by law and entering into

(illegible) with Peter Scales & John Joyce as his security in the sum of

sixteen thousand dollars ,$16000.

A _ Smith _ _ _ (22)