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In the name of God Amen I THOMAS BETTERLEY of Edenton in the Province of North Carolina ffeltmaker hereby revoking all former & other Wills by me made Doo make & ordain this to be my last will and testament Imprimus I humbly assign my soul to God that gave itt hoping through the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus my blessed Savior to obtain eternal Life My Body I will shall be decently interred And as for my worldly Effects which God in his Goodness hath bestowed upon me I give & dispose of the same as followeth ffirst I will that all my just debts & funerall expenses be paid And to this end I give devise and bequeath unto John LOVICK of Edenton afors=d Esq. All my Debts due to me & all my goods & Chattles to pay my Debts money Legacy=s & ffunerall Charges And I doe desire him to take this trust upon him & charge Elizabeth my wife & my son Thomas BETTERLEY not to intermeddle therewith till all my Debts due from me & my said ffunerall charges & money Legacy=s be paid & satisfied And I make the said John LOVICK my said trustee Executor for that purpose rendring the over plus to my said wife & son And I further give devise & bequeath unto the said John LOVICK All & singular my Lands tenements & hereditaments in Edenton afores=d & in Morettock or lying or being elsewhere in The Province of North Carolina afores=d to have and to hold the said Lands tenements & hereditaments & the reversion & remainder & remainders rents issues & profitts thereof unto the said John LOVICK his heires & Assignes forever In trust nevertheless to sell & dispose all or soe much thereof soe as to pay my debts due from me and Legacy=s & ffunerall charges And I doe hereby further charge Elizabeth my said wife & my said son Thomas BETTERLEY not to intermeddle therewith till all my said debts Legacy=s & ffuneral Expense & Charges be paid & satisfied rendring & giveing up into the hands of my said son Thomas BETTERLEY the Remainder of my said Lands unsold together with the overplus money of such Lands as shall be sold for the purposes afores=d Item I give unto the said John LOVICK the sum of fforty pounds of North Carolina Bill money for & towards his troubles in about the _______ Item I give devise & bequeath unto my said son Thomas BETTERLEY all & every of my afores=d Land tements & hereditments as be & remain unsold by virtue of & subject to the above Devise to have and to hold the same unto my said son Thomas BETTERLEY & his heires forever Item my will is that Elizabeth BETTERLEY my said wife shall and doe have receive and take /subject to the above devise/ all & singular the rents issues & profits of all & singular my Estate reall & personal for & towards the Education support & ________ of my said son Thomas BETTERLEY for soe long _____ and untill he shall attaine the age of ffifteen years Item All the rest & profit of my Goods Chattles rights Creditts & other personal & testamentary Effects whatsoever not herein or hereby before given & bequeathed I give devise & bequeath to Elizabeth my said wife & Thomas BETTERLEY my son & make them (except as to what I have appointed for payment of my Debts money Legacy=s & ffunerall Charges & Expenses) joynt Executors of this my last will & testament In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my hand & seale this ffourth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & twenty nine.

Thos. Betterley

It is interesting that Thomas directed his wife not to "intermeddle" in things. Perhaps they were estranged. There was indeed later "intermeddling" as the Aldens disputed land apparently previously sold to William Alden.

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