Will of Henry Petree
Stokes County, NC, 1866
"In the Name of God Amen. I, HENRY PETREE of the County of Stokes and
State of North Carolina do make and declare this my last will and
testament, that is to say, I will that my Executor herein after named,
sell at public auction the whole of my personal property upon a credit
of six months and after paying all my just debts, I will an bequeath one
half the proceeds thereon an one half of all the money which I may have
at the time of my death, to my beloved wife SARAH PETREE and the other
half of the proceeds of my personal property and money I give and
bequeath to my children. To my son RILEY F. PETREE I give and bequeath
the sum of twenty five cents and no more. The remainder I equally
divide between WILLIAM H. PETREE, MARGARET F. ANDERSON, ELIZABETH DOUB,
CATHERINE SPAINHOUR, EZEKIAL B. PETREE and REBECCA HELSABECK. "I also
will...and devise the whole of my lands with all improvements to my said
wife SARAH PETREE, for and during her natural life, and at her death, I
will the said lands and improvements to my said children. To my son
RILEY F. PETREE I give and bequeath twenty five cents and no more. The
remainder I equally divide between WILLIAM H. PETREE, MARGARET F.
ANDERSON, ELIZABETH DOUB, CATHERINE SPAINHOWER, EXEKIAL B. PETREE and
REBECCA HELSABECK, and their heirs forever. "And I do hereby constitute
and appoint my nephew WILLIAN WESLEY PETREE and DAVID R. LEAK Executors
of this last will and testament in Witness where I the said HENRY PETREE
do hereunto set my hand and seal this 31st day of July A.D. 1866.
s/ HENRY PETREE SEAL
Signed in presents of
JOHN A. BURNETT
JOHN G. WHITE
In settling this estate when the lands were finally sold most of the
property was bought by F. E. PETREE. Whether he disinherited RILEY
FROST, who incidentally signed a receipt indicating he was paid $1.00
rather than $0.25 in the final settlement, or intended the note to be
excused, there is some tradition that they disagreed on taking sides for
the Confederacy and the Union during the Civil War.
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