Northampton County Courthouse
Will Book 9, Pages 350-354

I, Franklin W. Bridgers, of Northampton County, State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and disposing memory, but considering the uncertainty of my earthly existence do make and declare this my last will and testament!

Item One.� My executor hereinafter named shall give my body a Christian and suitable burial and pay all my funeral expenses, together with all my just debts out of the first monies which may come into his hands belonging to my estate.

Item Two.� I give and devise to my beloved wife, Fannie T. Bridgers, for and during the term of her natural life or so long as she shall remain my widow during her natural life, in lieu of and in satisfaction of her dower and third in all my lands the following described lot or parcel of land, situated in Northampton County, Roanoke Township, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: Beginning at road George Bridgers line, thence his line N 13 1/2 E 74 1/2 poles to corner pine, thence N 74 1/2 W 92 poles to road, thence road S. 11 W. 76 poles to bend in road, still road S 82 E 58 poles to fork of road still road S 74 E 30 poles to beginning, containing 44 acres, and being designated as lot number one in a survey, plat and subdivision of my lands made by E. P. Outland, Surveyor, on December the 13th, 1916.� It is my intention hereby to devise unto my said wife an estate only for the term of her natural life in and to the said lot of land, but such estate shall terminate sooner should she marry, such termination to be in such case at the time of such marriage.

Item Three.� Subject to the estate devised to my beloved wife, therein in the preceding item, I give and devise the lot of land described in item two unto my daughter, Sarah Bridgers, for and during the term of her natural life and at her death to her children.

Item Four.� I give and devise unto my daughter, Catherine Lucille Collier, wife of Luther Collier, for and during the term of her natural life, and at her death to her children that lot or parcel of land situated in the aforesaid County and township, and more particularly described as follows:� Beginning at a corner gum at Great Branch, George T. Bridgers line, thence his line N 13 1/2 E 136 poles to road, thence road N 74 W 30 poles to fork, thence road to Lasker S 11 W 61 poles, S. 36 W. 40 poles, S 29 W 29 poles to said branch, thence the run of said branch to beginning, containing 31 acres, and designated as lot number two on the aforesaid plat made by the said E. P. Outland, Surveyor.

Item Five.� I give and devise unto my son, Lewis Clement Bridgers, for and during the term of his natural life and at his death to his children, that parcel or lot of land situated in aforesaid County and Township, and more particularly described as follows:� Beginning at fork of road at lot number two described in the preceding item, thence road S. 11 W. 61 poles, S 36 W 40poles, S 29 W 29 poles, to Great Branch, thence said branch 28 poles to lot number four described in the following item, thence that line N 9 E 84 poles to corner at grave yard, thence S 84 1/2 E 7 poles to number four line fence, thence N 9 1/2 E 36 poles to road, thence road S 82 E 48 1/2 poles to fork at beginning containing 34 acres and being designated on said plot and map of the said surveyor as lot number three, but the said Lewis Clement Bridgers or his children shall pay to my wife Fannie T. Bridgers, during the term of her natural life, twenty-five dollars per annum and the payment of the same is hereby made a charge and lien upon the said lot of land.

Item Six.� I give and devise unto my son, Millard Eugene Bridgers, for and during the term of his natural life and at his death to his children that lot or part of land situated in the said County and Township, and more particularly described as follows:� Known as Old Homestead, beginning at corner of lot number three, described in the preceding item on road thence N 3 S 9 1/2, W 36 poles to corner, thence around grave yard N 82 1/2 W 7 poles, S 9 W 84 poles to Great Branch, thence run of said branch 56 poles to corner gum, thence N 7 E 31 poles to corner stake, thence Britton's line N 12 E 92 poles to corner stake in number five line, said number five being described in the following section, thence said number five line 52 poles to road, thence road S 11 W 22 poles to bend in road, still road S 82 E 8 1/2 poles to beginning, containing 42 acres, and designated on said plat and survey as lot number four.� But the said M. E. Bridgers, shall pay to my beloved wife Fannie T. Bridgers, annually during the term of her natural life the sum of Twenty-five Dollars, per annum, and the same is hereby made a charge and lien upon the said lot of land.

Item Seven.� I give and devise unto my son Robert Dancy Bridgers, for and during the term of his natural life and at his death to his children, that lot or parcel of land situated in said County and Township, and more particularly described as follows:� Beginning at the corner of lot number four described in the preceding item on road, thence road N 11 E 60 poles to George Bridgers line, thence his line N 74 1/2 W ___ poles to corner maple in Magett line, thence Magett line N 68 1/2 W 59 poles to stake, thence S 3 W 50 1/2 poles to corner at ditch, Britton line, S 85 E 2 poles to corner at fence, thence fence S 4 1/2 W 25 poles to corner, thence S 85 E 22 poles and 20 links to fork of ditch, thence ditch S 81 1/2 E 23 poles to Brittons corner in ditch, still Brittons line S 12 W 12 poles to corner stake in lot number four described in the preceeding item, thence that line 54 poles to road at beginning, containing 40 acres, and being designated as lot number five on said plat and survey made by said surveyor.

Item Eight.� I give and devise unto my daughter Vivian Elise Britton, wife of Troy Britton, for and during the term of her natural life and at her death to her children, that lot or parcel of land situated in said County and Township, and more particularly described as follows: Beginning at lot number five described in the preceding item, on ditch Britton line, thence said lot number five N 3 E 50 1/2 pole Magett line, thence N 68 1/2 W 13 poles to W. F. Outland line, thence that line N 7 W 77 poles to red oak and pine, Sykes line, thence that line S 3 E 64 poles to maple and pine, S 85 1/2 E 88 poles to beginning, containing 33 acres, and designated as lot number six on aforesaid plat and survey.� But the said Vivian Elise Britton or her children shall pay to my wife Fannie Bridgers, during the term of the natural life my said wife, the sum of Twenty-five Dollars per annum, and the same is hereby a lien and charge upon the said lot of land.

Item Nine.� I give and bequeath to my daughter, Clara Celestine Lassiter, wife of M. W. Lassiter, the sum of One Thousand Dollars.

Item Ten.� I give and bequeath unto my daughter Josie May Futrell, wife of John Futrell, the sum of One Thousand Dollars.

Item Eleven.� I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Ruth Julia Wheeler, wife of Floyd Wheeler the sum of Five Hundred Dollars.

Item Twelve.� I have in my life time given to my daughter, Annie Cecilia Johnikin, wife of the late George Johnikin, the sum of Five Hundred Dollars, and therefore do not make and devise or bequest to her in this will.

Item Thirteen.� I have in my life time given to my daughter, Maud Bell Forbes, the wife of Will Forbes, the sum of One Thousand Dollars, and therefore do not make and devise or bequest to her in this will.

Item Fourteen.� I give and bequeath unto my grandson Charlie Cale, son of my deceased daughter, Claudia William Cale, wife of John Cale, the sum of One Thousand Dollars.

Item Fifteen.� I give and bequeath further to my wife, Fannie T. Bridgers, the sum of One Hundred Dollars, and all my household and kitchen furniture, and after applying all crops on hand or growing in the year of my death and any rents due me for such year to the payment of my debts which I may at my death owe should there be residue of such crops and rents, I give and bequeath such residue to my said wife.

Item Sixteen.� In the event after paying my debts and the costs and charges of the administration of my estate there should not be left enough of my personal estate to pay off and discharge the legacies made in items, nine, ten, eleven, and fourteen, in this my will, then the deficiency or shortage in paying such legacies or any of them shall be a charge and lien upon the lands devised in items three, five, six, seven, and eight and said lands and the parties to whom they are devised shall be required to pay such deficiency or shortage, each of said lots to be chargeable with and equal share of such shortage or deficiency, and the devises in item four shall pay one-sixth of the same, and the devises in item shall pay one-sixth of the same, and the devises in item six shall pay one-sixth of same, and the devises in item seven shall pay one-sixth of same, and the devises in item eight shall pay one-sixth of the same, but the life estate given to my wife in item two, shall not be chargeable with any part of such deficiency.

Item Seventeen.� My will and desire is that all the residue of my estate if any after taking out the devises and legacies above mentioned, shall be sold by my executor and the debts owing to me collected, and if there should be any surplus over and above the payment of debts, expenses and legacies, that such surplus shall be equally divided and paid over to my said wife and Clara Celesting Lassiter, Millard Eugene Bridgers, Josie May Futrell, Ruth Julia Wheeler, Vivian Elise Britton, Lewis Clement Bridgers, Catherine Lucille Collier, Sarah Elizabeth Bridgers and Robert Dancy Bridgers.

Item Eighteen.� I hereby constitute and appoint my son, Millard Eugene Bridgers my lawful executor to all intents and purposes to execute this my last will and testament according to the true intent and meaning of the same, and every part and clause thereof-hereby revoking and declaring utterly Void all other wills and testaments by me heretofore made.� My said executor shall be required to give bond for the faithful performance of his duties, and which bond shall be equal in the penal sum to the value of the personal estate which may come into his hands, and shall be conditioned as required by law.

In Witness whereof, I the said Franklin W. Bridgers, do hereunto set my hand and seal, this the 11th day of February, 1921.

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Franklin W. Bridgers, to be his last will and testament in the presence of us, who at his request and in his presence, and in the presence of each other, do subscribe our names as witnesses thereunto.

      G. H. Joyner,
      L. E. McDaniel, M.D.
      ***********

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA��� )
      )In The Superior Court.
      Northampton County� )

A paper writing purporting to be the LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of FRANKLIN W. BRIDGERS, deceased, is exhibited before me, the Undersigned Clerk of the Superior Court of said County, By Millard Eugene Bridgers the executor therein mentioned, and the due execution thereof by the said Franklin W. Bridgers, is proved by the oath and examination of G. H. Joyner, and L. E. McDaniel, the subscribing witnesses thereto, who being duly sworn, doth depose and say and each for himself deposeth and saith that he is a subscribing witness to the paper writing now shown him purporting to be the last will and testament of Franklin W. Bridgers, that the said Franklin W. Bridgers in the presence of this deponent, subscribed his name at the end of said paper writing, now shown as aforesaid, and which bears date of the 11th day of February 1921.

AND THE DEPONETH FURTHER SAITH, That the said Franklin W. Bridgers the testator aforesaid, did, at the time of subscribing his name as aforesaid, declare the said paper writing so subscribed by him and exhibited to be his LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT and this deponent did thereupon subscribe his name at the end of said will as an attesting witness thereto, and at the request and in the presence of the said testator.� And this deponent further saith, that at the said time when the said testator subscribed his name to the said last Will as aforesaid, and at the time of deponent's subscribing his name as an attesting witness thereto, as aforesaid the said Franklin W. Bridgers was of sound mind and disposing memory, of full age to execute a will, and was not under any restraint to the knowledge, information or belief of this deponent; And further these deponents say not.

      G. H. Joyner��������� (seal)
      L. E. McDaniel������ (seal)

Severally Sworn and subscribed
before me, this the 2nd day of
July, 1923.

W. J. Beale
Clerk of the Superior Court