In the name of God Amen. I, Jesse Oates, of the County of Muhlenberg & Commonwealth of Kentucky. Believing it my duty While in my proper mind to dispose of my worldly goods wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with. Not knowing how soon I may be called from this world. My wish is to make an equitable division of my property among my children & my beloved wife. I therefore proceed to give & dispose of the same in the following Manner. To wit: First. I give & bequeath to my beloved Wife Zilpha the following slaves. To Wit. Olive, Press, John, Hardy & two old slaves, James & Becky. During her natural life. My will is that my beloved wife have the use of my farm whereon I live together with my Oxen & cart waggon & geer & a sufficient number of horses to Cultivate the farm. And also so much stock of every description as my Executors may think necessary for the comfort & maintenance of my Family until my son Charles C. Oates arives to the age of Twenty One. I give and bequeath to my son Mathew Oates Two hundred & Seventy five acres of land including(?) **ails, Cabbin & the Lick lying in two surveys, twenty five acres of which was patented to V. L. Dillingham & the ballance in my own Name. And whereas I have purchased ninety acres of land from William Roark & have executed my note for the payment. My will & desire is that said Roark make the conveyance to my said son Matthew. I also give & bequeath to my said son Matthew two slaves. To wit: Peter & Mahalia. To him & his Heirs  for ever. It is also my will that my Executors furnish my said Son with a good horse Creature out of my Stock with a decent Bridle & Saddle & one feather bed & furniture. To him & his Heirs forever. I give & bequeath to my Son Oliver H. Oates a tract of land containing Six hundred acres lying on Thompson Creek. Being the tract conveyed to me by David Campbell. To him & his Heirs forever. And some doubts being apprehended as to the title of said land and should it be taken from him by prior claim, my Will is that my Executors pay him Four Hundred dollars out of my estate. I also give him the following slaves. To wit: Jacob, Fanney & William. To him & his Heirs forever. And that my Executors furnish him with a good horse beast, a decent Saddle & bridle & a feather bed and furniture out of my estate. I give and bequeath to my son Wyatt Oates the following lands. To wit: four hundred acres deeded to me by J. Cravens called & known as by the Cravens place. Together with a part of the Surveys I live on Beginning at Cravens N. E. Corner. Running Northwardly across to the fence by the dich to the Main Road. Thence west with the Road binding on my son Richards line, including all my land on the South of the Main Road, & to the Beginning. I also give him the following slaves. To wit: Daniel, Everitt & Sarah. To him & his Heirs forever. And I desire My Executors to furnish him with a good horse beast, a decent Saddle & bridle & a feather bed & furniture out of my estate. I give & bequeath to my son Richard M. Oates a tract of land containing Two hundred acres on which he now lives. Called & known by the name of the John Grissom place. An Twenty acres out of Lucy Parkers survey adjoining together with a part of the Survey on which I live. Beginning at a large White Oak Stump in the Road. Thence Running N88 W to the back line of the Harris Survey thence with said line West to the corner. Thence South with a line thereof to the corner. Thence to the N. E. corner of the Lucy Parker Survey. Thence down the branch with a line of the Same to a Small branch a short distance above the Ford(?) leading from said Richards to Dearing's place. Thence my said branch to Cravens line. And with said line North to the Corner. Thence N88, E to a Small branch, thence down the branch with the meander(?) thereof to a line of Marked trees to the Beginning. Containing by estimate One hundred acres. I also give him a Negro woman Slave by the name of Charlotte & her two children & one feather bed & furniture to him & his Heirs forever. I give & bequeath to my Son Charles C. Oates the ballance or Remainder of all the Surveys on which I live including the house *** for the use of my beloved wife & family untill my said Son arrives to the age of Twenty One years. Together with one hundred acres that has been surveyed in name but not yet patented, adjoining the Cravens Survey on Thompson Creek. And my will is that my beloved Wife enjoy the Same benefit of the farm after my
said Son arrives to the age of Twenty One during her life time or widowhood that she now does. And I furthermore give to my son Charles the following Slaves. To wit: Bayles, Riley & Ally. To him & his Heirs forever. And I desire my executors to furnish him with a good horse Creature, a decent Saddle & Bridle & feather bed & furniture out of my estate. I give & bequeath to my son John M. Oates the tract of land on which he now lives as conveyed to him by Jethro Oates. Also the tract of land I purchased of Jesse Case(?) adjoining, a negro boy called Waitman, in addition to what property I have heretofore given him. To him & his Heirs forever. Whereas I have heretofore given to my Daughter Rachel Boggess Sundry species of property but not enough to make her part equal to the rest of my Children and being desirous to do so, I have thought it advisable to give her my Slave Bristo, provided he is humanely treated. Otherwise it is my will  that my Executors (who are to judge of his treatment) shall sell him at private  sale for the best price they can get & pay the proceeds thereof to my said Daughter or her Heirs. And having heretofore given to my Daughter Betsey Dillingham now in her possession. I now give & bequeath to her in addition thereto, my negro woman Polly to her & her Heirs forever. I give & bequeath to my Daughter Zilpha Oates three slaves. to wit: Nihor(?), Isaac, & Bobb, one Chest of Drawers, one feather bed & furniture. To her  & her Heirs forever. And I desire my Executors to furnish her with a horse Saddle & Bridle when convenient out of my estate. I give & bequeath to my Daughter Harriet Clough(?) three slaves. To wit: Peggy, Esther, & Jackson, one feather bed & furniture. To her & her Heirs forever. And I Request my Executors, when convenient, to furnish her with a horse saddle & bridle out of my estate. Whereas I have heretofore given to my Daughter Nancy Campbell a proportion of property nearly equal to the Rest of my Children, but from her destitute Situation I feell it my duty to make some provision for her Orphan sons. I therefore Request my Executors when they can find it convenient between my death & their arriving to the age of Twenty One years to pay to my Grand sons John Campbell & William Campbell one hundred & fifty dollars each out of my estate. It is my will & desire that all my hands be kept on the farm for the season until my crop be secured for the benefit of my wife & family. And it is also my desire that all the property remaining on the farm that will not be necessary the use of the family be sold on a credit by my  Executors & pay my just debts. With the ballance placed at interest for the education of my youngest children. And it is my will that when my son Charles comes of age that all the Remainder of my estate not herein bequeathed, saving what may be necessary for the benefit of my wife. Allowing her a decent genteel support sold then(?) sold & equally divided among all my children except for(?) my sons Jethro, William & David, believing that I have given them sufficiently heretofore. And it is my will & desire that my beloved wife dispose of the property hereby bequeathed to her in such manner as she may think proper at her death. I now nominate & appoint my beloved wife Zilpha, Richard M. Oates, Vachel(?) L. (or D.?) Dillingham Executors of this my last will & Testament. Hereby requesting them to consult with my friends J**** Weir & Charles F. Wing in all important cases arising un*** this will, as I wish their concurrence in all the acts *** said Executors. I hereby revoke all former wills *** me madeand declare this to be my last Will a** Testament. Witness my hand & seal this 15th day of April 1831
                                             Jesse Oates -seal
Teste.
Ezias M. (or W.?) Earle
Robert Williams
Ch. F. Wing

Muhlenberg County
September County Court 1831
The foregoing last will & testament of Jesse Oates deceased was exhibited in to court & proven to be the act & deed of the said Jesse by the Oaths of Ezias W. Earle, Robert Williams and Charles F. Wing, subscribing witnesses thereto & ordered to be recorded.

Att. Ch. F. W i n g, Clk

North Carolina
Duplin County, North Carolina
Will of Jethro Oates

In the name of God Amen I, Jethro Oates of the County and Province foresaid, being weak in body, but of perfect mind thanks be given to God for it. And  knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die. Do make and ordain this my last will and testament, that is to say. I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and my body to be buried in a Christain like manner, nothing doubting but at the General Resurrection, that I shall receive the same by his mighty power.
   Item ; I give and bequeath to my eldist daughter Lydda Stevins, Ben and Jane, five cows and yearlings, one  feather bed and furniture.To her and her heirs forever, having them in her possesion.
    Item ; I give and bequeath to my next eldist daughter Amy King, Simon and Grace, seven cows and 2 two year old stears, one feather bed and furniture in her possesion to her and her heirs forever.
    Item ; I lend to my beloved wife Artesha Oates all the rest of my estate, land and tenaments, negroes, goods, and chattles. And during her natural life or widowhood not to be removed out of the County and afterwards to be equally divided amongst my six children, named Jesse Oates, Jethro Oates, Elizabeth Oates, Michael Oates, Susannah Oates, & John Oates.
And to be equally divided by my Surviving Executors ;  Atresha Oates, Stephen King, Roger Snell, & Micha King.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, in the presents of us this 30th day of August 1780,
Jethro Oates  (seal)
Test ;  James Oates

State of North Carolina                  January Court 1781
Duplin County
Then was the within Will proved in open court in Due process of law by the oath of, Stephen King, and James Oates two of the Subscribing Witness thereto and ordered to be recorded.
                                     Test , Wm. Dickson  CC