Will of Henry Lea

Henry Lea left wife Elizabeth property received from her parents, named underage daughter Frances, and appointed James Lea and Ann McNiel Sr. executors.

Kind of paper

Will

Testator

Henry Lea (printed HENRY LEA)

Dated

14 December 1774

Proved

August 1774 court

A second reading

As the abstract prints them, the will was proved before it was dated, so one of the dates is wrong. Check the will book to settle it.

Family named

Elizabeth (wife); Frances (daughter; under age)

Executors

James Lea (friends; my brother in law); Ann McNiel, Sr. (friends)

Witnesses

James Roberts; Thomas McNeill; John Lea

Reading note: Writing date Dec 1774 falls after probate Aug 1774; both retained as printed.

Names and places are given as the abstract writes them, spelling and all. This record has not been checked against the will book.

Where to find it

• Orange County Will Book A, page 168.
• Abstract: Ruth Herndon Shields, Abstracts of Wills Recorded 1752 through 1800 in Orange County, North Carolina, Will Books A, B and C (Davie Poplar Chapter NSDAR, revised edition 1966).
• Also listed in Mark Chilton, “Wills Recorded in Orange County, NC 1756–1893” (Wandering through the NC Piedmont, 2019), an index of the will books with references to the court minutes.
• Microfilm at the Orange County Public Library, Wall Local History Collection: reel 80001, “Record of Wills, 1752–1795, Vols. A, B” (State Archives film).