Will of William Johnston

William Johnston provided for relatives and friends in Britain, funded a seminary, established trustees for daughter Amelia, and appointed four friends executors.

Kind of paper

Will

Testator

William Johnston (printed WILLIAM JOHNSTON), of Orange Co., N.C., Merchant

Dated

1780

A second reading

Mark Chilton’s index of the will books gives the date as 28 June 1778. Check the will book to settle it.

Family named

Amelia Johnston (beloved daughter and only child; a minor); Robert Johnston (only son and heir of; late of Hartwood (?) in the Parish of Lochmabin and Shire of Annandale in Scotland, deceased); Isabell (his then wife); Isabell Johnston (mother); Mary Robson (my cousin; wife of Henry Robson; sister to Catherine Gardner); Robert Burnet (brother to my said mother; of the Parish of Morshall (?) and County of Withdall (Millsdale ?) in Scotland); Jane Craik (sister to my said mother; Mrs.; of Moorshall Parish)

Also left something

Mary Harrison (widow of James Harrison; near the town of South in the Shire of Lincoln in G. Britain); Elizabeth Robinson (widow of Jno Robinson; late of City of Lincoln); Robert Read (now of Lincoln); John Dixon (Esq. of Lochmaben in shire of Annandale); Ann Hamilton (daughter of Wm. Alderman Fow; Mrs.; late of the City of Lincoln, widow of Hamilton Hamilton); Mildred Fenton (daughter of Jno. and Elizabeth Robinson; Mrs.; wife of Thos. Fenton); James Gibson (my friend; of Kelton in the shire of Galloway in Scotland)

Executors

James Hogg (friends); Thomas Hart (friends); John Kinchen (friends); Richard Bennehan (friends)

Trustees

Edward Stabler (Esq. of Petersburg, Va.); Samuel Johnston (Esq. of Edenton, N.C.); James Hogg; Thomas Hart; Jno. Kinchen; Richard Bennehan

Deeds that cite this paper

Deed Book 4, page 267; Deed Book 4, page 316; Deed Book 4, page 457; Deed Book 4, page 472; Deed Book 4, page 479; Deed Book 4, page 511; Deed Book 4, page 561; Deed Book 4, page 602; Deed Book 5, page 350; Deed Book Register of Orange, line 1465

Land

his plantation at Little River in Orange Co., N.C.

Money and goods

£ 100 to Seminary of learning.

Places

Hartwood (?); Parish of Lochmabin; Shire of Annandale in Scotland; City of Lincoln; Kingdom of Great Britain; County of Cumberland near Carlisle; South; Shire of Lincoln; Lochmaben; Little River in Orange Co., N.C.; Petersburg, Va.; Edenton, N.C.; Kingston upon Hull; shire of York; Leads; Parish of Morshall (?); County of Withdall (Millsdale ?); Moorshall Parish; Kelton; shire of Galloway

Also named

Catherine Gardner (deceased late wife of Mr. Edward Gardner); Edward Gardner (Mr.; of the City of Lincoln in the Kingdom of Great Britain); Henry Robson (now or late of the County of Cumberland near Carlisle in the Kingdom of Great Britain); James Harrison (dec’d); Jno Robinson (Esq. dec’d); Hamilton Hamilton (late of town of Kingston upon Hull in the shire of York); Wm. Alderman Fow; Thos. Fenton (near the town of Leads in the shire of York); Jno. (father of Mildred Fenton); Elizabeth Robinson (mother of Mildred Fenton)

Reading note: Continues on PDF page 61; no probate date given. Hartwood (?), Morshall (?) and Withdall (Millsdale ?) uncertain. Differing Johnston/Johnston place spellings and Kinchen spellings preserved.

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 333.
• 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).