Wayne Co NC, 18 July 1786. ELIAS & ELIZABETH BALLARD to JOSHUA HOWELL 716 ACRES ON NS OF LITTLE RIVER, on both sides fo Buck Swamp including the plantation where BALLARD now lives.
[1] 300 acres ADJ: JOHN BALLARD, WILLIAM GRANT, 1st surveyed for JOHN BALLARD patent, 29 Sept. 1756.
[2] 416 acres beg. pine near DAVID WORRELL'S line ADJ: JOSIAH BOYTE, JOSHUA HOWELL, DAVID WORRELLS. 1st patented to ELIAS BALLARD, 17 Oct. 1782. wit; JOHN HOWELL, CALEB BALLARD. OCT. CT. 1786.

Elias Ballard 5/27/1788 by Lynne Miller: (See also, Will Below, John Ballard)
In the name of God, Amen. I, Elias Ballard of the same state and county
of Wayne, now in the county of Craven and town of New Bern, being of sound
and disposing mind and memory thanks be given to God for the same and calling
to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed once for
all men to die, to make and ordain this instrument of writing to be my last
will and testament. Disannulling and disallowing all other former wills by
me made or suspend to be made.
I commend my body to the ground to be decently buried at the discretion
of my executors here after named and as touching my worldly estate wherewith
it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life. I give and dispose of the
same in following form and manner to wit: 1. I give unto my beloved wife,
Elizabeth Ballard during her life the plantation with the improvements
thereon whereon I live, when at home, upon the south side of the swamp
including the orchards and up the swamp, as far as the old field goes, I also
give unto my beloved wife, Elizabeth Ballard, one mare called Dimond. 2. And
an equal part of all the remainder of my personal estate (after paying all my
just debts and funeral expenses) with my seven children, Joab, Caleb, Elias,
Joanny, Ester, Rachael, and Levy. 3. I give and bequeath unto my beloved
sons, Joab Ballard and Caleb Ballard, all the land which I own, on the north
side of Buck Swamp, that lies below the branch between my house and Thomas
Scott, Joab to have the lower part of the same, Caleb, the other part, to
them and their heirs forever and always. 4. I give and bequeath unto my son
Elias Ballard the land on both sides of the said Buck Swamp above, the land
given to Joab and Caleb to cross the swamp at the mouth of the said branch
between myself and Scott, so as not to take any part of the new survey, to
him and his heirs ____ forever. 5. I give and bequeath unto my beloved son,
Levy Ballard, at the death of his mother, the land plantation and
improvements, which I have not given away of the old surry and which I have
given to my beloved wife, Elizabeth Ballard during here life. To him and his
heirs forever.
6. I give and bequeath unto my beloved daughters, Joannah, Rachael, and
Ester Ballard all my land contained in the new survey on the east side of the
maple ____ to be equally divided between them, to them, and their heirs
forever. 7. My desire is that all my just debts with my funeral expenses be
paid out of my personal estate and the residue (if any) to be equally divided
between my beloved wife, Elizabeth Ballard, and my seven children, Joab,
Caleb, Elias, Levy, Jonannah, Rachael and Ester Ballard to them and their
heirs forever.
Lastly, I appoint my beloved friend James Davis my whole and soul
executor to this my last will and testament, revoking, disannulling and
disallowing all and all other instruments of writing and pronouncing and
declaring this and this alone to be my last will and testament. Signed this
twenty seventh day of May, 1788 Witnessed Elias Ballard ___ Pinders J. B.
Herritage

(Last Will and Testament of John Ballard, Wayne/Dobbs CO, NC March 12, 1763)
In the name of God Amen, I John Ballard of the province of North Carolina in Dobbs
County being in good health of body and of sound mind and memory praise be given to
almighty god do make and order this my last Will Testament in manner and form
following that is to say first and particularly (?) I commit my sole into the hands
of almighty god hoping through the merits of death and patron of my Lord and savior,
Jesus Christ to have full and free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and my body
I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of Executors herefore
named and what worldly goods and Estate it hath pleased almighty god bestowed upon me
I give as, dispose as follows. First I will that all debts and funeral charges be
paid and discharge.

Item- I lend my beloved wife the use of my whole estate during her widowhood.
Item- I give to my daughter Ann one shilling sterling.
Item- I give to my daughter Ruth one shilling sterling.
Item- I give my son John one shilling sterling.
Item- I give my daughter Rachel one shilling sterling.
Item- I give Joseph Ballard Boite (Boyte?) ten pounds sterling to have good schooling given by the executors.
Item- I give Jacob Ballard Boite (Boyte?) ten pounds sterling to have good schooling given by the executors.
Item- I leave my son Elisha in the hands of my son Elias to be well taken care of as long as he lives.
Item- I give my son Elias my whole and sole Estate to him and his heirs forever and lastly

I do hereby constitute and appoint Elias Ballard and Theoplus Jones my whole and sole
Executors of this my last Will and Testament and I do hereby revoke, disenull and make
void all former Wills and Testaments heretofore by me made. In witness where of I have
here unto set my hand and seal this 12th day of March in the year of our Lord one
thousand seven hundred sixty three.

Signed sealed in the presents of us
his
Jesse Fargain
Mark
Her
Mary Jones his
Mark John Ballard, Senior.
Her mark
Jemma Jones
mark SEAL

(Note from Transcriber: John Ballard is believed to be related to the Ballard Family of
Nansemond CO, VA. Will transcribed and donated by Ron Strickland)
NOTE: After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the pound was divided into twenty shillings or 240 pennies. It remained so until decimalization on 15 February 1971.