Will of James Holland of Wake County, North Carolina, 22 November 1787

James Holland was my 7th great-grandfather. The phonetic spelling is interesting in this will. Clearly, they pronounced “kind” as “coind.” This sounds Irish to me, and according to this Wikipedia article, the name Holland may derive from Houlihan, and variant is found in County Cork. There are no given names in the family that sound Dutch, as far as I can tell, so our Hollands may in fact be Houlihans.

In the name of god amen, I James Holland, Sen’r of the Wake County and State of North Carolina being in a low State of health but of perfect mind and memory Thanks be to god and knowing the Mortality of my body and that it is appointed unto man once to Die

I do Constitute and ordain this my last will and testament and Desire it may be taken as such

first I give and bequeath my Soul to godly maker and my body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be buried in a Christian manner at the discretion of my Executors hereafter mentioned and so for what worthy Estate is hath pleased god to bless me with I dispose of one manner and Form following

Item, I give to my well beloved wife Sarey Holland all my Stock of hogs, horses, and Cattle and of all Coinds (kinds) and all my house whole (household) furniture and every Coind (kind) of necessary (?) living that I am posses’t with at this time (for ) her life time.

And in her life time in the land and plantation where I now Live and after her Decease the land to be Devided

and unto my Daughter Nanny Rowland I give one hundred and fifty acres of land lying on each side of Utley’s Creek, the plantation where I now live and

unto my son Benjamin Holland I give the Remaining Hundered acres of land joining his land and

After my wife’s Decease Item I give unto my beloved Children Sampson Holland, Thomas Holland, and Mary Lashley, Milley Hood, James Holland jun’r, Sary Thomas all the Stock of and necessary mentioned to be Equally Devided Between the six Children

in witness I have hear unto set my Hand and give my Seal this 22nd Day of November 1787.

I do Constitute and ordain Benjamin Holland and Richard Holland Holey and Soley Exec’rs of my last will and testament in presents of

Burrell Utley (Jurat)

David Edwards (Jurat)

James x Holland (his mark)

Wake County March Session 1798

The within Will was duly proven in open Court by the Oaths of Burwell Utley and David Edwards Witnesses thereto and ordered to be Recorded

Nath. Lane C.C. (Clerk of he Court)

Recorded in the Clerk’s Office in the County of Wake in Book E and page (133)

the 2nd day of May 1798

Nath Lane C.C.