The will by which James A. Barnes determined the fates of 24 enslaved people, including Howell Darden and Easter Bass:

In the name of God Amen I James A Barnes of the State of North Carolina, and County of Edgecombe being in a low State of health but of sound disposing mind and memory blessed be God for the same, being desirous of disposing of my worldly Estate do make & constitute this my last will and Testament revoking all other wills by me heretofore made

Item 1^st. I lend unto my beloved wife Sarah Barnes during the time of her natural life the following tract of land Beginning on Big Contentnea Creek at the mouth of a ditch wherein it Enters into said Creek at the flax hold, thence running Eastwardly with the ditch to the line of the land of John Barnes dec’d thence north said deceased line nearly North to a fence thence north said fence to my crop fence, thence west said cross fence to the next cross fence, thence west that fence to the gum swamp where formerly stood a bridge, thence down the various of said swamp to the creek and down the various courses of the creek to the Beginning containing one hundred acres more of less with the express and direct priviledge of getting of timber off any of my land to keep up her farm Excepting out of the land bound to her the small piece of land whereon Eliza Bass now lives which includes three acres more or less, her houses and improvements also excepting one half acre of land at or near a posimon tree standing on the North Side of the lane running Eastwardly from wherein I live at the place wherein Theophilus Bass lives I also lend unto my beloved wife all of my Kitchen furniture & dairy utensils one Mahoggany side Board, one little do., all my chairs, all my earthen ware and glass ware of every description, all of my knives and forks, all of my spoons flat Irons and my and irons all of my wooden ware of every description one half of my brandy Still all of my Cider barrels, also the following negroes during the term of her natural life, negro man Tom, Mary, Esther & Charles except the time of Charles, which I may in an after clause in this will direct him to be bound out. Also I lend unto her my wheat fan[?] boiler & gun

Item 2^nd. Item. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah, the following negro Slaves Amos, Bob, Silvia, Ransom & Rose, two beds, bedsteds & furniture her choice, one chest her choice one sorrel mare & her colt Bob, one Bay Mare mule, two cows and calves her choice, one white heifer from four to five years old, fifteen dollars in money, three sows & piggs her choice, all of my plows [illegible] & plow gear, lines plow bits Stems Keys [illegible] Irons & all of my axes grubbin hoes, weeding hoes, chisels, saws, drawing knives, all the poultry & geese, six stacks of fodder her choice, twelve bushels of seed [illegible] all of the flax on hand, all the wheels and cards, the loom and all the gear, fifty pounds of pick cotton all the [illegible] all the oats twenty five bushels of wheat one barrel of brandy her choice one candle mould one lantern, one wash basin one large cupboard two candlesticks all the sifters and trays fifty barrels of good Corn & twenty five fat hoggs her choice my apple mills & cider presses to her and her heirs forever.

Item 3^rd. I give and bequeath unto my nephew Theophilus Bass the priviledge of using one half acre of Land whereon he now lives also the whole of the Jacob S. Barnes tract of land containing one hundred and fifty acres of land more or less excepting and reserving to my wife apart of this land loaned to her in this Will during the Term of her life. Also I give unto him the said Theophilus Bass his heirs and assigns forever one certain part of the Lott of land I drew in the division of the real estate of John Barnes and adjoining Willis Simms near the gum pond or Swamp Jacob S. Barnes to co[illegible] all the land north of a dam near the Broken leg for the purpose of straitening our his fence to come along the Cross fence that Comes through to the pond to Sarah Barnes line of the land loaned to her in this will. Also one half of my brandy still also the negroes to my wife which is loaned to her trust, Negroe Mary, Esther, & Charles which gift to him is to Command at the death of my wife, one bay horse called Lany, one cow & carlin[?] which is called his, my blacksmiths tools, one horses cart & wheels and all the other property to him & his heirs which is loaned to my wife in this ill which gift to him is to command. It is however my will and desire that Theophilus Bass is to pay one hundred dollars in money before he receives any thing under this will

Item 4^th. It is my will and desire the negro fellow Charles is to be hired out as long as my wife lives and the money arising from said hire to be applied enough of it to pay my debt if it is required for that purpose, and if not one half of his hire to pay to Theophilus Bass and the other half to my wife Sarah Barnes.

Item 5^th. I give and bequeath to Martha Tomberlin wife of Daniel [David?] Tomberlin Dinah to her & her nears and assigns for ever but is to pay Patience Darden 54 dollars in two years from this date

Item 6. I give and bequeath to Tresy Darden daughter of McKinly Darden boy Jack to her, her heirs and assigns forever but this Legatee is bound to pay Patience Darden Ten dollars in two years

Item 7^th. It is my will and desire that my negro man Tom choose his Master and to be valued by two disinterested men at the death of my wife

Item 8 – I give and bequeath unto McKinley Darden his heirs and assigns forever negro man Howell about twenty two or three years of age but he is hereby to pay back to my Executor fifty dollars before he is to have him

Item 9^th Item – I give and bequeath unto my Sister Beedy Woodard of the State of Georgia boy Irvin which boy she has in her possession which I have given her a bill of sale for to her and her heirs and assigns forever.

Item 10^th. I give and bequeath unto Eliza Bass widow of James Bass one negro fellow Jordan, all the household and Kitchen furniture in her possession, wheels, cards, cart & gear to her & her heirs and assigns forever.

Item 11^th. I give and bequeath the following negro slaves (to wit) Rindy, Abraham, Rody, Alexander & Bob to the three children of Theophilus Bass dec’d. George Washington Bass, Thomas Warren Bass & Jessee Jackson Bass, with this express condition that the above bound five negroes shall be bound to pay notes out of hand for fifty or sixty dollars I gave to Jacob G. Barnes Administrator of James Bass dec. to them, their heirs and assigns forever.

Item 12^th. It is my will and desire that the widow of James Bass, Eliza Bass have use and occupy all the Lands I own on the East side of Big Contentnea & south side of my land, not heretofore mentioned to my wife and Theophilus Bass, during the time she may live single or life to her death and at such time as she may marry or die, it is my will and desire that the three lotts of land I drew of the John Barnes dec’d tract the one I drew and two I purchased of Julius Bass & Beedy Woodard to belong to Thomas Warren Bass and the balance loaned to her in this Item to belong to George Washington Bass & Jesse Jackson Bass, Share and Share alike to them their heirs and assigns forever.

Item 13^th. It is my will and desire that the tract of land of mine in Wane County near where I live containing seventy two acres or thereabouts to belong to Eliza Bass and Theophilus Share and Share alike and so to remain until one or the other of them dies & then the tract is to be sold in Six months and the money arising from said sale to be equally divided between them or their heirs and assigns

Item 14^th. It is my will and desire that my sister Julian Bass to have two hundred dollars in money

Item 15^th. It is my will and desire that my sister child, Margarett Evans of the State of Georgia have three hundred & fifty Dollars to her & her heirs and assigns forever.

Item 16^th. It is my will and desire & I so direct my negro girl Gatsy all the balance of my estate of every description not given away in this will be sold on a credit of six months & the money arising therefrom to pay all my debts and legacies

Item 17^th. It is my will and desire that my Friend Wyatt Moye Executor to this my last will and Testament this 14^th October 1848. Signed, Sealed and declared in presence of Woodard Cook, Edwin Barnes.   James A. Barnes {seal}

North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998 [database on-line], Ancestry.com.