Book Description

Increased interest in genealogical research has created a demand for better access to any information that may be found within the older legal records kept by the county where an ancestor had lived. The most useful type of these records for genealogical purposes is the hundreds of wills that were recorded before the turn of the 19th century. This book contains the detailed abstracts of the 1,182 wills that were written in Pasquotank County between the years 1720 and 1880. The abstracted records are in alphabetical order arranged by the surname of the testator and both the date the will was written and the date of probate is listed. Included in these abstracts are the names of each heir as well as their relationship to the testator (if mentioned), the bequests they received of land or slaves, the names of the executor or executrix and the names of the witnesses who signed the will. Also included in each abstract is the location or locations where the will can be found. The early history of how wills were recorded for Pasquotank County and the history of Pasquotank Will Books which are included the Introduction; an index which contains 773 different surnames (6,137 full-names) and a separate slave index with 718 names, adds to the value of this work for genealogical research.